Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It (2026)
With his signature gospel sound on the Hammond B3, Billy Preston doublehandedly elevated the greatest artists of his time – from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones, from Aretha Franklin to Eric Clapton, from Ray Charles to Barbra Streisand to Sly and the Family Stone. In our film, we explore Billy's career and influence on generations of musicians, as he scored several number one hits of his own and became one of the most sought-after musicians in the world. He did all of this as a soul divided -- by his deep roots in the church, in constant conflict with his identity as a gay Black man, searching for a family of his own that would accept him for who he was.
Director: Paris Barclay
 |
Billy Preston as Self |
 |
Ringo Starr as Self |
 |
Olivia Harrison as Self |
 |
Eric Clapton as Self |
 |
Gloria Jones as Self |
 |
Suzanne de Passe as Self |
 |
Merry Clayton as Self |
 |
Billy Porter as Self |
|
Cory Henry as Self |
|
Robert Margouleff as Self |
|
Bill Maxwell as Self |
 |
Sam Moore as Self |
|
David Ritz as Self |
|
Anthony Jones as Self (as Tony Jones) |
| Production | Paris Barclay | Executive Producer |
| Production | Charles Hopkins | Executive Producer |
| Production | Nicholas Ferrall | Executive Producer |
| Production | Dave Knott | Executive Producer |
| Production | Daniel Shaw | Executive Producer |
| Production | Sophia Dilley | Executive Producer |
| Directing | Paris Barclay | Director |
| Production | Jonathan Clyde | Executive Producer |
| Production | Cassidy Hartmann | Executive Producer |
| Production | Geralyn White Dreyfous | Executive Producer |
| Production | Jenny Raskin | Executive Producer |
| Camera | Carmen Delaney | Director of Photography |
| Production | G. Marq Roswell | Executive Producer |
| Production | Scott Pascucci | Executive Producer |
| Production | Alan Abrahams | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | Marie Therese Guirgis | Executive Producer |
| Production | Ashley Q. Lynch | Associate Producer |
| Camera | Ernesto Lomeli | Director of Photography |
| Production | Bob Valentine | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | K. Nicole Mills | Associate Producer |
| Sound | Derrick Hodge | Music |
| Production | Jeanne Elfant Festa | Producer |
| Production | Nigel Sinclair | Producer |
| Production | Jane Solomon | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | David Peck | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | Gabrielle Ebron | Co-Producer |
| Production | Lauren Driscoll | Executive Producer |
| Production | Stephanie Allain | Producer |
| Production | Jeffrey Lurie | Executive Producer |
| Production | Steven H. Cohen | Executive Producer |
| Production | Debbie Buss | Executive Producer |
| Production | Michael Tamburrino | Supervising Producer |
| Production | Paula M. Froehle | Executive Producer |
| Production | John Keller | Executive Producer |
| Production | Olivia Harrison | Executive Producer |
| Production | Regina K. Scully | Executive Producer |
| Production | Ben J. Murphy | Executive Producer |
| Production | Wesley Adams | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | Meadow Fund | Executive Producer |
| Production | Brad Buss | Executive Producer |
| Production | Jody Gerson | Executive Producer |
| Production | Lauren Haber | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | Bruce Resnikoff | Executive Producer |
| Production | Kelsey Koenig | Co-Executive Producer |
| Editing | Scott D. Hanson | Editor |
| Production | John Driscoll | Executive Producer |
| Production | Andrew Trapani | Executive Producer |
| Sound | Robert Glasper | Music |
| Production | Cheo Hodari Coker | Producer |
| Writing | Paris Barclay | Writer |
| Writing | Cheo Hodari Coker | Writer |
| Crew | Mike Smith | Post Production Supervisor |
| Production | Brendan Kaplan | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | Ryan Everitt | Associate Producer |
| Lighting | Miles Watanabe | Gaffer |
