Billy Preston

[westland]

I thought this news article might be of interest.

From Fox News online Mar 31, 06:

'Fifth Beatle': Court Battle Today

Billy Preston was always considered the real ‘fifth Beatle.’ He was drafted to play keyboards on the Beatles’ later sessions
and is prominently featured on their 1969 hit, “Get Back.”

In the early 1970s, Billy had two huge No. 1 hits of his own, “Nothing from Nothing” and “Will It Go ‘Round in Circles.” He played on The Concert for Bangladesh, wrote the Joe Cocker hit “You Are So Beautiful” and had one more hit, “With You I’m Born Again.”

Like a lot of musicians, though, Billy could not rise above drug addiction. It wreaked havoc on his health, prompting a kidney transplant. But his body rejected the kidney, forcing Preston into a life on dialysis.

Three years ago, he decided to leave Los Angeles — where his demons were plentiful — for Scottsdale, Ariz. His business manager, Joyce Moore, lived there with her husband, Billy’s old friend, “Soul Man” Sam Moore. Plus, Preston would get four-star medical care at the Mayo Clinic.

Billy was so happy with his life in Arizona, his renewed health and his still-active career that he gave Joyce Moore his durable medical power of attorney in case something happened to him. He was quite clear about not wanting any members of his extended family or half-siblings to be in charge of his life. I know this because we spoke about it often. It was a little like “Million Dollar Baby”: He did not want one of those bedside hospital scenes.

This morning, a judge in Maricopa County, Ariz., is going to have to deal with the future of Billy Preston. The great musician fell into a semi-coma on Nov. 21 after being unable to resist taking drugs while receiving dialysis. Moore responded by doing what Preston instructed: getting him the best health care, with no family.

Joyce Moore made sure the people who did mean something to Billy knew about his condition. I will tell you something no one knows: Eric Clapton flew at Christmastime from his home in the United Kingdom to Arizona and spent two days at Preston’s side. Music is played constantly in his room. Special therapy was developed for his fingers in case he awoke from his drifting sleep.

But now, like the family in “Million Dollar Baby,” the relatives have descended. They want conservatorship of Preston, access to his finances and the right to move him from his top-notch health care facility back to Los Angeles. They do not seem to care about their half-brother’s wishes. Two weeks ago, in Los Angeles Superior Court, they failed to tell a judge that a durable medical power of attorney existed. By omitting certain facts, Preston’s sisters — represented by one of their sons — managed to achieve temporary custodianship.

Earlier this week, an email went out over the Internet from Preston’s half-sister Lettie, accusing Moore of hijacking her brother. I can’t quote from it because of potential libel issues. Consequently, this column received a number of phone calls from people in the music world, wanting to know what was going on. This is my answer.

Twice last year, I had the privilege of watching Billy Preston perform. I wrote about it here. One time was at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. The other time was at the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas. On each occasion he was in his element, smiling, happy and alive. He credited his renaissance to his manager, who’d driven him three times a week at 6 a.m. to dialysis treatments. Not only that: Billy had reconnected with Sam, an old friend, and that had been a significant change for the better in his life. He was surrounded by good people, and flourished because of it.

The judge in Maricopa County will have to weigh the desires of an estranged family, perhaps feeling a lot of guilt or embarrassment, with those of a patient who can no longer speak. But Billy Preston was highly communicative until the day he became ill, and was incredibly specific about leaving instructions. I can only hope his positions are honored today. Otherwise, nothing from nothing will leave nothing.


---------------------------------

[bassteban]

So often the most gifted artists are simultaneously the most troubled. I suddenly feel bit heavier, closer to the floor...

[MysticMichael]

Very sad. Billy is a cool guy...

MM

[The Golden Boy]

I know there's two sides to every story. This is the letter that I saw first. Then I heard other things that, besides the "family" side of things, seem to make a little more sense...

