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) |
| Directing | Paris Barclay | Director |
| Production | Paris Barclay | Executive Producer |
| Production | Nicholas Ferrall | Executive Producer |
| Production | Cassidy Hartmann | Executive Producer |
| Production | Olivia Harrison | Executive Producer |
| Production | Jonathan Clyde | Executive Producer |
| Production | Dave Knott | Executive Producer |
| Production | Regina K. Scully | Executive Producer |
| Production | Daniel Shaw | Executive Producer |
| Production | G. Marq Roswell | Executive Producer |
| Production | Ben J. Murphy | Executive Producer |
| Production | Scott Pascucci | Executive Producer |
| Production | Sophia Dilley | Executive Producer |
| Production | Charles Hopkins | Executive Producer |
| Production | Jenny Raskin | Executive Producer |
| Production | Geralyn White Dreyfous | Executive Producer |
| Production | Lauren Driscoll | Executive Producer |
| Production | John Driscoll | Executive Producer |
| Production | Meadow Fund | Executive Producer |
| Production | Jeffrey Lurie | Executive Producer |
| Production | Marie Therese Guirgis | Executive Producer |
| Production | Steven H. Cohen | Executive Producer |
| Production | Paula M. Froehle | Executive Producer |
| Production | John Kellar | Executive Producer |
| Production | Brad Buss | Executive Producer |
| Production | Debbie Buss | Executive Producer |
| Production | Andrew Trapani | Executive Producer |
| Production | Bruce Resnikoff | Executive Producer |
| Production | Jody Gerson | Executive Producer |
| Production | Stephanie Allain | Producer |
| Production | Jeanne Elfant Festa | Producer |
| Production | Nigel Sinclair | Producer |
| Production | Bob Valentine | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | Wesley Adams | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | Lauren Haber | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | Kelsey Koenig | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | Jane Solomon | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | David Peck | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | Alan Abrahams | Co-Executive Producer |
| Production | Gabrielle Ebron | Co-Producer |
| Production | Michael Tamburrino | Supervising Producer |
| Production | K. Nicole Mills | Associate Producer |
| Production | Ashley Q. Lynch | Associate Producer |
| Camera | Ernesto Lomeli | Director of Photography |
| Camera | Carmen Delaney | Director of Photography |
| Sound | Robert Glasper | Music |
| Sound | Derrick Hodge | Music |
| Editing | Scott D. Hanson | Editor |
| 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 |
