George Harrison's Wife Explains His Magical Connection with Billy Preston
Singer-songwriter-keyboardist Billy Preston rubbed shoulders with musical royalty during his many decades as a working musician, including the Beatles on their final two albums as a group, 1969's Abbey Road and 1970's Let It Be.
It was love at first note when Preston started playing the electric piano during the 1969 Let It Be sessions, which led John Lennon to deem him "like a fifth Beatle." But Preston had an especially close bond with the quiet Beatle that continued long after the group disbanded in 1970.
Preston's relationship with George Harrison is discussed by one of the people who knew Harrison best — his widow Olivia Harrison — in the new documentary Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It, premiering Nov. 17 at the DOC NYC festival. The film is directed by Paris Barclay, whose credits include Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and produced by Stephanie Allain, Jeanne Elfant Festa, Nigel Sinclair and Cheo Hodari Coker.
Olivia Harrison, along with former Beatle Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and Sam and Dave's Sam Moore are all featured in the documentary, sharing memories of the man they called a colleague and friend.
George Harrison and Olivia Harrison in 1981. AP Photo
“I think George and Billy connected in a way the others didn’t," Olivia, 76, says in the film. "He was certain of Billy the moment he laid eyes on him. He saw him, and I think Billy saw George, and somehow, they recognized each other, and they really saw who they were. And I think that’s what kept them together.”
Preston played the Hammond organ on "Something," the No. 1 single from the Abbey Road album that was written and sung by Harrison. In return, Harrison produced Preston's 1969 single "That's the Way God Planned It," which gives the documentary its title.
Source: Jeremy Helligar/people.com
