Don Preston

During the 1950s, a teenaged Don Preston had the opportunity to strum his guitar for many of the day's hitmakers, including the Penguins, the Coasters, the Olympics, and the Jaguars. He went on to work with a roster of artists that included Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ritchie Valens, the Righteous Brothers, Gene Vincent, Rick Nelson, Ray Sharpe, and Jessie Hill. Influences from those years can be heard in Preston's Sacre Blues album, which blends the blues with elements of country and rockabilly. The guitarist also was a member of the Shindogs during the 1960s, along with Chuck Blackwell and Delaney Bramlett. By the following decade, he was part of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Later work includes a trio of recordings with blues guitarist Freddie King. He also contributed vocals and guitar work to Leon Russell's Shelter People, and appeared at George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh.