10 years ago todayb (6/6/06), soul/funk and all around keyboard virtuoso Billy Preston died at age 59 from kidney failure. Preston was recognized as a top session musician in the 1960s, during which he backed artists such as Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and the Beatles. He then went on to achieve fame as a solo artist, with hit pop singles including “That’s the Way God Planned It”, “Outa-Space”, “Will It Go Round in Circles”, “Space Race”, and “Nothing from Nothing”.Preston was the only musician to be credited on a Beatles recording other than the group’s four members: the group’s number-one hit “Get Back” billed as “The Beatles with Billy Preston”. Watch Preston get crazy on the clavinet during this live version of “Outa-Space.”
