This is totally great. Brings back great memories of my years in Canada. -- Charly Prevost

Fantastic Site! Great Work! -- Jean Pierre Guilbert, V.P. Promotion & Artist Development (A&M Canada)

Clyde Kaplan, Engineer, A&M Studios -- Thanks for putting together this great website about A&M Records.

Thank you so much for all of your help. It is a great site. Thank you for helping to keep these bands relevant. -- Andrea Bricklin (Bricklin)

What a great site - Thank you for organizing it. You have continued the family spirit that Herb and Jerry worked so hard to create - and that is so hard to find otherwise. -- Sharon Steeley, Music Video Promotion

Great site....brings back a lot of memories. -- Aaron Jacoves, Director of A&R

I just saw the A&M website, very impressive. -- Larry Weintraub, Vice President of A&R

Thank you so much!! I love the A&M site. -- Toni Tennille

Your website is absolutely ACE ACE ACE!!! It is great to see real top work and dedication towards a label that meant so much to many. -- Jay Schatz / Chris Skane, A&R / A&M Associated Labels

Thank you Leslie. -- Al Cafaro, CEO, A&M Records

I came across the site by co-incidence - congratulations! A great initiative and nicely done. -- Russ Curry, VP European Operations

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Thanks, this is a great site. -- Barbara West, Sr. Director of Business / Legal Affairs

A&M Records was home to me in the '70s. Chuck, Brenda, Gil, Marsha, Rita Ross and family gave me my first intro to the music business and put me on the right track to my own family and an historic artistic career. Love to all. -- Ron Artis, Almo/Irving Music

I love the website! -- Jewell Kumjian, A&M Studios Concierge

I'm always amazed every time I spend time on the site and imagine the enormous amount of work and time it has taken you to build this. It's a smorgasboard of history... -- Frann Altman

Thanks for doing such epic work on the site. Salut! -- Max Hutchinson

A friend forwarded the link to your site, it's amazing! -- Monique McGuffin, Graphics Coordinator

Thanks so much for all you do for all of us!!!! -- Monique Augusta

Congratulations on your internet site. I would like to be included on your staff list as I worked for A&M in Toronto and London. -- France Tetreault-Thomson, Assistant A&R

I am genuinely so happy to see this site--my daughter's picture is on the cover of one of those catalogs -- Rob Gold, Executive Director of Advertising and Merchandising, A&M Records

Thanks so much for keeping in touch and keeping so many of us in the loop! I couldn't agree more that A&M's biggest 'hit' is the legacy of warm comraderie and real friendship that our collective years there engendered. -- Cheryl McEnaney

Thanks for putting together this great website about A&M Records. -- Clyde Kaplan, Engineer, A&M Studios

I love the website! -- Jewell Kumjian, A&M Studios Concierge

I was just talking to Derek Alpert today...and we had a blast pawing around on this website together. I think it's so cool that you did this! -- Doreen Ringer-Ross

This is totally great. Brings back great memories of my years in Canada. -- Charly Prevost

Congratulations Leslie on all the good work you do for the A&M community. -- Al Cafaro, President and CEO, A&M Records

You're right about the specialness of A&M. It's so hard to explain, but it really was unique. A Camelot, if you will. Thanks for your efforts -- Richard Pachter, Promotions

Your site is being passed around and mentioned to all ex A&M employees. Your site is great and I'd love to be a part. Thanks for your time and good luck. -- Joe James, Technical Manager, A&M Studios

Thanks so much for keeping in touch and keeping so many of us in the loop! I couldn't agree more that A&M's biggest 'hit' is the legacy of warm comraderie and real friendship that our collective years there engendered. -- Cheryl McEnaney

Thanks for all the work you do for the website. -- Gary Mannon, A&M Studios

Pretty cool site. Nice to see that the history of the label - which was its greatest asset - has not been forgotten. -- Brandon Costas, Sales Coordinator

This is a great web site on A&M. -- Gary Mannon, A&M Studios

This is a great site! Thanks for keeping the memories alive.... -- Jerimaya Grabher

Thanks for all your amazing work with keeping us all connected. -- Doria Leong

Thanks for all your hard work in gathering this fantastic web resource of one of the greatest companies that ever existed. -- Jim McCrary, Photographer

Your knowledge and research is both amazing, and from what I viewed, about 98% accurate. -- Randy Alpert (Capt. Badazz)

