Podcast Summary: "Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It"

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Alison Stewart
Guests: Paris Barclay (Director), Jeannie Alphont Festa (Producer)
Date: February 19, 2026

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores the life and cultural legacy of Billy Preston—legendary musician, child prodigy, and collaborator with icons like the Beatles and Rolling Stones—on the occasion of the release of the documentary Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It. Host Alison Stewart sits down with the film's director, Paris Barclay, and producer, Jeannie Alphont Festa, to discuss how Preston's music, joy, struggles, and complex identity shaped both his art and the broader pop landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening with Joy: Why the Film Begins with Live Performance

[01:36]

• The documentary opens with Billy on stage with George Harrison, Leon Russell, and Eric Clapton, breaking spontaneously into dance.
• Paris Barclay: “Billy just expressed this joy that sort of came out of his soul and through his feet and through his keys... We have to remind people that there is beauty and there is music and there is soul.” (02:08)
• Jeannie Alphont Festa: “That’s exactly what we need today. We need to build bridges, understand each other better… and love one another.” (02:44)

2. The Duality of Show Business

[02:55]

• Friends and collaborators say Preston was built and not built for show business.
• Barclay: “He was built for show business because he was a performer… Was a show business personality. On the other hand, he’s also a really sensitive guy... He had some very bad experiences… but he kept that hidden and he kept going on. So the show business triumphed over the pain.” (03:08)
• The “light in his eyes” when making music contrasted with struggles off-stage:
  • Festa: “When he's playing, he's in his bliss. And when he's not, he's a holy mess.” (04:16)

3. Early Musical Genius & Roots

[04:25]

• Jeannie recalls hearing Preston as a child, her family having several of his albums.
• Clip played of Preston at age 11 performing “Billy’s Boogie” on The Nat King Cole Show (07:31–08:11).
• Barclay: “He played for Mahalia Jackson and he got a little bit notorious… He was born to be in front of the camera.” (08:24)

4. The Role of the Church in Preston’s Life

[09:11]

• Preston’s musical foundation: gospel and church performance, conducting choirs at age five.
• Church taught him performance, but also provided personal conflict around his sexuality:
  • Barclay: “As a person, it became complicated because he was also discovering his sexuality. And … the church has got an opinion on it… That’s a complication he could never quite resolve.” (09:20)

5. Collaborations & Influence

With the Beatles:

• Caller Mark recalls how Preston’s arrival transforms band dynamics in Get Back.
• Barclay: “We cut together the Billy perspective… You see the story from inside Billy Preston.” (05:59)
• Festa: “He didn’t suck the air out of the room. He was an empath… that anticipation musically and emotionally… flowed over everyone." (06:27)

With Little Richard & Stones:

• Caller Elle notes Preston's work as Little Richard’s pianist, and influence from both Little Richard and Ray Charles.
• Barclay: "Billy Preston is sort of a combo of both... Ray Charles’s soulful… balladry and Little Richard’s flamboyant, playful, and delirious way of performing." (12:41)

The “Billy Preston tickle”:

• Caller Anthony: “Nobody had the tickle that Billy had… if you hear Get Back with The Beatles on the roof, he tickles. Nobody had that tickle.” (10:25)
• Barclay: “There was something there that they wanted to hold onto.” (10:50)

With George Harrison:

• Festa: “They saw each other. That was the expression… They were very, very close.” (11:17)

6. Navigating the Music Industry: Labels & Legacy

[14:40]

• Preston’s stints with Apple Records (Beatles era), A&M Records (pop success), and Motown (duets and legacy hits):
  • Apple gave prestige but was chaotic as Beatles split.
  • Biggest solo hits at A&M: “Nothing from Nothing,” “Will It Go Round in Circles.”
  • Motown era, key hit: “With You I’m Born Again” (with Syreeta).
• Barclay: “Each [label] provided a different Billy Preston as he moved through them.” (14:56)

7. Songwriting and Personal Meaning

“You Are So Beautiful”

• Originally co-written and performed by Billy (with Bruce Fisher), Joe Cocker made it famous.
• Preston said it was about his mother:
  • Barclay: “He says it’s about his mother… Billy’s recording—I love the strings, the sound of his voice. Extraordinary.” (17:15)

