Tragic Details About Jon Batiste

Born into a family full of talented musicians, Jon Batiste was destined to follow suit. With the encouragement of his parents, Batiste got his start at a rather young age, playing in the Batiste Brothers Band with his dad and other relatives when he was just 8 years old. After graduating from Juilliard and gaining successful traction, Batiste stumbled onto a very important stage that would solidify him as a household name. A lesser-known truth about Batiste was that his performance on "The Colbert Report" took place before he and host Stephen Colbert had even properly met each other. The collaboration between the two has been ongoing and eventually led to Batiste taking the musical reins on "The Late Show" for seven seasons.

Between dazzling late-night audiences, Batiste is also known for his genre-bending performances working across several mediums. From writing and scoring soundtracks for films like Disney's "Soul" to composing a symphony for Carnegie Hall, Batiste has proven time and time again that art can do more than one thing. However, in between his raging successes, there has been some distinct tragedy. From nearly missing out on playing the instrument that brought him here to familial loss and health battles, here are some of the tragic details about Jon Batiste.

When Batiste got his start at the tender age of 8, he was initially drawn to keeping the beat on the drums. Just trying to keep up in his musically adept family was a challenge in and of itself. According to his interview in Forbes, Batiste had quite the legacy to look up to. "My uncle was one of the subs for Art Neville in the band The Meters, and my cousin played in The Funky Meters," Batiste divulged, admitting that the whole sound was rooted in New Orleans history. Batiste could have continued doing what he was doing, but his mother pushed him to pursue the piano at age 11.

Batiste recalls his mother telling him that "piano is the conductor and composer's instrument" as a means of leading him to widen his horizon. Besides, he continued, "There were already several drummers in my family." Luckily he listened to his mother and went on to attend Julliard and receive a Master of Music degree as well as release his second album during his time there. Had he stuck to the drums, he might never have collaborated with musical powerhouses like Stevie Wonder or the tragically talented Lana Del Rey. It's also through music that Batiste met his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad, who would bring so much love and light and difficulty to his life.

When the nominees for the 2022 Grammys were announced, Jon Batiste was nominated for 11 awards, and what should have been a celebration ended up being the start of a larger struggle. According to NPR, Batiste's wife Suleika Jaouad, who was originally diagnosed with cancer in 2011 before they ever got married, had her leukemia return and was slated to begin chemotherapy treatments after almost a decade of remission. No stranger to the battle, Jaouad had recently written her memoir "Between Two Kingdoms" about her struggle with balancing an illness that can reemerge at any time. However, ever the exploratory artist, Batiste used this painful time to create a visual masterpiece.

Director Matthew Heineman teamed up with Batiste to make the documentary "American Symphony," a movie that's essentially about Batiste gearing up to perform a symphony at Carnegie Hall is juxtaposed against the journey of holding Jaouad through the re-emergence of her cancer. During a post-screening interview, Heineman detailed just how fraught the filming was. "After the bone marrow transplant, [Jaouad] didn't have an immune system ... If she got a cold, she could have died" (via Grammy). However, they were able to push through, navigating hospitals and harrowing health to create a piece of art that straddles the human condition, connection, and creative talent. Unfortunately, there was more tragedy for Batiste right around the corner.

While his wife's cancer was in remission, a different family tragedy struck for Jon Batiste. His cousin, musician Russell Batiste Jr., died of a heart attack at the age of 57, according to WWLTV. "When I was growing up, I would see Russell playing with his band, 'The Orkestra from the Hood,' and it was a full circle moment," Jon admitted before divulging that he and Russell were afforded one final stroke of good luck together. Both he and Russell were able to play a show at Maple Leaf Bar during Jazz Fest. "I'm glad that we got that last one in," Jon continued.

According to Jon and the rest of his family, Russell was an inspiration to the younger generation, encouraging baby cousins and brothers to get into music. "He was our kind of blueprint," Jon said. "Russell is an unsung genius. He is loved and beloved." To pay tribute to the musician, the Maple Leaf Bar held several events in Russell's honor, and left a shot of whiskey by the drum set on which he was known to perform.

As many wonder what Taylor Swift's 2025 Super Bowl plans are, Jon Batiste is gearing up to perform the National Anthem at the head of the big game, although his head will likely be elsewhere. Once again, tragedy has struck him and his wife Suleika Jaouad while he's on his way to shine. Notably absent from the Grammy awards, Batiste and Jaouad were watching from home while their documentary "American Symphony" won two major awards, including the Grammy for Best Music Film. However, the couple skipped the ceremony for a good reason — Jaouad's cancer has once again returned.

Writing in an Instagram post, Jaouad said, We couldn't make it to the ceremony but we're beaming love from our couch to yours, and sending gratitude to all who made this film possible." According to NPR, Batiste will be joining a list of several Grammy winners performing at the Super Bowl. Kendrick Lamar and SZA are slated to perform during the halftime show and Ledisi will belt out "Lift Every Voice and Sing" before Batiste takes the stage to serenade us with the "Star Spangled Banner." Hopefully, success will continue to outweigh the tragedies for Batiste and his family for a long time to come.