Jon Batiste
A genre-defying musical force who brought New Orleans soul to late-night television and won an Oscar for his film score.
Born 1986 (age 40)·American musician·Birthday: November 11·Millennials
Biography
Jon Batiste is a musical omnivore whose life has been a bridge between deep tradition and pop culture's bright lights. Born into a storied New Orleans musical family, he was a prodigy, leading his own band as a teen before studying at Juilliard. His philosophy of 'social music' – performance that breaks the fourth wall and invites communal joy – became the heartbeat of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' where he served as bandleader for seven years. Batiste's own work, from the anthemic 'Freedom' to his collaborative album 'We Are,' refuses categorization, weaving jazz, R&B, gospel, and classical into a tapestry of Black American music. His score for the Pixar film 'Soul' earned him an Academy Award, cementing his status as a composer of profound emotional range. More than a performer, Batiste is a cultural curator, using his platform to celebrate music's history while relentlessly pushing it forward.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Jon was born in 1986, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1986
#1 Movie
Top Gun
Best Picture
Platoon
#1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Jon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1986Born
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1991Started school
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1999Became a teenager
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2002Could drive
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2004Could vote
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2007Turned 21
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2016Turned 30
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 40
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for the Pixar film 'Soul' in 2021.
- Served as the bandleader and musical director for 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' from 2015 to 2022.
- Led his album 'We Are' to five Grammy Awards in 2022, including Album of the Year.
- Became the Artistic Director at Large for the National Jazz Museum in Harlem in 2020.
Did You Know?
He is a distant relative of famed New Orleans musician Lionel Batiste.
Batiste proposed to his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad, live on 'The Late Show' after her bone marrow transplant.
He often performs with a custom-designed harmonaboard, a wearable piano-like instrument.
He marched with a second-line parade from Times Square to the Ed Sullivan Theater for his first 'Late Show' taping.
““The most powerful art is made when you are free.””
