Billy Preston: RIP-That's the way God planned it, that's the way God wants it to be

From Billy Preston's web site:

The great singer-songwriter and performer Billy Preston, the real "Fifth Beatle" has died after a long illness as a result of malignant hypertension that resulted in kidney failure and other complications. As a result of a medical insult he'd been in a deep coma since last November 21st, but was still struggling to recover. He died at Shea Scottsdale Hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona where he'd lived for the last couple of years.

Here's a link to his own site talking about the presence of God in music.

And here's a link to Billy playing "That's The Way God Planned It" at the Concert for Bangladesh, in '71.

It always saddens me when we lose an artist, especially a musical artist I enjoyed. And it's even more poignant when it's someone with whom I had the pleasure to work.

As I told John Amato of Crooks & Liars earlier today, Billy was in Capitol Studios several times while I worked there in the late '90s. He was always charming, gracious, friendly, and funny. He also came into Larrabee once while I worked there, to play on the Jet record.

I remember one time at Capitol he was warming up on the Hammond B3 organ, his specialty, in Studio A, while next door in Studio B the seasoned studio musicians playing on a TV scoring date were taking a break.

Hearing Billy, they all came running to see who was playing so freakin' amazingly. Even the session keyboard player stood smiling and groovin'. Billy was that good. Just blew everyone away.

Lots of people make music, fewer are really about music. Billy was one of those. The last time I saw him he was loving life, loving playing music, and happy to be there. I was happy he was there too.

Thanks, Billy.

Steve regularly blogs at SteveAudio.blogspot.com.