Free Republic

The great singer-songwriter and performer Billy Preston, the real "Fifth Beatle," has died after a long illness as a result of malignant hypertension that resulted in kidney failure and other complications. As a result of a medical insult, he'd been in a deep coma since last November 21, but was still struggling to recover. He died at Shea Scottsdale Hospital in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he'd lived for the last couple of years. Billy was called the Fifth Beatle because he played keyboards on "Let It Be," "The White Album" and "Abbey Road." He also played on the Rolling Stones' hit...

I would like to express my sadness at the death of my heroes that I had the good fortune to meet only a couple of years ago. This man had defenders, grown men and women gasping in awe at his skill, talent and good looks as he dazzled defenders and others who watched him apply his trade down the years. When I met him at Borders books during a signing of his book "Blessed" I told him that this was one of the happiest days of my life indeed it was only beaten by getting married and the birth of...