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

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

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

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

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

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

--

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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)

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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