BILLY PRESTON: THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT
An exhilarating documentary about the legendary GRAMMY-winning musician whose signature sound shaped the work of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Sly Stone, Aretha Franklin, and countless others.
SHOWTIMES
APR 3 | FRI
5:00, 7:15 p.m.
APR 4 | SAT
12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:15 p.m.
APR 5 | SUN
12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:15 p.m.
APR 6 | MON
5:00, 7:15 p.m.
APR 7 | TUE
5:00, 7:15 p.m.
APR 8 | WED
5:00 p.m.
APR 9 | THU
5:00 p.m.
APR 10 | FRI
5:00 p.m.
APR 11 | SAT
12:30, 2:45, 5:00 p.m.
APR 12 | SUN
12:30, 2:45, 5:00 p.m.
APR 13 | MON
5:00, 7:15 p.m.
APR 14 | TUE
5:00, 7:15 p.m.
APR 15 | WED
7:15 p.m.
APR 16 | THU
5:00, 7:15 p.m.
SYNOPSIS
Featuring never-before-seen archival footage, studio outtakes, and rare photos, Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It is an exhilarating documentary about the legendary GRAMMYwinning musician whose signature sound shaped the work of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Sly Stone, Aretha Franklin, and countless others.
Billy Preston was perhaps the most unsung musical hero of his time. Born in Houston, Texas, in 1946, he arrived in Los Angeles with his family three years later. At just 5 years old, he was backing gospel legend Mahalia Jackson. By age 10, he was appearing with Ray Charles on film, and by age 15, he was touring with Little Richard in Hamburg, Germany, where he met Richard’s opening act — The Beatles. He would later perform and record with the biggest names in music, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and countless others. He generated his own unforgettable No. 1 hits, including “Outa-Space,” “Will It Go Round in Circles,” “Nothing from Nothing,” and “You Are So Beautiful” — and his first hit single in 1969, on The Beatles’ Apple Records, “That’s The Way God Planned It,” produced by his lifelong friend, George Harrison.
But Billy had quietly held secrets about his sexuality and early sexual abuse, known to very few in his life, which tormented him his entire life, affecting not only his well-being and relationships but also influencing his career choices. It is the interweaving of these complicated aspects of this wonderful musician’s life with his extraordinary musical career that Emmy-winning director Paris Barclay has so thoughtfully crafted in Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It.
Director
Paris Barclay
WITH
Billy Porter, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston,
Run Time
1 hour, 45 minutes
Released
February 20, 2026
Distributed by
Abramorama
HEARING AND VISUAL ASSISTANCE
Assisted Listening
Country
United States
LANGUAGE
English
NOT RATED
Many of the films shown at The Ross are not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. Viewer discretion is advised as many of unrated films contain language, violence, or other adult content.
REVIEWS
“As tough a life as Preston had, the music that buoys this chronicle is a constant source of joy.”
“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.”