Billy Preston Documentary Shines Light on the Man Behind the Music

A self-taught prodigy and gospel-rooted virtuoso, Billy Preston helped shape the sound of modern music. He remains the only artist ever officially credited on a Beatles recording and famously joined them for their rooftop concert. His collaborators included The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Mahalia Jackson, Eric Clapton, Barbra Streisand, and Sly and the Family Stone. From “Get Back” to “You Are So Beautiful,” his fingerprints are woven into some of the most iconic recordings in history.

Yet behind the brilliance was a man navigating profound personal conflict. The film explores the tension between Preston’s faith and identity, his struggles within the music industry, and his lifelong search for belonging as a gay Black man shaped by the church, yet often rejected by it.

Directed by Emmy Award winner Paris Barclay (Glee, In Treatment, Sons of Anarchy) and written by Barclay alongside Cheo Hodari Coker (Creed II, Luke Cage), the documentary is produced by an award-winning team including 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.

Powered by electrifying archival footage and guided by care and candor, That’s The Way God Planned It is more than a music documentary. It is a reclamation of legacy. Sobey Road is honored to help tell Billy Preston’s story with the depth, humanity, and reverence it deserves.

Stay tuned for upcoming screening and release details.