KEYBOARD LEGEND BILLY PRESTON DIES AT AGE 59

(VIDEO) Keyboard legend and ‘fifth Beatle’ Billy Preston has died after a long illness as a result of malignant hypertension that resulted in kidney failure and other complications. We remember a recent interview at the Concert for Bangladesh DVD Release with Preston, right here.

Keyboard legend and ‘Fifth Beatle’ Billy Preston 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. Preston was often called the Fifth Beatle because he played keyboards on Let it Be, The White Album and Abbey Road. Preston also was part of Eric Clapton touring band. Preston’s own hits included “Nothing from Nothing,” “Will it Go Round in Circles,” and “You Are So Beautiful,” which Joe Cocker turned into an international hit. Preston was also invited by George Harrison to perform at the Concert for Bangladesh, which was the first charitable event put on by musicians. We caught up with Preston at the DVD release in Los Angeles just last year to talk about working with George on the Concert for Bangladesh, which also included a star studded list of musicians like Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell and Bob Dylan, helping out their friend George Harrison for a worthy cause.

Recently Preston finished up a Beatles tribute album he working on and how he was planning on touring with Eric Clapton’s band this year. Unfortunately due to his deteriorating health, Preston was unable to tour in 2006 with Eric Clapton, but he was excited about his Beatles tribute album, which allowed him to record these songs in his own interpreatation. You can pre order the album directly from Billy’s website, www.billypreston.net

“It was special for me because George personally asked me to be a part of it and it was also a pleasure because I got the chance to work with artists we normally don’t get a chance to play with. Leon Russell and Eric and all the musicians that were there. It was very special, there were no egos and everybody was happy to be there. It was just a joy and the whole room was full of love.”

Preston was actually mentored by Ray Charles and in the early 60s, Billy went to Europe with Little Richard playing in Hamburg. The Beatles were the opening act on that tour and the rest was history. One of Preston’s last guest appearances was playing the clavinet on the tune ‘Warlocks,’ which appears on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ new album STADIUM ARCADIUM, even though he was struggling with a heart infection.

“Well I’m working on a Beatle tribute album and I’m also going to go back out on the road with Eric Clapton next year. Taking it on the road again. It’s a pleasure to do these (Beatles) songs. I love a lot of the Beatles songs and I’m getting a chance to do them the way I interpret them.”