He Was The Unofficial Fifth Beatle
Billy Preston was the keyboardist and musical mastermind whose melodies bridged the gap between gospel and good old rock ‘n’ roll. He shared the stage so often with the Beatles that he was practically the fifth member of the band. But he was keeping a dark secret—even from them.
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1. He Came From Humble Roots
William Everett Preston belted out his first notes on September 2, 1946, in Houston, Texas. He was raised mostly by his mother, Robbie Lee Williams, and moved to Los Angeles as a boy. His tiny childhood apartment overflowed with music and faith. In that humble home, he was hiding huge talent—and an even bigger secret.
Heinrich Klaffs, Wikimedia Commons
2. He Was Just Born With It
Billy Preston would go on to dazzle his fellow musicians with his unbelievable skills. Skills that he simply had from birth. Preston was a self-taught prodigy, having never taken a single music lesson. By 10, he was already playing onstage, backing the likes of Mahalia Jackson on the organ. His gospel roots would serve him well—and terribly.
Dave Brinkman (ANEFO), Wikimedia Commons
3. He Shared The Stage With King Cole
By 11, Preston’s career in music was already taking off. Before he could even drive, he strutted onto national TV, singing “Blueberry Hill” beside the silky-voiced Nat King Cole. A year later, he appeared in the 1958 biopic St Louis Blues, playing a young WC Handy, once again opposite Cole. Hollywood was calling. But Preston wanted a holier call.
William P. Gottlieb, Wikimedia Commons
4. He Found His Faith In Music
By 1960, Preston’s nimble fingers had earned him a seat behind the piano for Andraé Crouch and the Church of God in Christ Singers. Together, they recorded the gospel classic “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power”. For Preston, faith and melody were one and the same. Some melodies, however, would scar him for life.
5. He Faced A Terrible Betrayal
When Billy Preston was about nine, he and his mother had joined a touring production of Amos ’n’ Andy, a radio sitcom with an African American audience. It turned out to be a tour of torture for poor Preston. During the tour, Preston alleged that the company’s pianist preyed on him. Even as he filled concert halls, no one could hear his true voice.
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6. His Mother Didn’t Believe Him
For the tour and some time thereafter, Preston kept the dark secret of his exploitation to himself. Sadly, even when he finally mustered up the courage to tell his mother what had happened, she refused to believe him. Then matters intensified when a local pastor joined in on his exploitation. Quietly, Preston learned to live with the pain and shame.
It would come back to haunt him in terrible ways.
David Hume Kennerly, Wikimedia Commons
7. He Met The Beatles Before They Were Famous
In 1962, a 16-year-old Billy Preston joined Little Richard’s touring band as an organist. On one smoky night in Hamburg, he crossed paths with a scruffy, scrappy little group that called themselves the Beatles. None of them could have guessed that they had just found the secret to their future success.
8. He Caught Sam Cooke’s Eye
By 1963, Preston’s gospel roots had given way to soulful rhythm and blues. That year, he played organ on Sam Cooke’s Night Beat album—then dropped his own debut, 16 Yr Old Soul, on Cooke’s SAR label. It was a bold first step into the spotlight alone. He would bask in the warm glow—for a time.
Macfadden Publications page 1, Wikimedia Commons
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9. He Became The Star Of “Shindig!”
Preston followed up the success of his debut solo album two years later with another chart-topper. Preston’s next album was The Most Exciting Organ Ever—and the title wasn’t an exaggeration. That same year, he brought his boundless energy to the hit TV show Shindig!, broadcasting his unique sound to audiences across America.
His next jam session would become music-history gold.
Screenshot from Shindig!, ABC Television (1964–1966)
10. He Jammed With Jimi
In the spring of 1965, high off the success of his second album, Billy Preston stepped into a New York studio with Little Richard and an up-and-coming guitarist. That guitarist’s name? Jimi Hendrix. The session produced the soulful classic “I Don’t Know What You’ve Got”. When another music legend got wind of the collaboration, Preston’s career really went into hyperdrive.
Hannu Lindroos / Lehtikuva, Wikimedia Commons
11. He Joined The Genius Himself
In 1967, Preston’s career took a quantum leap forward. Despite finding success on his own, he decided to join a touring band. But not just anyone’s touring band. Preston became the keyboardist and organist for none other than Ray Charles. That was, however, just the opening act.
William Morris Agency (management)/Photo by Maurice Seymour, New York., Wikimedia Commons
12. He Reunited With Old Friends
When George Harrison, the lead guitarist for the Beatles, invited Billy Preston to the band’s "Get Back" sessions, it wasn’t just to have a jam session. It was to change music history. Preston played organ and electric piano throughout the chaotic recording process, with some of the tracks finding their way into film.
