William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006)
He was a musician whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he backed artists such as Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Reverend James Cleveland, and the Beatles. He went on to achieve fame as a solo artist with hit singles such as "That's the Way God Planned It", the Grammy-winning "Outa-Space", "Will It Go Round in Circles", "Space Race", "Nothing from Nothing", and "With You I'm Born Again". Additionally, Preston co-wrote "You Are So Beautiful", which became a #5 hit for Joe Cocker. Preston continued to record and perform with other artists, notably George Harrison after the Beatles' breakup, and Eric Clapton, and he played keyboards for the Rolling Stones on many of the group's albums and tours during the 1970's. His discography lists 38 albums, 18 of them solo performances. He was also the first musician guest to appear on Saturday Night Live, in 1975. Preston suffered from drug addiction, and later went into rehab. He also struggled with his homosexuality, and the lingering effects of being sexually abused as a child. Although his sexual orientation became known to friends and associates in the music world (such as Keith Richards), Preston did not publicly come out as gay until just before he died: partly because he felt that it conflicted with his deeply held religious beliefs and his lifelong association with the church, he was in the closet until shortly before his death.
Preston had suffered kidney disease in his later years, brought on by his hypertension. He received a kidney transplant in 2002, but his health continued to deteriorate. Preston died on June 6, 2006, in Scottsdale, Arizona at age 59. He is interred at Inglewood Memorial Park in Inglewood, California.