BERMUDIAN music fans were this week mourning Billy Preston, the world-renowned keyboardist and session player known for his exuberant playing style, who died last Tuesday at the age of 59.

Preston headlined the reopening of the 40 Thieves Club in 1982 in a series of dynamic concerts that instantly established the Front Street night spot as Bermuda's premier entertainment venue.

Preston was hospitalised and fell into a coma last November due to a heart infection, his manager Joyce Moore said. Preston was taken to a hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona on Saturday after his condition deteriorated.

Billy Preston recorded and played concerts with countless bands including the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, and Sly and the Family Stone. He is perhaps best known for his keyboard work on , the only song jointly credited to the Beatles and another artist ? a distinction which won Preston the unofficial designation as "The Fifth Beatle".

He won a Grammy in the best instrumental category in 1973 for his album .

What Bermuda and Bermudians will most remember about him was his "jaw-dropping", as one Bermudian woman described it, week-long engagement at the Forty Thieves Club in 1982.

The Forty Thieves Club, now Magnolia House, located next to the Docksider, was the Studio 54 of Bermuda. Started in 1962 by Terry Brannon, and succeeded by his son, Tony Brannon, the club played host to Billy Preston for a week in 1982 after undergoing an extensive revamp. The club closed its doors in 1988.

"He was surreal, just immaculate and compelling. You couldn't take your eyes of him," said the Bermudian concert-goer, reminiscing about Preston's local performances. "Every night he played completely different."

His hit singles include and . Preston also wrote Joe Cocker's hearty and guttural and played a mediator for the strife-plagued Beatles during the filming and recording of the session during which was recorded.

Plagued by drug and alcohol abuse problems from an early age, Preston never quite got out of trouble. He was indicted in 1992 for cocaine and assault charges. He was incarcerated again five years later in 1997 for violating his probation. He again ran into trouble in 1998 for insurance fraud in an alleged scam that pulled in around $1 million.

Despite his legal woes, Preston was one of the entertainment industry's Most Valuable Players.

"Billy was a fantastic and gifted musician . . . a superb singer in both recording sessions and on stage," the Rolling Stones' lead-man Mick Jagger said. "He was great fun to be with onstage when touring with us and I will miss him a lot."