Don Preston was born in Flint, Michigan in 1932.
His father, was the composer-in-residence for the Detroit Symphony.
Born into a family of musicians Don studied music at an early age.

1950's Bassist with Elvin Jones
Pianist with Herbie Mann and bassist with Tommy Flanagan
Bassist with Yusef Lateef and Don Ellis
Toured with Nat King Cole (1958)
Worked with Charlie Hayden, Paul Bley and Carla Bley

1960's Preston joins Don Ellis, big band leader and trumpeter
Don begins to experiment with electronic music and incorporates synthesizers into his work
Meets Frank Zappa and joins the Mothers of Invention in 1966.
He tours and records with Meredith Monk, performing at the Garrick Theater in New York

1970's Performance with John Lennon and Yoko Ono appears on Sometime in New York City
Leaves the Mothers of Invention in 1974

1975 - 1985 Projects include:
Escalator Over the Hill, with Michael Mantler and Carla Bley
Field's with John Carter
Apocalypse Now, Film Soundtrack
Co-founds the Grandmothers, with former Mothers of Invention band members

1987-1995
Performs with Bobby Bradford, appears on Bradford's "Comin' On"
Forms a jazz trio with Art Davis and Tootie Heath
Tours Europe as lead vocalist for The Grandmothers

1996 Signs with Echograph Records, begins recording Hear Me Out.
Vocalist in the opera "School of Language", which premiered in Copenhagen, Denmark

1997 Hear Me Out released on Echograph Records (March 1)
Composes "The Bride Stripped Bare", commissioned by the California Ear Unit

1998-2000 Forms new trio with Joel Hamilton (bass) and Alex Cline (drums)
Grandmothers U.S. tour Summer-Fall 2000

Selected list of artists Don has performed with:
John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Frank Zappa, Lou Rawls, Al Jarreau, Nat King Cole, Billy Daniels, Johnny Ray, Vaughn Monroe, Connie Francis, Herbie Mann, Elvin Jones, Charlie Hayden, Art Davis, Paul Bley, Carla Bley, Joe Beck, Shorty Rogers, Leo Sayer, Charles Lloyd, Nelson Riddle, J.R. Montrose, Flo and Eddie (Howard Kaylan & Mark Volman)