Preston Heyman

Preston Heyman is an Anglo American producer, drummer and percussionist, whose career spans five decades. Best known for his collaborations with Kate Bush he has also contributed to many hit recordings and worked with a diverse range of artists including Terence Trent D'arby, Tin Tin Out, Massive Attack, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner and a Grammy Award winning film soundtrack with Mike Oldfield

Although principally known for his musical career, Heyman's first experiences of show business came as a child actor and student of Corona Theatre School, while studying there appearing in the movies Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Goodbye Mr Chips with Peter O'Toole, Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River (1968) with Jerry Lewis, and Salt and Pepper Starring Sammy Davis Jr. and Rat Pack Star Peter Lawford, as well as in an episode of Z-Cars.

During this period he becoming increasing excited by music and drums more than acting and asked by classmate guitarist Ronnie Caryl together aged 16 and still at school they cut their teeth in a touring band fronted by former Unit 4+2 singer Tommy Moellar playing their hit Concrete and Clay sometimes three times a night up and down the country (1966-1967), It was quite a "Musical Education age 16" he said later. In 1969 Heyman and Caryl formed school band Sanctuary, the band's concerts often featured a friend from a rival stage school Barbara Speake Stage School a soon to be superstar Phil Collins in a two drummer set up Heyman and Collins playing the same fills which became the norm later when Phil joined Genesis, the two were to work again later when Collins asked Heyman to work with his band Brand X as percussionist. Leaving school on the brink of his GSCE Exams explaining to his parents that he would not need them in a music career Heyman secured an album deal for the Sanctuary with Polydor recording an album at Rockfield Studios that remains unreleased.

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