Singer-songwriter Jon Batiste, 35, has been the bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert since 2015. He is also a television personality.
Batiste also works as music director for the multi-platform publisher The Atlantic. Additionally, he serves as Creative Director at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.
Similarly, as of August 2022, he had also taken home five Grammy Awards out of a possible eleven, including Record of the Year for his album We Are.
Why is Jon Batiste leaving the Stephen Colbert show?
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where Jon Batiste is a late-night musical director and bandleader, is where he first gained notoriety.
He was previously supposed to give up the late-night show’s summer program to spend more time with his wife, Suleika Jaouad.
When he was given a second diagnosis of leukemia earlier this year, he spoke openly about his partner’s ongoing cancer treatment.
According to Pitchfork, Grammy Award-winning vocalist Batiste has officially left CBS’s The Late Show With Stephen Colbert after seven seasons.
Colbert revealed on Thursday that Jon had decided to stop hosting the show. He’s doing it for the best of reasons, one of which is to keep spreading the word about his creative efforts.
Jon Batiste Friendship and relationship with host Stephen Colbert
Jon Batiste and Stephen Colbert discussed their friendship and internships at Carnegie Hall during the 2019 New York Comedy Festival.
Batiste first spoke with Colbert when he was a guest on The Colbert Report. Now they respect each other and have a close relationship.
Before joining The Late Show, Batiste had brought Colbert to Louisiana to meet his parents. While there, Colbert learned how to make kidney beans and rice from his mother, though she didn’t want to share his special recipe.
Jon Batiste wife Suleika Jaouad fights cancer
Singer Jon Batiste said that he and Suleika Jaouad had secretly married in February April 2022.
Suleika is a well-known motivational speaker and author from the United States, best known for her book “Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted”.
Jaouad was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at the age of 22. He underwent numerous chemotherapy treatments and participated in a clinical trial.
In addition, he had a bone marrow transplant before receiving the go-ahead in 2014.
Jaouad, then 33, found out his cancer had worsened in November 2021, just days before the Grammy nominations were announced.
Batiste found it hard to stay light-hearted despite gaining recognition for the work he put into Soul, his album, and as his longtime partner dealt alone with a COVID-19-related illness.
After receiving his bone marrow transplant in February, Batiste was unable to stay with Jaouad because the omicron was still rising.
Where is Jon Batiste going?
Jon Batiste stepped down as bandleader for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as his screen career ends.
According to the most recent statement from Stephen Colbert, Batiste is now working on his new album and is not in town.
“We have been very fortunate to have a front row seat to see Jon’s incredible talent over the last seven years,” he continued.
The precise reason why he left the show has yet to be made public. Jon has yet to make any announcements about his new endeavors.
What is Jon Batiste doing now?
According to rumors, Jon Batiste is currently concentrating on his wife Suleika, who is valiantly battling cancer.
As he works on his new album, there is speculation that he has stopped his long-running show due to his busy schedule.
We’re thrilled for you, Jon, and can’t wait to have you back as a guest with your next hit single. Stephen said in the note from him that “Jon will be missed.”