![[Image: preston1.jpg]](http://celebritygraveland.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/preston1.jpg)
Billy Preston,
sometimes referred to as "The 5th Beatle"
Quote:Billy Preston has the distinction of being the only musician besides the band members to be credited on a Beatles record
Quote:Billy Preston first met the Beatles in Hamburg in 1962. Preston was playing keyboards for Little Richard, and the Beatles were huge fans. Harrison, the youngest of the Beatles and only 18 at the time, bonded with the 15-year-old Preston, and they remained life-long friends.
performing as a 10 Year Old with none other than Nat King Cole.
and of course, Billy on the rooftop performing "Get Back" with the Beatles
Quote:Harrison went to see a Ray Charles show in London, where Preston was playing as a sideman. Harrison got the idea to recruit Preston to play with the Beatles on the Get Back project. Preston’s contributions to the project were more than musical. Harrison likened Preston’s effect to a feuding family staying on its best behavior in front of a guest – hoping that bringing in an outsider would make the others “be nice” and make the Get Back set a happier place to be
Quote:During a Get Back meeting on January 26, the idea came up for the Beatles to give a live performance the next week on the roof of the Apple office building. So, around noon on a cold and windy London rooftop, January 30, 1969, with Preston on keyboards, the Beatles began what was to be their final live performance. Preston contributed tasty, soulful and jazzy keyboard accents to the 42-minute show, with his solo on the song “Get Back” a particular highlight.
Billy scored his own #1s.
"Will it Go around in Circles" was a number one for two weeks in 1972
"Nothing From Nothing" was number 1 for one week in October 1974