Billy Preston & Syreeta – Born Again Billy Preston is one of several people sometimes referred to by outsiders as a “Fifth Beatle.” At one point during the Get Back sessions, John Lennon even proposed the idea of having him as the “Fifth Beatle” Preston played with The Beatles for several of the Get Back sessions, some of the material from which would later be culled to make the film Let it Be and its companion album, during which he joined the band for its rooftop concert, its final public appearance. “Get Back”, one of the album’s singles, was credited to “The Beatles with Billy Preston,” the only time such a joint credit had been given on an official Beatles-sanctioned release, Preston had battled kidney disease in his later years, brought on by his hypertension. He received a kidney transplant in 2002, but his health continued to deteriorate. He died on June 6, 2006 in Scottsdale, Arizona, of complications of malignant hypertension that resulted in kidney failure and other complications. Syreeta was born Syreeta Wright in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a teenager, she moved with her family to Detroit, where she first came into contact with Motown Records, working for the company initially as a secretary. After Wright caught the attention of songwriter/producer Brian Holland (of Holland-Dozier-Holland), she was signed to the label. Her first single, “I Can’t Give Back the Love I Feel for You. Wright married Stevie Wonder in 1970. Although the union was ultimately short …
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