Who sang 'Nothing from Nothing' as a musical guest on SNL's debut episode?

Billy Preston sang “Nothing from Nothing” as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live’s debut episode.

Preston performed the song during the premiere broadcast on October 11, 1975, hosted by George Carlin. The program was initially titled NBC’s Saturday Night because ABC was using the name Saturday Night Live for a competing show hosted by Howard Cosell. After that program ended, NBC adopted the shorter title.

“Nothing from Nothing” was written by Preston and Bruce Fisher and appeared on Preston’s 1974 album The Kids & Me. Its upbeat soul style suited the premiere’s variety-show format, and the performance became the first musical performance in SNL history. Preston also performed another song, “Fancy Lady,” during the episode.

The song became a major hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1974. A common mistake is choosing Paul Simon, who hosted and performed on the second episode, rather than Preston, who appeared on the actual debut.