Billy Preston: That's The Way God Planned It
This exclusive article originally appeared on SWSW, read the full article here.
With his signature gospel sound on the Hammond B3, Billy Preston double handedly elevated the greatest artists of his time – from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones, from Aretha Franklin to Eric Clapton, from Ray Charles to Barbra Streisand to Sly and the Family Stone. In our film, we explore Billy's career and influence on generations of musicians, as he scored several number one hits of his own and became one of the most sought-after musicians in the world. He did all of this as a soul divided -- by his deep roots in the church, in constant conflict with his identity as a gay Black man, searching for a family of his own that would accept him for who he was.
Credits
Director: Paris Barclay
Executive Producer: Paris Barclay, Nicholas Ferrall, Cassidy Hartmann, Olivia Harrison, Jonathan Clyde, Dave Knott, Regina K. Scully, Daniel Shaw, G Marq Roswell, Ben J. Murphy, Caryn Capotosto, Scott Pascucci, Sophia Dilley, Charles Hopkins, Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Lauren & John Driscoll, Meadow Fund, Ian Darling, Jeffrey Lurie, Marie Therese Guirgis, Steve Cohen, Paula Froehle, John Keller, Brad & Debbie Buss, Andrew Trapani, Bruce Resnikoff, Jody Gerson
Producer: Stephanie Allain Bray, Jeanne Elfant Festa, Nigel Sinclair, Cheo Hodari Coker
Screenwriter: Cheo Hodari Coker, Paris Barclay
Cinematographer: Ernesto Lomeli, Carmen Delaney
Editor: Scott D. Hanson, ACE
Sound Designer: Chris Jenkins
Music: Robert Glasper, Derrick Hodge
Principal Cast: Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, Billy Porter, Merry Clayton, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison, Suzanne de Passe, Tony Jones, Cory Henry, Gloria Jones
Additional Credits
Co-Executive Producer: Bob Valentine, Wesley Adams, Lauren Haber, Kelsey Koenig, Jane Solomon, David Peck, Alan Abrahams
Co-Producer: Gabrielle Ebron, Supervising Producer: Michael Tamburrino
Producer on Cultural Awareness: Gamal J. Palmer, Associate Producer: K. Nicole Mills, Ashley Q. Lynch
