Jon Batiste Exits ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ as Bandleader

Jon Batiste, the multiple Grammy Award-winning artist, played his final note on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert after seven seasons. “Jon has decided to leave the show,” host Colbert said Thursday night (Aug. 11), “but it’s for all the best reasons, including to continue sharing his art with the world.”

His successor on CBS’s late night show is Louis Cato, who has served as interim bandleader during Batiste’s absence this summer. “He is a musical genius,” Colbert enthuses. “He can basically play every instrument on that stage. Give him an afternoon, he’ll learn how to play Mozart on a shoehorn.”

Batiste was nominated for 11 awards at the 2022 Grammy Awards, more than any other artist. He performed at the ceremony and filled his boots with five trophies, including a surprise win for album of the year with We Are, beating a shortlist which included Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X.

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