What a great site, lots of memories. -- Paul McKenna

Thanks for this ambitious and remarkable site. Just bouncing around inside the site the other day brought back so many really wonderful memories of the time and place and people when magic was possible and all lights were green. -- Corb Donohue, National Director of Public Relations

Thanks for doing such epic work on the site. Salut! -- Max Hutchinson

I have enjoyed the A&M website you created and visit it often. -- Chuck Beeson, Art Director

I had such a good time at A&M, so it's nice to still feel part of it. Keep up the good work with the website. -- Alex Hutchinson, A&M Records, Ltd., Art Department

Thanks Les, I've spoken with more old friends from A&M in the last week than in the last decabe. All because of your site -- Alan Oken

It's a pretty interesting looking site and I'll check it out further. -- Robin Kirby, Western Regional Sales/Marketing Director

Thanks for making the site and I'll be checking in to see what's happenin'. -- Richard Cottrell

This is a great site! Thanks for keeping the memories alive.... -- Jerimaya Grabher

Going through this site reminded me of what I loved about working for A&M. -- Colin Sowa

Wow Leslie!! Lots of great work here... Love what you did! -- Randy Alpert (Captain Badazz)

Clyde Kaplan, Engineer, A&M Studios -- Thanks for putting together this great website about A&M Records.

Glad to know that you have set up this site. What a neat way to stay in touch. Great job! -- Xander Smith (Other Star People)

Fantastic Site! Great Work! -- Jean Pierre Guilbert, V.P. Promotion & Artist Development (A&M Canada)

Your website is absolutely ACE ACE ACE!!! It is great to see real top work and dedication towards a label that meant so much to many. -- Jay Schatz / Chris Skane, A&R / A&M Associated Labels

I love that you're keeping our history alive. -- Mary Ann Johnson, Artist Relations

It's a pretty interesting looking site and I'll check it out further. -- Robin Kirby, Western Regional Sales/Marketing Director

I was just talking to Derek Alpert today...and we had a blast pawing around on this website together. I think it's so cool that you did this! -- Doreen Ringer-Ross

Your site is being passed around and mentioned to all ex A&M employees. Your site is great and I'd love to be a part. Thanks for your time and good luck. -- Joe James, Technical Manager, A&M Studios

You have made me feel like I have come home safely to family, exactly what the A&M spirit was all about. -- Babs Stock

The website is Great! It really took me back down memory lane. Keep up the good work and thank you! -- Janice Hague, International Promotions Manager, A&M Records GB

Going through this site reminded me of what I loved about working for A&M. -- Colin Sowa

Thanks for making the site and I'll be checking in to see what's happenin'. -- Richard Cottrell

You sure have a buzz going. I've had 3 emails from A&Mers today alone. Good luck! -- Andy French, Director, Artist Relations & Artist Development

I have nothing but positive things to say about you and what you have done to help keep alive the spirit of A&M. -- Al Marks (Promotion, Artist Development)

Thanks for this site--best of luck with it! -- David Bradstreet

Thanks, Les! It's so wonderful that you are so involved with the website. I have such fantastic memories of my time spent at A&M. It was definitely a magical place. -- Stacie Surabian, A&M Sales

Thanks for this ambitious and remarkable site. Just bouncing around inside the site the other day brought back so many really wonderful memories of the time and place and people when magic was possible and all lights were green. -- Corb Donohue, National Director of Public Relations

...very fun to see this....Many thanks for your efforts....Best -- Juliea 'Jools' Clarke

Thanks Leslie for doing this. It's great to have this resource. You're awesome for keeping it going. -- Carmen DeVida

Great site I just stumbled across, would appreciate my 'all access pass'. -- Jimmy Zisson, General Manager of A&M Records, New York

I have nothing but positive things to say about you and what you have done to help keep alive the spirit of A&M. -- Al Marks (Promotion, Artist Development)

Keep up the great work on the site. -- Don Rodgers, Promotion Manager, Mid-Western Region, Canada

I'm so delighted to see it! Many of us have incredible memories and ongoing great comraderie from those years on The Lot....and I am so glad to see this happen now! -- Cheryl McEnaney, National Artist Development Manager

...very fun to see this....Many thanks for your efforts....Best -- Juliea 'Jools' Clarke

Great site I just stumbled across, would appreciate my 'all access pass'. -- Jimmy Zisson, General Manager of A&M Records, New York

Great site...thanks Leslie. -- J. B. Brenner

What a fabulous site! It certainly brings back a lot of memories… -- David Browde, College Promotions

Congratulations on a great web site. Thanks for all your efforts in making this site. -- Bill Morgan, Director, Technical Engineering, A&M Studios

Congratulations on your internet site. I would like to be included on your staff list as I worked for A&M in Toronto and London. -- France Tetreault-Thomson, Assistant A&R

I've just discovered your web site. Holy smoke!!!!! -- Geoffrey B. Schulman, Director of A&R Administration, Los Angeles

Wow, what an incredible site you've created! I can't believe you have not only the names of the Carpenters, but of even the real carpenters like the La Prell twins, etc. -- Jim McCrary, Photographer

This is great to see all the names of all of the friends of such a very special place. Thank you! -- Leigh Jackson, Artist Development

You sure have a buzz going. I've had 3 emails from A&Mers today alone. Good luck! -- Andy French, Director, Artist Relations & Artist Development

Wow, what an incredible site you've created! I can't believe you have not only the names of the Carpenters, but of even the real carpenters like the La Prell twins, etc. -- Jim McCrary, Photographer

The website is Great! It really took me back down memory lane. Keep up the good work and thank you! -- Janice Hague, International Promotions Manager, A&M Records GB

It's good to see someone reminding us of the special organization A&M was -- John Hawkins (Edenstreet)

It is great to have a site for the A&M family. -- Mary (Sukkestad) Mack, Executive Secretary, International Dept.

Kudos to you for recognizing possibly the ultimate artist/people friendly label. -- Ed Rivadavia, Northern Midwest Promotion Manager

Thanks the site is awesome! -- David Abrahams, Audio Librarian

Thanks so much Les. It's really an amazing site. -- Janette Rogers Sarabia, Director of Artist Relations

Thanks so much Les. It's really an amazing site. -- Janette Rogers Sarabia, Director of Artist Relations

I love that you're keeping our history alive. -- Mary Ann Johnson, Artist Relations

Your knowledge and research is both amazing, and from what I viewed, about 98% accurate. -- Randy Alpert (Capt. Badazz)

Thank you for sharing with us and for your dedication to A&M Records. It's so wonderful to have a connection to my past. -- Sherry Jones Levy, A&M NYC

Just a brief note to say thanks for ALL you do in keeping us A&M-ers consistently in the know. My years there were so wonderful and filled with fond memories. Thanks for keeping that alive. -- Miriam Heiman

Thank you so much!! I love the A&M site. -- Toni Tennille

Billy Preston

Billy Preston Publicity Photo

Billy Preston Publicity Photo

Billy Preston Publicity Photo

Billy Preston Publicity Photo

Billy Preston Publicity Photo

Billy Preston Publicity Photo

Billy Preston Publicity Photo

Billy Preston Publicity Photo

Signed with A&M Records in July 1971.

"If I ever leave this business I want him to take over what I started."--Ray Charles (Billboard, August 14, 1971)

Billy Preston is the only American artist to share a billing with the Beatles. He met them while a member of Little Richard European gospel tour. The Beatles came backstage and the five started jamming. Billy became friends with the band, especially George Harrison.

Billy Preston won Billboard's No. 1 Award for the Top Single, Instrumentalist of 1972.

A&M Records congratulates Billy Preston & Carpenters for Billboard Awards

Preston's touring quartet in 1972 was George Johnson (pre Brothers Johnson) on guitar; Grady Manning on bass; Robert Sam on electric piano and Manuel Kellogg on drums.

In 1973 Billy went on tour with The Rolling Stones as both their opening act and as the Stones' keyboardist.

A&M supported I Wrote a Simple Song with a television ad campaign airing in Los Angeles. The ads were 30-seconds long and appeared on both local and national music and talk shows 54 times.

In 1973 Preston made a deal with A&M's Irving Music to administer his WEP Music catalog.

It's My Pleasure New Music On A&M Records
Billy Preston New Music On A&M Records
A Whole New Thing New Music On A&M Records
Ultimate Collection press release

Sources

Billboard, March 24, 1973.
Preston TV Spots. Record World, September 2, 1972.
Billboard Number One Songs of 1973.

Official Site

http://www.billypreston.net.

Birth

1946-09-09

Death

2006-06-06

Recording Years / Label

1971-1978 - A&M Records

Instruments

keyboards, vocals

See associated acts:

Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band

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