Billy Preston: That's The Way God Planned It

Musical prodigy, admired and beloved by collaborators including Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Sly Stone, and others; dubbed “the fifth Beatle” for his co-credited “Get Back” recording; genius of gospel, rock, and funk as keyboardist, vocalist, and songwriter. Billy Preston was also troubled, underrecognized, and elusive—a closeted gay man raised in a Black church community that stridently condemned homosexuality (or pretended it didn’t exist) who later fell into drug addiction, tax debt, and imprisonment. Through electrifying concert footage and moving interviews with Billy Porter, Ringo Starr, Merry Clayton, and Preston’s longtime friend Eric Clapton, Emmy®-winning director Paris Barclay (NYPD Blue, Sons of Anarchy, Scandal) and writer Cheo Hodari Coker (Luke Cage) bring this unsung maestro front and center, with a revelatory story of what might have—and should have—been.

Directed by Paris Barclay

2024 | USA | English language | DCP

Concessions

Concessions are available for all screenings and the Harris Theater is now BYOB. Guests who bring alcoholic beverages must be 21 years or older and provide valid photo ID upon request, a $5 charge will be issued per guest.