Died On This Date (June 6, 2006) Billy Preston / Soul Legend
themusicsover Billy Preston
September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006
Besides winning a Grammy for his own work, keyboardist Billy Preston made major contributions to some of the greatest names in pop music history. He can be heard playing alongside the Rolling Stones, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke, the Jackson 5, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and of course, the Beatles, sometimes being credited as “the 5th Beatle.” In fact he is one of only two non-Beatles to receive performance credit on any Beatles album – the other being Tony Sheridan. Preston signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records in 1969 and began a streak of hits that included “Nothing From Nothing,” “Will It Go Round In Circles,” and the Grammy winning, “Outta Space.” The ’70s found Preston very active mostly recording and touring with the Rolling Stones. The ’80s however, were a dark time for Preston as he had a few run-ins with the law. He was arrested and convicted of insurance fraud for setting his own house on fire, and in 1991 he was arrested for attacking a prostitute after discovering he was a transvestite and not of legal age. Most of his troubles were likely attributed to his dependency on cocaine and alcohol. He beat those demons in the early ’90s and got back to work mostly in a support capacity on the keyboards, working with the likes of Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood. Preston had kidney problems throughout his later life, likely due to his substance abuse problems. He received a kidney transplant in 2002. Billy Preston died of kidney failure on June 6, 2006.
What You Should Own
Dana Key was a prominent Christian rock musician who is perhaps best remembered as one half of DeGarmo & Key, a duo he had with Eddie DeGarmo. Formed in 1978, DeGarmo & Key released several popular Christian based albums throughout the the ’80s and ’90s, many of which nominated for Grammy and Dove awards. In 1985, their “Six Six Six” became the first video by a Christian music act to air on MTV. Key was also a direct descendant of Francis Scott Key who wrote the “Star Spangled Banner.” After he retired from performing, Key ran the popular Memphis independent label, Ardent Records. On June 6, 2010, Dana Key died unexpectedly of a ruptured blood clot. He was 56 years old.
The son of a sharecropper, Sleepy John Estes began to perform while working as a field hand at the age of 19. He played guitar and sang at local picnics and parties around his neighborhood in Brownsville, TN. At 30, he entered the studio to record such sides as “Drop Down Mama” and “Someday Baby Blues” first on Victor Records and later Delmark, Decca and Bluebird. Not an exceptional guitarist, Estes was recognized for a great voice that was filled with the passion and pain he sang about. 
During his time, Conway Twitty was one country music’s most successful artists, landing 45 singles at the #1 slot of the music charts. Twitty was already singing on his local radio station by the time he hit his early teens, while also excelling at baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies were interested in signing him when he got out of high school, but the US Army beat them to the punch. After serving his country, Twitty took a cue from 
Jeff Hanson was an up and coming singer-songwriter and musician from Milwaukee. In 2003, he signed to influential indie label, Kill Rock Stars for whom he recorded three albums, Son, Jeff Hanson, and Madam Owl. Hanson was found dead in his apartment by his visiting parents. Initial reports indicated that he likely died from a fall. There was no sign of foul play.