Florida's Film, Television and the Arts Magazine
Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It
Since the age of three, music informed Billy Preston’s life. Along with his solo career, he backed up a verifiable who’s who of artists: Streisand, Norah Jones, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Aretha, The Stones. the RHCP to name just a handful. As a child, he backed Mahalia Jackson on the organ. He conducted a choir on TV at the age of 5. And, of course, Billy’s known as ‘the Fifth Beatle’ for his epic work on Abbey Road and Let It Be. That’s just the shortlist.
But like every one of us, William Everett Preston had a personal life that was kept in the wings, not wanting it to affect his art. Until it bled into the public eye. The documentary, Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It, Paris Barclay’s newest production, overflows its edges with music and emotion, taking us into Preston’s world.
Musicologists will be grateful for the b/w footage of Billy bringing old hymns and gospel tunes to life, his fingers skipping lightly over the keys. Historians and fans will appreciate the interviews with icons like Billy Porter and Eric Clapton who crossed paths with Preston during their careers or provide background on why his performances were so powerful. It will bring a tear to your eyes, watching the smiles on the faces of George, Paul, Ringo and John, gigging along with an ecstatic Billy in an impromptu recording session. Ringo tells us Billy “never put his hands in the wrong place’. So many important voices lost in that one room.
We also get the dark side.The fact that there are gay black men in the church, who, to this day, are still afraid of coming out to their fellow parishioners. As Porter tells us from personal experience, “there are a lotta queens in everybody’s church”. While preachers rant against the sin of homosexuality, gay choir directors, in the same church, lift their flock to sing joyful songs and praise Jesus. The film delves into this side of Preston’s life, exposing what the artist tried to keep hidden. People knew the truth, but it was definitely ‘don’t ask unless he brought it up’.
There are portions of the film that feel too introspective and slow the narrative, focusing mainly on his associates’ thoughts. Addressing Billy’s sexuality issues, his increasing drug abuse, money issues and his lack of direction, though central to the story, slows up a 20-minute section at the 50-minute mark. Adding little to the doc, everyone chimes in with their “if only’s”. But obviously there’s little available commentary on this from Mr. Preston, other than a letter sent to the judge who sentenced him to prison. Fortunately, it does pick back up again afterwards.
A king of rock, gospel, soul and funk, Preston was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It is a joyful, honest exploration of his talent, using archival performance footage and of-the-moment interviews. Preston took people to church, even when they weren’t inside any ‘official’ house of worship. The world lost Preston’s talent in 2006. Preston was a man so beautiful to so many.
Premiering On February 20th at NYC’s Film Forum