He was practically a Beatle at that point.
David Hume Kennerly, Wikimedia Commons
13. He Almost Joined The Beatles
Preston’s influence during those recording sessions was so profound that John Lennon floated a wild idea: make him an official Beatle. But Paul McCartney, ever the pragmatist, vetoed the motion. It wasn’t that McCartney didn’t like Preston, just that he thought adding a fifth Beatle would be like an infestation—too many cooks in the kitchen.
Still, he was a Beatle for all intents and purposes.
ingen uppgift, Wikimedia Commons
14. He Played Their Final Show
On January 30, 1969, Billy Preston climbed onto the Beatles’ rooftop for what would become an iconic moment in music history. Bundled against the London chill, Preston hammered away on the electric piano, delivering an unforgettable performance at what would be the Beatles’ final public appearance together.
That day, the Fifth Beatle helped the Fab Four take one last bow.
15. He Became An “Honorary Beatle”
In April 1969, the Beatles released “Get Back” and did something they had never done before: they shared the credit. On the track, the Fab Four added the credits, “The Beatles with Billy Preston”. It was the only time in their career that they would share billing with another artist, effectively making Preston the fifth, honorary Beatle.
But that was just the beginning of his divine partnership with George Harrison.
Screenshot from The Beatles with Billy Preston – Get Back / Let It Be, Apple Corps Ltd. (1969–1970)
16. He Released His First Apple Album
Even after the Beatles broke up, Billy Preston kept working with the individual members of the band. He quickly signed with the Beatles’ Apple label and released “That’s the Way God Planned It”. The title track became a British hit, its gospel-infused optimism capturing everything Preston stood for: faith, funk, and fearless joy.
Screenshot from That’s the Way God Planned It, Apple Records (1969)
17. He Got The First Crack At A Classic
Of all the Beatles, Preston was likely closest with George Harrison. In fact, the two even shared hit songs. Long before Harrison had a global hit with “My Sweet Lord,” Preston had recorded it. Together, they co-produced the song for Preston’s 1970 album Encouraging Words. Their creative bond only deepened from there.
Apple Records, Wikimedia Commons
18. He Lit Up The Concert For Bangladesh
On August 1, 1971, Billy Preston joined George Harrison’s star-studded Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden. Of all the chart-topping performers at the charity concert, however, Preston stood out. His “notable contribution” made him an instant favorite with the concertgoers. And with one fan in particular.
19. He Fell In Love With A Star
At the height of his fame, Preston began seeing actress and model Kathy Silva. Their relationship became a fixture of early ’70s music gossip columns, pairing the soulful musician with one of the decade’s most glamorous faces. Before long, the couple announced their engagement. Sadly, their storied romance took a dark turn.
20. He Discovered The Worst Kind Of Betrayal
Preston’s relationship with Silva ended in a scandal that altered him forever. One day, he returned home to find Silva with another man—and not just any man, but one of his closest friends. Preston found Silva in bed with the funk icon, Sly Stone. According to Preston’s manager Joyce Moore, the betrayal devastated him in ways that would only become apparent in the ensuing years.
21. He Was Done With Women
According to his manager Joyce Moore, Billy Preston was never the same after the Silva affair. Devastated by the betrayal, he turned away from relationships with women altogether and began pursuing men (and a particular white powdery substance) instead. In the years that followed, his old demons would come back to wreak havoc in his life.
22. He Inspired A Classic Line
In 1970, Stephen Stills was struggling to finish a song—until Billy Preston handed him the missing lyric. Preston had once said, “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with”. Stills turned the phrase into a hit single and the title for his album, proving that Preston’s musical genius extended well beyond the keys.
You might say that his talents were “outta this world”.
AVRO's TopPop, Wikimedia Commons
23. He Scored A Cosmic Hit
Preston didn’t let his personal troubles slow him down (at first). In 1972, he blasted into the stratosphere with his instrumental track “Outa-Space”. The funky, futuristic jam claimed the second spot on the Billboard Hot 100, topped the R&B chart, and sold over a million copies. It even won him a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
He was even getting bigger than the Beatles.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
24. He Knocked A Beatle Off The Charts
In July 1973, Preston’s single “Will It Go Round in Circles” soared to the number one spot on the charts. In a sign of how far he’d come, his hit single even displaced the former-Beatle, George Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)”. His streak was just beginning.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
25. He Topped The Charts Again
Preston struck gold twice in two years. His 1974 single “Nothing from Nothing” also shot straight to the top on the Billboard Hot 100. It was just his second chart-topping track, but already he had carved out a niche for himself that blended gospel and pop music. In fact, people could even hear Preston’s music when they turned their TV on.
