Batiste Brothers Band was founded in 1976 by guitarist, flutist, and songwriter Paul Batiste, who started the group to honor his parents, John and Estella Batiste, parents of seven boys. The band emerged from David Batiste and the Gladiators after patriarch David Batiste briefly left to join The Meters, evolving into a true family band with original members including Michael (bass, lead vocals), Peter (keyboard, vocals), Russell (percussion), and David Batiste (keyboard). David had performed on the Chitlin' Circuit for years with artists like Jackie Wilson and Isaac Hayes, instilling a deep tradition of performance in his children from a young age.
The next generation carried the family's music forward in remarkable ways. Damon Batiste began performing at age 13, later contributing to the Frenchmen Street music scene and performing alongside Mardi Gras Indian Chief Shaka Zulu. Russell Batiste Jr. began performing at age 15 and went on to become the drummer for the funky Meters, Papa Grows Funk, and Vida Blue. Michael's son, Jon Batiste, played percussion with the family band at just eight years old, setting a foundational course for a career that would eventually lead him to become bandleader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and win five Grammy Awards at the 64th Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.
The Batiste Brothers Band spent years performing with the R&B greats of their era, including Wilson Pickett, Professor Longhair, Percy Sledge, Johnny Adams, Mandrill, and Al Green, touring with B.B. King, The Temptations, David Ruffin, and Jackie Wilson, and recording with stars like Allen Toussaint and Isaac Hayes. The band's international touring took them across Japan and Europe, including a memorable appearance at the 1993 Kobe Jazz Festival, and their catalog includes releases on their own Artang Records label, among them 1978's "Starlite," 1979's "Hooked on You," and 1994's "New Orleans Music," a hit single later covered by Rebirth Brass Band. The Batiste Brothers Band's legacy endures as a genuine foundation of New Orleans' musical royalty, a family tradition still carried forward by new generations of Batistes today.
