Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Billy Preston, 1946-2006

















We're Really Gonna Miss You.

"Nothing From Nothing" was a pivotal touchstone of my childhood. The song of the summer of '74, everyone in my life- from my redneck pop to the DJ at the roller rink- loved it. The knowledge that Billy Preston had been the "fifth Beatle" and had made the freaky jam "Will It Go Round In Circles" just added to the good vibes. Only when I became a geeky music-obsessed adult did I discover that Preston was responsible for monumental funk workouts like "Outa-Space" and that he'd co-written "You Are So Beautiful." Preston died today after protracted health problems. He was 59. We're gonna miss you, indeed.

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