New documentary explores the life and career of 'the fifth Beatle' Billy Preston

It's 1969. The Beatles are trying to record what would become their final albums, and they're at each other's throats. Nothing is working. Then a visitor enters the studio, the keyboard player Billy Preston. On a whim, he sits down to join them for a song, and the mood totally changes.

LENNON: You've given us a lift, Bill. We've been doing this for days.

MARTIN: Did you catch what they said? You're in the group. You've given us a lift. We've been doing this for days. Preston saved those sessions, which is just one reason John Lennon called him the fifth Beatle. But Preston died in 2006. Younger generations barely know who he is. There's a new documentary that hopes to change that. It's called "Billy Preston: That's The Way God Planned It." I spoke with director Paris Barclay.

PARIS BARCLAY: I didn't know about his relationship to Beatles. I didn't know that he played with the Rolling Stones constantly. And as I started to do a little research, I discovered that not only was he a transcendent performer musically, but that his story, including even the tragic things that happened, can be sort of a cautionary tale for how we deal with genius and especially how the Black church deals with people who are different.

Source: Michel Martin/wfdd.org

 Read More<<<