JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS



            BILLY PRESTON

            BILLY PRESTON



            BIOGRAPHY WEB PAGES DISCOGRAPHY



            BIOGRAPHY





            It's advantageous to get an early start on your chosen career, but Billy Preston took the concept to extremes. By age ten he was playing keyboards with gospel diva Mahalia Jackson, and two years later, in 1958, he was featured in Hollywood's film bio of W.C. Handy, St. Louis Blues, as young Handy himself. Preston was a prodigy on organ and piano, recording during the early '60s for Vee-Jay and touring with Little Richard. He was a loose-limbed regular on the mid-'60s ABC TV series Shindig, proving his talent as both vocalist and pianist, and he built an enviable reputation as a session musician, even backing the Beatles on their Let It Be album. That impressive Beatles connection led to Preston's big break as a solo artist with his own Apple album, but it was his early-'70s soul smashes "Outa-Space" and the high-flying vocal "Will It Go Round in Circles" for A&M that put Preston on the permanent musical map. Sporting a humongous Afro and an omnipresent gap-toothed grin, Preston showed that his enduring gospel roots were never far removed from his joyous approach. He continued to perform and record throughout the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, until he fell into a coma caused by pericarditis late in 2005; sadly, he never regained consciousness and passed away on June 6, 2006. -- Bill Dahl, All Music Guide



            BACK TO THE TOP




            WEB PAGES

            Official Billy Preston Website
            Billy Preston Portfolio
            R & B Page Real Audio Interview


            BACK TO THE TOP




            DISCOGRAPHY

            LOOKYEARALBUM
            1965Most Exciting Organ Ever
            1966Wildest Organ in Town!
            1967Club Meeting
            1969That's the Way God Planned It
            1969Billy Preston [Buddah Records]
            1969Greazee Soul
            1970Encouraging Words
            1971I Wrote a Simple Song
            1972Music Is My Life
            1973Original Billy Preston: Soul'd Out
            1973Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music
            1974The Kids & Me
            1974Live European Tour
            1975It's My Pleasure
            1975The Genius of Billy Preston
            1976Billy Preston[A & M Records]
            1977Whole New Thing
            1979Late at Night
            1981Billy and Syreeta
            1981The Way I Am
            1982Pressin' On
            1995Minister of Music
            1996Words & Music
            1997Universal Love
            2000Ultimate Collection


            BACK TO THE TOP




            ALBUMS

            1965 Most Exciting Organ Ever

            01. If I Had a Hammer
            02. Low Down
            03. Slippin' and Slidin'
            04. Drown in My Own Tears
            05. I Am Coming Through
            06. Octopus
            		 07. Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying
            08. Soul Meeting
            09. Let Me Know
            10. Billy's Bag
            11. Masquerade Is Over
            12. Steady Gettin' It


            1966 Wildest Organ in Town!

            1967 Club Meeting

            BACK TO THE TOP




            1969 That's the Way God Planned It

            01. Do What You Want
            02. I Want to Thank You
            03. Everything's All Right
            04. She Belongs to Me
            05. It Doesn't Matter
            06. Morning Star
            		 07. Hey Brother
            08. What About You?
            09. Let Us All Get Together Now
            10. This Is It
            11. Keep It to Yourself
            12. That's the Way God Planned It, Pt. 1 - 2


            1969 Billy Preston [Buddah Records]

            1969 Greazee Soul

            1970 Encouraging Words

            BACK TO THE TOP




            1971 I Wrote a Simple Song

            01. Shoud've Kown Better
            02. I Worte a Simple Song
            03. John Henry
            04. Without a Song
            05. Bus
            06. Outa-Space
            		 07. Looner Tune
            08. You Done Got Older
            09. Swing Down Chariot
            10. God Is Great
            11. My Country 'Tis of Thee



            1972 Music Is My Life

            01. We're Gonna Make It
            02. One Time or Another
            03. Blackbird
            04. Will It Go Round in Circles
            05. God Loves You
            		 06. Ain't That Nothing
            07. Make the Devil Mad
            08. Heart Full of Sorrow
            09. Music's My Life



            BACK TO THE TOP




            1973 Original Billy Preston: Soul'd Out

            1973 Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music

            01. Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music
            02. You're So Unique
            03. How Long Has That Train Been Gone
            04. My Soul Is a Witness
            05. Sunday Morning
            06. You've Got Me for Company
            07. Listen to the Wind
            		 08. Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music
            09. Space Race
            10. Do You Love Me?
            11. I'm So Tired
            12. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
            13. Minuet for Me



