Sobey Road Entertainment is proud to co-present the upcoming feature documentary on Billy Preston—an electrifying, emotionally raw portrait of one of music’s most enduring and overlooked icons.
A self-taught prodigy and gospel-rooted virtuoso, Billy Preston’s genius shaped generations of popular music. He was the only artist ever officially credited on a Beatles recording, played in their legendary rooftop concert, and wrote or performed with The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Mahalia Jackson, and countless others. His fingerprints are everywhere—from “Get Back” to “You Are So Beautiful”—but for too long, his story remained in the background.
That changes with this new documentary, helmed by Emmy-winning director Paris Barclay (Glee, In Treatment, Sons of Anarchy) and written by Barclay alongside Cheo Hodari Coker (Creed II, Luke Cage). The film is produced by an award-winning team that includes Stephanie Allain (Dear White People), Jeanne Elfant Festa and Nigel Sinclair (The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart), and Sobey Road’s Andrew Trapani.
The film explores not only Preston’s extraordinary music career, but also his personal trials—his struggles with identity, addiction, and the trauma he endured as a child. Through rare footage, personal recollections, and a powerful score, the film honors Preston not just as “the Fifth Beatle,” but as a man of deep contradictions, radiant talent, and hard-won peace.
Barclay calls the project “a chance to dig deeper into the complex man under the Afro and behind the famous smile.” Executive producer Stephanie Allain adds, “Billy Preston elevated the greatest artists of the 20th century. It’s time the world sees him clearly—front and center.”
Sobey Road is honored to help bring Billy’s story to life, and to ensure that his voice—and legacy—receive the recognition they’ve always deserved.
Stay tuned for release details and future screenings.
by
Andrew Trapani
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