8. Privacy, Identity, and Symbolism

[18:48]

• Despite being an entertainer, Preston was intensely private:
  • Festa: "Everyone said he was hard pressed to learn about who he… his life. There’s some things that he kept back." (18:59)
• Producer Suzanne DePasse's regret: "I wish I said the things that were none of my business."
• His wigs as metaphor for hiding and choosing when to be seen:
  • Barclay: “He loved the wig because he could take it off and then he wouldn’t be recognized… a metaphor for Billy in his life.” (20:51)

9. The Complexity of His Art

• His choice of the complicated B3 organ matched his nuanced self:
  • Barclay: “This complicated instrument perfectly suited Billy Preston’s complicated self and that’s… why they just fit together so well.” (21:33)

10. Struggles with Addiction

[22:08]

• Drug use started early but became self-destructive during the Stones era, and worsened with the crack epidemic.
• Paradox: he could perform brilliantly while high, which may have delayed needed help.
  • Barclay: “Billy played extremely well high… truly a functional alcoholic drug addict until he’s not. And when he's not, then everything goes down.” (22:46)
  • Festa: “We didn't have the tools back then... It wasn't acceptable… so when it came to him finally, and he went and sought treatment, he had something to stand on.” (23:53)
• Judge Kamins, who sentenced Preston, appears in the film and offers perspective on addiction, justice, and rehabilitation:
  • Barclay: “Billy wrote him a letter back saying, that changed my life. You may have saved my life by sending me to prison.” (24:36)

11. The Legacy of Love, Light, and Joy

[24:34–25:47]

• Listeners recall Preston’s live power, e.g., at the Concert for Bangladesh.

  • Listener: “Billy certainly was the source of love emanating from that stage.” (25:24)

• Barclay: “He’s kind of been forgotten a little bit. Get Back helped people to be curious about him. But… as we got into [the film], there was a lot to tell.” (25:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When he's playing, he's in his bliss. And when he's not, he's a holy mess.”
  —Jeannie Alphont Festa, (04:16)
• “He could read a room like no other. And he was an empath, you know… all that flowed over everyone.”
  —Jeannie Alphont Festa, (06:27)
• “Billy played extremely well high… truly a functional alcoholic drug addict until he's not. And when he's not, then everything goes down.”
  —Paris Barclay, (22:46)
• “He loved the wig because he could take it off and then he wouldn’t be recognized… a metaphor for Billy in his life.”
  —Paris Barclay, (20:51)
• “This complicated instrument perfectly suited Billy Preston’s complicated self.”
  —Paris Barclay, (21:33)
• “He’s kind of been forgotten a little bit. Get Back helped people to be curious about him. But… there was a lot to tell.”
  —Paris Barclay, (25:47)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:36] — Film’s opening performance and choosing joy
• [03:08] — Was Preston built for show business?
• [04:16] — The dual states of "bliss" vs "holy mess"
• [07:31–08:11] — Clip: 11-year-old Preston on The Nat King Cole Show
• [09:20] — How the church shaped Preston
• [10:25] — The "tickle" and genius with The Beatles/Stones
• [14:56] — Signing to Apple, A&M, Motown
• [16:20–17:41] — “You Are So Beautiful”—its meaning and legacy
• [18:59] — Billy’s privacy and intimate relationships
• [20:51] — The symbolism of Preston’s wigs
• [21:33] — The complicated B3 organ and self
• [22:08] — Drug use, addiction, and transformation
• [24:36] — Judge Kamins, the criminal justice system, and recovery
• [25:24] — Listeners' childhood concert memories

Overall Tone & Takeaway

This episode is joyful and reverent but unafraid to grapple with the shadows behind Billy Preston’s music. The hosts and filmmakers celebrate Preston’s exuberance, versatility, and empathy, while also providing sensitive insight into his struggles with identity, privacy, and addiction. The show ultimately frames Preston’s story as both unique and universally resonant: a complex, radiant artist whose life was shaped by—and in turn shaped—the music and culture of his time.