Billy Preston with Paris Barclay, Stephanie Allain, and more

Event Details

In partnership with the African-American Film Critics Association, the GRAMMY Museum is thrilled to present a screening of Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It in the Museum’s intimate 200-seat Clive Davis Theater with a post-screening panel discussion featuring Director Paris Barclay and Producers Stephanie Allain and Jeanne Elfant Festa.

About Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It

BILLY PRESTON: THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT is a music-driven documentary that’s incredibly entertaining and thought-provoking, highlighting one of the most undersung artists in modern musical history. A feature film documentary from multi-Emmy award winning director and producer Paris Barclay (Glee, Monster, NYPD Blue). Co-written with Cheo Hodari Coker (Luke Cage, Southland, Creed 2). Award-Winning Producing Team: White Horse Pictures, Nigel Sinclair (George Harrison: Living in the Material World, The Beatles: Eight Days A Week, Pavarotti) Jeanne Elfant Festa (The Apollo, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Lucy and Desi) Homegrown Pictures, Stephanie Allain, (Hustle & Flow, Dear White People, The Exorcist: Believer) as well as Barclay and Coker.

The film celebrates GRAMMY winner Billy Preston – prodigy-turned-superstar and one of the great unsung performers of the 20th century. BP:TTWGPI invites the world to see why he was beloved by the greatest artists of his time – by elevating their sound with his signature Gospel soul from the Hammond B3. He worked with a who’s who of superstars including Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, Sly Stone, Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Little Richard, Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash and Barbra Streisand. Billy Preston recorded and produced several of his own number 1 hits, including "Outa-Space," "Will It Go Round in Circles," "Nothing From Nothing," "I Wrote a Simple Song" and "You Are So Beautiful," as well as "That's The Way God Planned It" and the hit collaboration with Syreeta, "With You I’m Born Again."

The film also looks at the many obstacles in Billy’s path, and how he battled to protect his soul. We explore Billy's career and influence on generations of musicians, and what his legacy means for artists burdened with as many secrets as they have gifts.

About Paris Barclay

Paris Barclay is one of television's most successful and honored directors, with a resume that weaves through many of the greatest shows of the past thirty years. He has directed nearly 200 episodes of television, including episodes of such classics as NYPD BLUE, ER, THE WEST WING, LOST, THE GOOD WIFE, CSI, SONS OF ANARCHY, HOUSE, GLEE, IN TREATMENT, SCANDAL, EMPIRE, PITCH and STATION 19. Paris is an nine-time Emmy nominee for his producing and directing work, winning twice for directing two of NYPD BLUE’s most pivotal chapters (including Jimmy Smits’ departing episode), and nominated most recently for the “Silenced” episode of DAHMER - MONSTER: THE JEFFREY DAHMER STORY. Paris also won a DGA award for NYPD BLUE, and has been nominated nine other times by the Guild for his work on GLEE, WEEDS, ER, IN TREATMENT, HOUSE and THE WEST WING. Paris is one of a handful of directors who has received Emmy nominations in every narrative directing category - comedy, drama, and limited series. Paris has received three NAACP Image Awards, for his producing and directing work, and was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame in 2014, joining such luminaries as Sidney Poitier, Oprah Winfrey, and Gordon Parks. Paris has been the recipient of two Humanitas Prizes and four Peabody Awards for his work. In 2021, Paris received the DGA Honorary Life Member Award, the Guild’s top honor. His first feature documentary, BILLY PRESTON: THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT premiered at the SXSW Film Festival, featuring Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Billy Porter, and Olivia Harrison.

About Stephanie Allain

Homegrown Pictures, founded in 2003 by producer Stephanie Allain, produces films, series, and documentaries with authentic stories, depictions, and representation. Homegrown Pictures’ numerous efforts have been nominated for many awards with wins from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Spirit Awards, Sundance Film Festival, the NAACP and more.