            BACK TO THE TOP




            1974 The Kids & Me

            01. Tell Me You Need My Loving
            02. Nothing from Nothing
            03. Struttin'
            04. Sister Sugar
            05. Sad Sad Song
            06. You Are So Beautiful
            		 07. Sometimes I Love You
            08. St. Elmo
            09. John the Baptist
            10. Little Black Boys and Girls
            11. Creature Feature



            1974 Live European Tour

            1975 It's My Pleasure

            01. Fancy Lady
            02. Found the Love
            03. That's Life
            04. Do It While You Can
            		 05. It's My Pleasure
            06. Song of Joy
            07. I Can't Stand It
            08. All of My Life


            BACK TO THE TOP




            1975 The Genius of Billy Preston

            01. Drown in My Tears
            02. Low Down
            03. Soul Meeting
            04. Let Me Know
            05. Billy's Bag
            		 06. Steady Gettin' It
            07. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
            08. Go Now
            09. Shotgun



            1976 Billy Preston [A & M Records]

            01. Do What You Want
            02. Bells
            03. I've Got the Spirit
            04. When You Are Mine
            05. Bad Case of Ego
            		 06. Take Time to Figure It Out
            07. Let the Music Play
            08. Simplify Your Life
            09. Let's Make Love
            10. Ecstasy


            BACK TO THE TOP




            1977 Whole New Thing

            01. Whole New Thing
            02. Disco Dancin'
            03. Complicated Sayings
            04. Attitudes
            05. I'm Really Gonna Miss You
            06. Wide Stride
            		 07. You Got Me Buzzin'
            08. Sweet Marie
            09. Happy
            10. Touch Me Love
            11. You Don't Have to Go



            1979 Late at Night

            01. Give It up Hot
            02. Lat at Night
            03. All I Wanted Was You
            04. You
            05. I Come to Rest in You
            		 06. It Will Come in Time
            07. Lovely Lady
            08. With You I'm Born Again
            09. Sock-It, Rocket



            BACK TO THE TOP




            1981 Billy and Syreeta

            01. Someone Special
            02. Searchin'
            03. Just for You
            04. It's So Easy
            05. Long & Lasting Love
            		 06. Love
            07. One More Try
            08. Hey You
            09. New Way to Say I Love You
            10. What We Did for Love


            1981 The Way I Am

            01. Hope
            02. Good Life Boogie
            03. Keep on Truckin'
            04. Change Is Gonna Come
            05. Lay Your Feeling on Me
            		 06. I Won't Mistreat Your Love
            07. Baby I'm Yours
            08. Until Then
            09. Way I Am



            BACK TO THE TOP




            1982 Pressin' On

            01. Pressin' On
            02. I'd Like to Go Back Home Again
            03. Loving Is Easy
            04. Turn It Out
            05. I'm Never Gonna Say Goodbye
            		 06. Thanks But No Thanks
            07. Don't Try to Fight It
            08. I Love You So
            09. I Come out



            1995 Minister of Music

            01. Minister of Music
            02. I'm Praying
            03. Hold Me
            04. I Love You Jesus
            05. Yeah Yeah
            06. I Love You Lord
            		 07. Jesus Is Lord
            08. He's Coming Soon
            09. Totally Surrender
            10. Committed
            11. Yield Not
            12. Oh the Glory of His Presence


            BACK TO THE TOP




            1996 Words & Music

            1997 Universal Love

            2000 Ultimate Collection

            01. Will It Go Round In Circles
            02. Outa-Space
            03. Slaughter
            04. I Wrote A Simple Song
            05. That's The Way God Planned It - Live
            06. Struttin'
            07. Fancy Lady
            08. You're So Unique
            09. Space Race
            10. Get Back
            		11. Blackbird
            12. Wide Stride
            13. Nothing From Nothing
            14. I'm Really Gonna Miss You
            15. You Are So Beautiful
            16. With You I'm Born Again
            17. Since I Held You Close
            18. Go For It
            19. One More Time For Love
            20. I'm Never Gonna Say Goodbye


            horizontal bar

            BACK TO THE TOP


            MAIN PAGE OLD SCHOOL FUNK SILKY SOUL SINGERS
            GOLDEN VOICES ROCK AND ROLL JAZZ
            GREAT GROUPS RHYTHM AND BLUES
            EMAIL GRAPHICS BY YS MCCOOL

            horizontal bar