Was related to the great Charlton Heston by marriage. Don's daughter once met Charlton when he was in a play at the music center in downtown Los Angeles. She said he was all dressed in make-up and very kind and friendly.
At the age of twelve Preston was expelled from school for hypnotizing fellow students and a nun. The nuns beat his hands with a ruler when he made mistakes playing piano. Because of this, he developed a fondness for strange and dissonant music.