Jon Batiste: Bringing People Together Through Music

Jon Batiste is an American musician, composer, pianist and bandleader who believes music has the power to bring people together. Born into a large musical family in Louisiana, he grew up surrounded by the sounds of New Orleans, where jazz, gospel, blues and rhythm and blues are part of the city's cultural heritage. He began playing percussion with his family's band as a child before learning the piano at the age of 11. He went on to study jazz at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York.

Jon BatisteWiki CommonsBatiste became widely known as the bandleader and musical director of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a role he held from 2015 to 2022. But his ambitions have always extended beyond the concert hall and television studio. With his band, Stay Human, he took music directly to the streets of New York, creating impromptu performances known as “Love Riots”. These lively gatherings invited passers-by to stop, listen, dance and join in, turning everyday public spaces into places of shared celebration. The idea was simple: music belongs to everyone, and people who might otherwise never meet can find common ground through it.

His album Social Music reflected this philosophy, while We Are, released in 2021, celebrated Black musical traditions, community and the importance of standing together. The album won five Grammy Awards in 2022, including Album of the Year, making Batiste one of the evening's biggest winners. He has since won further Grammys, bringing his total to eight by 2026.

Batiste's also co-composed the score for Pixar's Soul (2020), sharing the Academy Award for Best Original Score with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The film, which explores purpose, passion and what makes life meaningful, also earned him a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. In 2025, he received the inaugural Ray Charles “Architect of Sound” Award from the Grammy Museum.

Alongside his musical achievements, Batiste has spoken about the importance of creativity, inclusion and making music education accessible. His performances often blur the boundaries between artist and audience, inviting people to participate rather than simply watch. Whether playing on a New York pavement, performing with a symphony orchestra or composing for film, he continues to explore how music can help people connect with one another. His “Love Riots” capture that belief particularly well: a reminder that sometimes a shared rhythm is all it takes to bring strangers together.

Watch the 60 Minutes Interview with Jon here: