Don Preston (guitarist)
Encyclopedia
Don Preston is an American
guitarist
, singer and songwriter. He recorded in the 1970s with Leon Russell
on Leon Russell and the Shelter People
and other albums, and with Joe Cocker
on Mad Dogs and Englishmen
(as "The Gentle Giant"). He backed George Harrison
on the The Concert for Bangladesh
film and heard on the album, The Concert for Bangla Desh.
Preston recorded two albums on A&M Records
, both produced by Gordon Shryock. The first was Bluse (1968) and the second was Hot Air From A Straw From ... Don Preston & The South. The group also included Bob Young, Casey Van Beek, and Bobby Cochran.
, and moved to Whittier, California
at age 8. He started playing guitar and sang in the Sewart-Barber Boys Choir. By age 11, he was performing with a traveling youth troupe that performed at store openings, company parties, and USO clubs throughout Southern California
.
In the 1950s, he performed with The Penguins
, The Coasters
, The Olympics
, The Jaguars, Ritchie Valens
, The Righteous Brothers
, Gene Vincent
, Don Julian and the Meadowlarks, and Jessie Hill
.
In the 1960s, his band, Don and the Deacons, played at the Cinnamon Cinder, a North Hollywood club owned by Bob Eubanks
. From there, he formed The Shindogs with Joey Cooper, Chuck Blackwell and Delaney Bramlett
.
He performed and recorded in the 1970s with Leon Russell
(including Carney
and Leon Live), Joe Cocker
and on the The Concert for Bangladesh
. He also recorded and performed with Freddie King
, Rick Nelson and J. J. Cale.
, a keyboardist for Frank Zappa
and The Mothers of Invention
. Preston the keyboardist actually received a royalty check for Preston the guitarist's work, and cashed it by mistake.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, singer and songwriter. He recorded in the 1970s with Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
on Leon Russell and the Shelter People
Leon Russell and the Shelter People
Leon Russell and The Shelter People is an album by singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Leon Russell, released in 1971. It peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 200.-History:...
and other albums, and with Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
on Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Mad Dogs and Englishmen (album)
Mad Dogs and Englishmen is Joe Cocker's 1970 live album, featuring a fusion of rock and soul. The album title is drawn from the 1931 Noël Coward song of the same name. Mostly Cocker's album is made up of covers, drawing equally from rock and soul...
(as "The Gentle Giant"). He backed George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
on the The Concert for Bangladesh
The Concert for Bangladesh
The Concert for Bangladesh was the name for two benefit concerts organised by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, held at noon and at 7 PM on August 1, 1971, playing to a total of 40,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
film and heard on the album, The Concert for Bangla Desh.
Preston recorded two albums on A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, both produced by Gordon Shryock. The first was Bluse (1968) and the second was Hot Air From A Straw From ... Don Preston & The South. The group also included Bob Young, Casey Van Beek, and Bobby Cochran.
Biography
Preston was born in Denver, ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and moved to Whittier, California
Whittier, California
Whittier is a city in Los Angeles County, California about southeast of Los Angeles. The city had a population of 85,331 at the 2010 census, up from 83,680 as of the 2000 census, and encompasses 14.7 square miles . Like nearby Montebello, the city constitutes part of the Gateway Cities...
at age 8. He started playing guitar and sang in the Sewart-Barber Boys Choir. By age 11, he was performing with a traveling youth troupe that performed at store openings, company parties, and USO clubs throughout Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
.
In the 1950s, he performed with The Penguins
The Penguins
The Penguins were an American doo-wop group of the 1950s and early 1960s, best remembered for their only Top 40 hit, "Earth Angel ", which was one of the first rhythm and blues hits to cross over to the pop charts...
, The Coasters
The Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
, The Olympics
The Olympics (band)
The Olympics were an American doo-wop group, formed in 1957 by lead singer Walter Ward . The group included Eddie Lewis , Charles Fizer , Walter Hammond and Melvin King and except for Lewis were friends in a Los Angeles, California, high school...
, The Jaguars, Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
, The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers were the musical duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. They recorded from 1963 through 1975, and continued to perform until Hatfield's death in 2003...
, Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
, Don Julian and the Meadowlarks, and Jessie Hill
Jessie Hill
Jessie Hill was an American R&B and Louisiana blues singer and songwriter, best remembered for the classic song, "Ooh Poo Pah Doo"....
.
In the 1960s, his band, Don and the Deacons, played at the Cinnamon Cinder, a North Hollywood club owned by Bob Eubanks
Bob Eubanks
Robert Leland "Bob" Eubanks is an American television/radio personality and game show host, best known for hosting the game show The Newlywed Game on and off since 1966, where he was known for using the catchphrase, "Makin' Whoopee"...
. From there, he formed The Shindogs with Joey Cooper, Chuck Blackwell and Delaney Bramlett
Delaney Bramlett
Delaney Bramlett was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. Bramlett's five decade career reached peaks in creativity, performance, and notoriety in partnership with his then wife Bonnie Bramlett, in a revolving troupe of professional musicians and Rock superstars dubbed Delaney...
.
He performed and recorded in the 1970s with Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
(including Carney
Carney (Leon Russell album)
Carney is Leon Russell's third solo studio album, released in 1972. It peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 200 and was the first for Russell to contain a hit single—"Tightrope" b/w ""This Masquerade"—which reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.-Reception:In his Allmusic review,...
and Leon Live), Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
and on the The Concert for Bangladesh
The Concert for Bangladesh
The Concert for Bangladesh was the name for two benefit concerts organised by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, held at noon and at 7 PM on August 1, 1971, playing to a total of 40,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
. He also recorded and performed with Freddie King
Freddie King
Freddie King , thought to have been born as Frederick Christian, originally recording as Freddy King, and nicknamed "the Texas Cannonball", was an influential African-American blues guitarist and singer. He is often mentioned as one of "the Three Kings" of electric blues guitar, along with Albert...
, Rick Nelson and J. J. Cale.
The other Don Preston
Preston has sometimes been confused with another rock musician named Don PrestonDon Preston
Donald Ward Preston also known as Dom DeWilde or Biff Debrie born September 21, 1932 in Flint, Michigan. Preston is an American jazz and rock and roll musician.-Biography:Preston was born into a family of musicians and began studying music at an early age...
, a keyboardist for Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and The Mothers of Invention
The Mothers of Invention
The Mothers of Invention were an American band active from 1964 to 1969, and again from 1970 to 1975.They mainly performed works by, and were the original recording group of, US composer and guitarist Frank Zappa , although other members have had the occasional writing credit...
. Preston the keyboardist actually received a royalty check for Preston the guitarist's work, and cashed it by mistake.