Michael Ochs Archives , Getty Images
26. He Became A TV Mainstay
Preston’s infectious grooves even conquered television. Dick Clark, host of American Bandstand, loved Preston’s song “Space Race” so much that he made it the show’s mid-segment theme—for nearly the rest of its run. Millions of teens danced to Preston’s music without even realizing it.
Mary Frampton, Los Angeles Times, Wikimedia Commons
27. He Rolled With The Rolling Stones
While conquering the charts with his soulful sounds, Preston also joined rock royalty. From 1970 onward, he played keyboards on five Rolling Stones albums, including Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. His fingerprints—literally—are all over their sound. But he wasn’t content to stay behind the curtain for long.
Andrea Sartorati, Wikimedia Commons
28. He Opened For The Stones
By 1973, Preston wasn’t just the Stones’ keyboardist—he was their opening act. On their European tour, he performed with his own band (featuring guitarist Mick Taylor) before rejoining the Stones onstage. His funky tune “Do You Love Me” even inspired their 1976 track “Melody” The student was teaching the masters.
Pool ARTAULT/SIMON, Getty Images
29. He Fell Out With The Stones
By 1977, Preston’s long run with the Rolling Stones came to a sudden halt—in scandalous fashion. While the details aren’t widely available, it became public knowledge that Preston and the Stones fell out over disagreements about money and royalties. With money getting in the way of music, Preston and the Stones decided to roll their own ways.
Preston, however, still had more than enough rock ‘n’ roll hits left in him.
30. He Wrote One Of The Greatest Love Songs Ever
In 1974, Preston and his song-writing collaborator, Bruce Fisher, penned “You Are So Beautiful”. Joe Cocker made it a global hit—but few knew that it wasn’t actually a love song. Preston had written “You Are So Beautiful” for his mother.
31. He Made History On Live TV
On October 11, 1975, Preston hit yet another milestone. He became the very first musical guest on the debut episode of Saturday Night Live. While the show went on to make countless stars, that night it was Billy Preston who had the spotlight with his electrifying performance. But the glare of the prime time light exposed some dark secrets.
Screenshot from Saturday Night Live, NBC (1975–present)
32. He Lived In Deep Conflict
Even as his career took off, behind the scenes, Preston was fighting the ghosts from his past. In his memoir, Keith Richards later revealed that Preston struggled deeply with his sexuality and often found himself in destructive, unhealthy relationships with men. It was a secret that was eating him up from the inside out.
Machocarioca, Wikimedia Commons
33. He Started To Spiral
By the 1980s, Preston’s once-bright career began to dim. As his struggles around his identity intensified, he fell into addiction, caught between the pressures of fame and his inner turmoil. Blow and hooch became his constant companions. Fortunately, by 1991, he realized how far he’d fallen.
He just didn’t know he still had further to fall.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
34. He Hit Rock Bottom
While on probation for driving under the influence in 1991, Preston’s troubles reached a breaking point. According to authorities, Preston had driven to a well-known pickup spot for day laborers in Malibu. There, they claimed, Preston picked up a teenage boy and brought him back to his house where something terrible unfolded.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
35. He Faced Harrowing Allegations
According to court documents, the teenage boy told authorities that Preston had taken him to his Malibu home where things got out of hand. He claimed that he and Preston had smoked illicit substances, and that Preston had shown him explicit material before trying to assault him.
The teenager managed to escape, but the allegations left an irreparable mark on Preston’s reputation.
36. He Faced Another Charge
If that wasn’t enough, authorities charged Preston with another offense. Just a day before he allegedly lured and attempted to assault the teenager, Preston had reportedly attacked another man he’d hired for household work. What he did next, however, was telling.
37. He Pleaded No Contest
Instead of fighting against the bad press and the allegations, Preston faced his demons. He entered no-contest pleas to the substance and assault charges, while prosecutors dropped the other allegations. The outcome saved him from far harsher punishment—but the damage to his reputation was extensive.
Still, Preston’s story of rise, fall, and redemption was far from over.
Watal Asanuma/Shinko Music, Getty Images
38. He Paid The Price
For his offenses, the court handed Preston a sentence of nine months in rehab and three months of house confinement. But he couldn’t seem to escape the cycle. The next year, in 1992, he violated probation when he was caught driving under the influence and had to spend 30 days behind bars.
His musical comeback seemed further away than ever.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
39. He Landed Back In A Bad Place
By 1997, Preston’s addictions caught up with him again. After repeatedly testing positive while on probation, a California court sentenced him to three years behind bars. It was a tragic low point for a man who had once shared stages with the Beatles and the Stones. His legal and personal woes only got worse.
40. He Set Fire To His Future
Even being behind bars couldn’t end Preston’s cycle of self-destruction. In 1998, investigators accused him of setting fire to his own Los Angeles home as part of a $1 million insurance scam. He later pleaded guilty, receiving probation, more time in the clink, and restitution.
