Many have participated in events around the world in 2012 to celebrate 50 Years of The Beatles.  Could there be a fifth Beatle?

Keyboardist Billy Preston was fifteen when he met the Beatles fifty years ago in Hamburg (1962).

His career included stints with Little Richard, Sam Cooke, the Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and his connection with the Beatles included playing the  keyboard on “Let It Be” and “The Get Back” single where he was credited as “The Beatles with Billy Preston”.

As a solo artist, Preston won a best instrumental Grammy in 1973 for “Outta Space,” and had a number of other hits including “Will It Go ‘Round In Circles,” “Nothing From Nothing” and a duet with Syreeta Wright titled “With You I’m Born Again”.   In 1975, he wrote the song  “You Are So Beautiful” which was a hit for Joe Cocker.

 

 

 

In His Own Words

[SOUND] In this sound clip, Billy Preston remembers meeting the Beatles in Hamburg.

[SOUND] Here, Billy talks about his experience with Let It Be and playing his solo on Get Back.

Biographical info from the books The Beatles A Day In The Life by Tom Scultheiss, The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia by Bill Harry and The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll.