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RIP Billy Preston. Aged 59, after a long illness. "A former teenage keyboard prodigy, Preston was one of the few musicians to play with both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. A prolific writer, he also wrote You Are So Beautiful, a major hit for his friend, British blues singer Joe Cocker. And he collaborated with superstars such as The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, The Jackson Five, Sly and the Family Stone and Barbra Streisand." (BBC)
Pitchfork notes that "Later in his life, Preston suffered several major indignities: being sentenced to a three-year jail term following a bail violation, performing on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Stadium Arcadium, and, worst of all, performing as the title character in the abysmal film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." More here, here and here.
ADDED The B Side audioblog pays tribute, and has an in-depth backgrounder on the man.
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