Billy Preston: That's The Way God Planned It

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Billy Preston: That's The Way God Planned It

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1h 45m

Documentary

LGBTQ+

Music

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5 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Billy Preston was 5 years old when he backed gospel legend Mahalia Jackson. Over the following six-decade career, Billy contributed his signature sound to the greatest artists of his time, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Sly Stone, Ray Charles, Rufus, Eric Clapton, and others, while establishing himself as a GRAMMY-winning solo artist. Despite his success, Billy struggled to reconcile his deep relationship with the Black church with his sexuality, setting off a lifelong quest to find love and acceptance.

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Glenn Kenny

New York Times

Feb 19

As tough a life as Preston had, the music that buoys this chronicle is a constant source of joy.

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Owen Gleiberman

Variety

11/22/2024

Why didn’t Billy Preston become a bigger star? Who was he, exactly, as an artist? I went into the documentary fuzzy about all those things and came out feeling like I finally knew him.

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Roger Friedman

Showbiz 411

Feb 20

C

why for some reason would a filmmaker make an intrusive film about the "Fifth Beatle" call it a tribute? I don’t get. But that’s what Paris Barclay has done with "That’s the Way God Planned It," opening in very limited locations today.

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Steve Erickson

Gay City News

Feb 19

The ways in which Preston’s life evades that “Behind The Music” narrative are the most interesting aspects of “Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It.”

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Avi Offer

NYC Movie Guru

Feb 18

An insightful, heartfelt, warts-and-all biographical documentary.

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Ronnie T

@Ronnie1 19h

A very cool documentary. billy Preston was one of the great session player. during the late 60's in early 70's. He played from the Beatles, to The Rolling Stones. Eric Clapton. Ray Charles. Many others. He wrote many hits. Such as, You're so Beautiful. Other well known songs. At the end he had many problems that he had to deal with, Which you felt sorry for him. RT.

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Christopher

Feb 22

well. I'm rating it now, BEFORE seeing the show. This is a reflection of the last time that I was blessed and happy to chat with my friend Billy again, forever.

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Synopsis

Billy Preston was 5 years old when he backed gospel legend Mahalia Jackson. Over the following six-decade career, Billy contributed his signature sound to the greatest artists of his time, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Sly Stone, Ray Charles, Rufus, Eric Clapton, and others, while establishing himself as a GRAMMY-winning solo artist. Despite his success, Billy struggled to reconcile his deep relationship with the Black church with his sexuality, setting off a lifelong quest to find love and acceptance.

Director: Paris Barclay
Producer: Stephanie Allain, Jeanne Elfant Festa, Nigel Sinclair, Cheo Hodari Coker
Screenwriter: Paris Barclay, Cheo Hodari Coker, Paris Barclay, Cheo Hodari Coker
Distributor: Abramorama
Production Co: White Horse Pictures, Homegrown Pictures
Genre: Documentary, LGBTQ+, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 20, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 1h 45m