Billy Preston heads to The Other Side

[RedjackRyan]

PHOENIX -- Billy Preston, who won fame as a joyful singer-songwriter of with Grammy-winning singles "Outta Space," "Will It Go 'Round In Circles" and "Nothing From Nothing," died in an Arizona hospital early Tuesday. He was 59.

Web Site: Preston's Bio
Preston's longtime manager, Joyce Moore, said Preston died at 3:35 a.m. at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea hospital in Scottsdale. Preston had been in a coma since November in a care facility and was taken to the hospital Saturday after his condition deteriorated.

"He had a very, very beautiful last few hours and a really beautiful passing," Moore said by telephone from Germany. "He went home good

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/entertainment/9328942/detail.html."

[Randy & Betty in Pa]

Billy will be missed... Truely a great artist...

Billy R.I.P

Best

R. from Pa

[DaveM]

I did not even know he was ill....very sad.

And I do not know whether to be smug or terrified about the fact that the popular singers I remember so well are beginning to die of natural causes.

[Eva]

59? He was still so young! Life isn't fair.

Eva

[Bryan]

I knew of him first for "Outta Space" (the hit instrumental in the mid 70's, I think) and last for his contribution of jazzy organ to Joni Mitchell's 2002 remake of "You Dream Flat Tires." Worked with the Beatles and many others of course, a pretty impressive career.

[GodSistah]

Very sad. He will be missed. RIP Brother Billy :(

http://www.beatlesagain.com/images/billy1.jpg

Here is a really nice obituary from CNN where he is called the 5th Beatle...
http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/06/obit.preston.ap/index.html

~Andrea~

[DaveM]

The CNN.com obit mentions that Preston was the musical guest for the first episode of "Saturday Night Live". Didn't someone else have that particular gig?

[Michael from Chicago]

Billy Preston contributed a nice 70's soul-jazz sound to Julia Fordham's cd
Concrete Love that was released a few years ago.

[Bryan]

I think I read recently that both Janis and BP were the guests that night, separately of course.

[Marcia Drummergal]

I think I read recently that both Janis and BP were the guests that night, separately of course.

The news media here (both radio and TV) also are reporting that Billy was the 1st musical guest on SNL. I wish they would have said that he AND Janis were the first musical guests...... But that is minor compared to the death of a great musician and person.

Marcia :(

[RedjackRyan]

Janis must be related to Rodney Dangerfield.. she don't get no respect either.. :(