My name is Lettie Preston, the youngest sister of Billy Preston.
I
> >live in Houston, Texas. My brother has been in the hospital in
> >Scottsdale, Arizona for months. I've made three trips from
Houston
> >to Arizona just to be at my brother's bedside, but I have been
> >refused by the hospitals' administration saying his busines
manager
> >has given the hospitals a "Medical Power of Attorney" with a
clause
> >that prohibits family members from being at his bedside. This is
> >ludicrous. My brother would never make a decision not see his
> >family at a critical time such as this. My brother is criticlly
> >ill. There are reports that he is either brain-dead or severly
> >brain damaged. We do know for certain that he had an episode
> >whereby his heart stopped and he was revived. I also know he can
> >not talk.
> >
> >Billy has abused drugs since he was a teenager. He has made
> >decisions in his life that were not in his best interest, because
> >they were drug-driven. In these such times the family has always
> >gone to his aid to help him in those weak moments.
> >
> >I believe his manager has manipulated my brother, knowing he was
a
> >drug addict, extremely ill, and depressed after the death of his
> >mother. He was basically in a state of hopelessness. Along with
> >his weakness, she worked diligently to keep him seperated from
his
> >family, even at the funeral of his mother. She meticulously
> >islolated my brother from any support base. She knows we are
> >unaware of how the entertainment industry works. Her actions are
> >abusive and probably driven by greed. All that we have asked her
> >for is to go to our brother's bedside. She will not provide any
> >documents supporting her actions. There is critical information
> >available that would support this going to the media. We need
the
> >help of the media to stop the actions that are being taken
against
> >my family.
> >
> >The family has retained an attorney in Scottsdale to assist with
> >having visitation privileges with our ailing brother. These are
> >privileges that are afforded even criminals. We've have been
> >appointed temporary conservatorship of Billy through the Los
> >Angeles
> >Superior Court. Our next court date is Tuesday, March 28. For
> >verification, our case number is BP096504.
> >
> >My brother has been moved to various facilities in Scottsdale and
> >by
> >the time we gain information on his whereabouts, we are told he
is
> >no longer there. I recently hired a Private Investigator that
> >informed me of my brother being in the Scottsdale Healthcare
> >Osborn. I received the information on Wednesday, March 22, and I
> >went to Scottsdale on Friday, March 24. Upon my arrival to the
> >hospital I was told my brother was not there. I walked the
floors
> >and looked in every room and in the ICU units. Upon leaving the
> >hospital I questioned someone who looked in the system and told
me
> >there was someone named Earl Preston in the system without a room
> >assigned. The next person I questioned told me I should try
> >the "Shea" location. Upon arriving at Shea, I repeated the
process
> >with the same results. This time I went to administration and
gave
> >my story. I was told to wait in the reception area. I sat there
> >approximately a hour and a half. Finally, the administrative rep
> >came out and took me to a quieter location. At this time the
lady
> >told me that my brother was being transported to their facility
and
> >she had a bed waiting on him. She said there are some concerns
at
> >this time becuase he is coming over with papers that instruct no
> >family member is allowed to go to the bedside. She asked if we
had
> >any documents or powers of attorneys to present. I immediately
> >called my sister Rodena Preston Williams and had her to fax over
> >our
> >document from the Los Angeles courts giving our family access to
> >our
> >brother. The papers were reviewed by the hospital's attorney.
The
> >reply was the papers had no jurisdiction in Arizona. I was then
> >told that my brother had been transported and was in the
facility,
> >but I could not visit him without proper documentation. I again
> >walked the halls of the hospital trying to locate my brother. I
> >stayed on the premise until very late. A family friend came to
the
> >hospital to be with me. There were times I was able to get into
> >the
> >ICU units and walk around. I finally located a patient that
looked
> >like my brother, but a nurse noticed I looked lost and I was not
> >able to get up to the bed. The hospital administration and
> >security
> >was called to the floor. I begged them to let me go to by
> >brother's
> >bedside. The administrator rep told me she could not due to the
> >paperwork. She said she had been briefed on the situtation. I
> >asked
> >to see the documents. Because of my pleas she asked me to go to
> >the
> >ICU waiting room until she completed a Code Blue. She said she
> >would return with his chart. We waited about 2 hours for her.
She
> >returned with some folders in her hand. The folders were not by
> >brother's, she told me that I had to leave the premise, and
> >security
> >was escorting me off the property. She told me to come back the
> >next morning and that Billy's manager would be there. Of course
the
> >next day brought new reasons for not allowing my visit. This
> >resulted in me demanding to talk with the attorney for the
> >hospital,
> >and my attorney talked to him also. He also advised of having
> >orders from Arizona. I informed him of the fact that anything he
> >had
> >in writing was bogus. In my heart I know the person I saw was my
> >brother. The person I saw in that bed looked terribly ill.
> >
> >The only person that has seen my brother is my sister Gwendolyn.
> >When we went to Scottsdale on January 18, the maanger came to the
> >hotel on the evening of January 21st. My sister has had 4
strokes
> >and her abilities are compromised under additional pressure. The
> >manager knows this and she would only take my sister to see our
> >brother. She used our sister, and manipulated her weakness. It
was
> >dark and my sister did not know where she went. She could only
say
> >that our brother looked like someone in a coma. He never
responded
> >to her. She only remembered the building as a small one-story
> >place.
> >My brother never liked being alone. If he is dying, as we have
> >heard, he should not die without his family was by his side. When
> >all the fame and glory is gone, there is still family.
> >
> >Please assist my family in our efforts by making the public aware
> >of
> >this injustice. I feel what ever this woman is trying to do
> >illegally will be brought forward once this is exposed. You may
> >contact me with information below, and you may also contact our
> >attorneys.
> >
> >Lettie Preston 281-587-0706 home 832-228-0706 cell
> >
> >Scottsdale Attorney: Jeanette Woods 480-821-1012
> >
> >Los Angeles Attorney: Marc Sallus 818-986-8080
> >
> > and Bill Hence 213-388-0050
> >
> >
> >Respectfully,
> >
> >
> >Ms.Lettie Preston

[Muzique Fann]

Phish and the Trey Anastasio Band used to do awesome covers of Will it go Round in Circles - great song...

[westland]

That letter does add another perspective to the drama, Golden Boy. It's hard to say who is right or wrong ... especially when you have someone so steeped in drugs and the music industry