This time, however, he turned his blues into music. Sweet, sweet music.
41. He Found Redemption Behind Bars
It wasn’t until he had spent some time behind bars that Preston finally began to heal the trauma from his childhood. Returning to his musical roots, he led the choir in the clink, played at church services, and inspired his fellow inmates with his gospel chords. After serving 18 months of his four-year sentence, he walked out clean, ready to start again.
It’s almost like he hadn’t missed a beat.
42. He Made Music With The Man In Black
Preston’s comeback started quietly but powerfully. In 2002, he played piano on Johnny Cash’s haunting album American IV: The Man Comes Around, adding soul to Cash staples like “Personal Jesus” and “Tear-Stained Letter”. The gospel boy from Houston was back where he belonged—at the keys, playing from the heart.
His heart, however, was never the problem.
Heinrich Klaffs, Wikimedia Commons
43. He Fought A Losing Battle
That same year, Preston received a kidney transplant. But his body, already ravaged by hypertension, struggled to recover. Despite his renewed faith and sobriety, his health was going in the wrong direction. Still, he had to spread the good word through song.
44. He Took His Soul On The Road
In 2004, Preston returned to the stage with old friends and new legends alike. He toured Europe with the Funk Brothers and Steve Winwood, then joined Eric Clapton across Europe and North America. Each performance was a small resurrection, a reminder that, despite everything he had gone through, the “Fifth Beatle” still had soul to spare.
It was just a question of how much.
45. He Rose From His Sickbed To Play
By 2006, Preston’s health had reached a critical point—but music still called to him. When the Red Hot Chili Peppers sent him a demo of their track “Warlocks,” he literally jumped out of bed, recorded a clavinet solo, and collapsed back under the covers. Even near the end, his rhythm was unstoppable.
46. He Made His Final Recordings Count
Preston’s last recordings were nothing short of divine. With his clock ticking down, he played gospel-infused organ on Neil Diamond’s 12 Songs and poured his soul into The Road to Escondido with Eric Clapton and JJ Cale. In those final sessions, every note sounded like a prayer. His miracle was yet to come.
Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images
47. He Returned To The Spotlight One Last Time
In late 2005, Preston gave audiences one last treat when he made his final public appearance in Los Angeles. Harkening to his halcyon days, he performed three George Harrison songs alongside Dhani Harrison and Ringo Starr. The event marked the re-release of The Concert for Bangladesh—the same show that had once made him a legend.
Now, all he had to do was seal his fate.
48. He Slipped Into Silence
Shortly after the concert performance, Preston voluntarily entered rehab in Malibu to continue his recovery—but tragedy struck. He suffered heart inflammation that led to respiratory failure, slipping into a coma in November 2005. Sadly, he’d never sing again. On June 6, 2006, Billy Preston passed on at 59, surrounded by the echoes of his music.
49. His Farewell Was Fit For A King
Preston’s farewell was fit for a musical king—or a beloved Fifth Beatle. In a three-hour celebration of sound and soul, titans of music bid their “Adieu” to Preston. Joe Cocker sang, Little Richard preached, and a brass band played “Amazing Grace”. Letters from Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and the Rolling Stones were read aloud as mourners wept, laughed, and danced him home.
But his legend lived on.
50. He Finally Earned His Crown
It wasn’t until 2021, some 15 years after his tragic demise, that Preston got an honor he had earned many times over. In a fitting tribute, Preston was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Musical Excellence Award. No one less than Ringo Starr announced the honor, saying, “Billy never put his hands in the wrong place. He was an amazing singer, songwriter, and human being”.
He was also a Beatle…
51. He Was A Beatle—And A Rolling Stone
Ringo Starr continued heaping praise on Preston. But the greatest honor he gave him was finally saying out loud what everyone knew in their hearts: “He was a Beatle—and a Rolling Stone”. Preston had done what few could—earning the respect of rock’s two biggest bands and leaving his fingerprints on their greatest hits.
But the question lingered: did his fans ever really know him at all?
52. He Carried His Secret To The End
In a 2010 BBC Radio 4 documentary, Preston’s manager revealed a scandalous, but not totally unexpected, truth. Preston, his manager claimed, had struggled his whole life to reconcile his faith with his sexuality. Only near the very end did he finally come out as gay. But, if you heard his music, then you knew him.
John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, Wikimedia Commons
53. He Left A Heavenly Legacy
Fellow keyboardist Rick Wakeman summed up Preston’s legacy perfectly: “Every keyboard player I know loves Billy Preston. You can spot his playing a mile off…He had such a spiritual touch to his technique—it made him completely unique”. In the end, Billy Preston’s music didn’t just move the charts. It moved souls.
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