Since 2005, Homegrown has produced over twenty films, fifteen with first-time directors. Including HUSTLE & FLOW, SOMETHING NEW, PEEPLES, BEYOND THE LIGHTS, DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, FRENCH DIRTY, BURNING SANDS, JUANITA and REALLY LOVE. As Director of the LA Film Festival from 2011-2016, Stephanie Allain pioneered metrics for transparency in percentage of films authored by women and people of color, which has become the standard. In television Homegrown Pictures produced four seasons of Justin Simien’s Netflix series DEAR WHITE PEOPLE. Allain made history in 2020 when she became the first Black woman to produce the Academy Awards, for which she was Emmy-nominated. Her team at Homegrown includes Gabrielle Ebron (Director of Development), Claire Brooks (Director of Production), and Evadne Eddins (Creative Executive.) They are currently in post-production on their first documentary BILLY PRESTON: THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT and Titus Kaphar’s feature debut EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS.

About Jeanne Elfant Festa

Jeanne Elfant Festa is Co-President and Partner at White Horse Pictures, responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s creative content, production, and development. Since joining White Horse Pictures, Jeanne has served on the producing team for the GRAMMY & Emmy-winning, BAFTA-nominated, THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK THE TOURING YEARS, directed by Ron Howard, and produced, with Sinclair and Imagine Entertainment, the Critics’ Choice Nominated, PAVAROTTI, also directed by Ron Howard. Jeanne produced the Emmy-Winning, IDA, NAACP Nominated & Oscar Shortlisted, THE APOLLO, directed by Academy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams. She also produced 6-time Emmy nominated & Emmy Award-winning, THE BEE GEES: HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART, directed by Frank Marshall of Kennedy Marshall, the following year she produced the 6-time Emmy Nominated & Multi Emmy-winning, Hollywood Critics Association Award-winning, as well as Critics Choice, PGA, WGA, Peabody-nominated LUCY AND DESI, directed by Amy Poehler.

Jeanne produced, alongside Stephanie Allain and her company Homegrown Pictures, directed by Emmy Award-winning director Paris Barclay BILLY PRESTON: THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT, and she also produced THE BEACH BOYS, directed by Frank Marshall of Kennedy Marshall. Jeanne serves on the board of Step Up, a nation-wide non-profit organization that propels girls living or going to school in under-resourced communities to fulfill their potential by empowering them to become confident, college-bound, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of professional women.

Event Schedule

• Member Check-In: 12:00pm
• Non-member Check-In / Doors: 12:30pm
• Show Time: 1:00pm

American Express® Card Members Ticket Purchase

• From Thu 6/6 10:30AM through Sat 6/8 11AM

Ticket Policy

The holder of this ticket is granted admission to the indicated facility for the purpose of viewing the specified event. This ticket is for use by the holder only and the holder is bound by this policy. This ticket is not transferable and may not be sold, otherwise conveyed or used for any other purpose, including promotion or commercial, without the prior written consent of The Recording Academy. If this ticket is sold, otherwise conveyed or used in violation of this policy, it will be deemed revoked and void, and its holder deemed a trespasser at all Recording Academy events. This ticket is a revocable license and admission may be refused by refunding the face amount of the ticket or ejection may occur for failure to comply with any facility rule. The holder agrees not to transmit or aid in transmitting any description, picture, recording or reproduction of the event. The holder acknowledges that the event may be captured and recorded by audio, audiovisual, and/or photographic means, and hereby grants permission to utilize the holder’s image and/or voice in any and all media now known or hereafter devised to further the interests and mission of the Recording Academy. It is unlawful to reproduce this ticket in any form. The Holder assumes all risks incidental to the event, whether occurring prior to, during or after the event, and releases the facility, management, all participants and each of their affiliates, employees, officers, directors, members, partners, owners, managers, sponsors, contractors and agents from any loss, damage or expense resulting from any such risk. The Recording Academy reserves all legal rights and remedies. Save money on ticketing fees next time by becoming a GRAMMY Museum member! More info at grammymuseum.org.

ALL TICKETS ARE WILL-CALL ONLY AND VALID I.D IS NECESSARY FOR PICK UP.

ALL SALES FINAL. NO REFUNDS. NO EXCHANGES.

EVENT TIME, DATE, & DETAILS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Accessible Seating Details

AVAILABLE THRU: Ticketmaster Ticket Centers Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone and the Box Office