All About Jon Batiste's Parents, Michael and Katherine Batiste (Including How They Predicted the Singer’s First Grammy Win!)

Jon Batiste’s parents, Michael and Katherine Batiste, helped him flourish in his music career.

The five-time Grammy winning artist’s father is a bassist from a long line of New Orleans musicians, and Jon often credits him as a mentor. Meanwhile, his mother is a former environmentalist who enrolled Jon in his first piano lessons, making him the artist he is today.

After starting his career as the bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jon pursued several avenues, like film scoring and solo performances. The jazz aficionado has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including a handful of Grammy wins as well as an Academy Award and Golden Globe for his work in Pixar’s 2020 film Soul.

During an appearance on a 2024 episode of TV One’s Rising Fame, Michael and Katherine reflected on Jon's childhood and opened up about the first inklings that he was musically talented. As a toddler, Jon showed an interest in instruments, often pretending to play guitar on an old tennis racket.

“We didn't really think anything of it at the time. We weren't even trying to raise musicians, we were just trying to raise kids," Michael said. “But that musician in me said, ‘Oh, wouldn't it be nice.’ But [we] didn't really know where that was gonna go."

Now, Jon is set to sing the national anthem at the 2025 Super Bowl on Feb. 9 in New Orleans, before the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles face each other on the field.

Here’s everything to know about Jon Batiste’s parents, Michael and Katherine Batiste.

Michael belongs to the Batiste family musical dynasty

Jon comes from a long line of New Orleans musicians, a dynasty known as the Batiste family.

Alongside his father, celebrated bassist Michael, Jon’s lineage includes “Uncle” Lionel Batiste from the Treme Brass Band, Milton Batiste from the Olympia Brass Band and cousin Russell Batiste Jr. of the Funky Meters.

“There are at least 30 of the Batiste relatives that are cousins of mine or my uncles,” Jon said in a 2020 interview with NPR. “It's a rich family tradition, I'll say.”

Michael is a musician and Katherine worked in government

Much like the rest of his family, Michael is also a talented musician. While his son is popularly known for his piano and drums skills, Michael is a renowned bassist who performed with singers Jackie Wilson and Isaac Hayes on the “Chitlin’ Circuit” in the 1960s and ‘70s, according to NPR.

He also co-founded the Batiste Brothers Band, an ensemble of seven brothers who dabbled in genres from funk to R&B, which Jon also played percussion and drums for when he was only 8 years old.

Meanwhile, the Grammy winner’s mother, Katherine, didn’t work in music but dedicated her career to environmental activism. In a 2022 interview with The Washington Post, Jon recounted being invited to perform at the White House for a state dinner and immediately thinking of his family's connection to the special event.

“I was so excited because I have so many ties to public service in my family,” shared the We Are artist, whose grandfather, David Gauthier, was also an activist. “My mother worked for the United States government as an environmentalist for close to four decades."

They encouraged Jon to pursue music at a young age

Michael and Katherine supported Jon’s love for music early on and encouraged him to pursue his passion.

Along with being Jon’s first mentor, Michael introduced his son to the world of touring and performing music live on stage. In a 2022 interview with 4WWL, the bassist recalled one Jazz Fest show where he joined the Batiste Brothers Band after being determined to be part of the experience.

“He just insisted he wanted to help me carry my bass,” Michael said. “So you got it, and the bass is almost as heavy as he is.”

He added that he didn't pressure Jon to follow their family’s musical legacy but let him find the interest, if any, himself.

“The initial intent was not to turn him into this musician, you know, follow in this tradition,” Michael explained. “If he had an interest, just let him go with it.”

While Michael was his mentor, Katherine was Jon’s gateway to piano and drum lessons. “My mother wasn’t a musician at all,” Jon shared in a 2024 interview with JazzTimes magazine. “But she was responsible for giving me the piano, getting me from the drums.”

When Jon was 8, his mother enrolled him in piano lessons alongside his older sister, Kaleana Gautier. “At the time, we didn’t have a lot of money, so they were put into the Jefferson Parish program,” she told 4WWL.

He also took piano lessons with legendary jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr. and his parents noticed his interest continuously grew. By the tenth grade, Jon was attending summer jazz camp.

"I could see that he was enjoying the music, that he could feel the melodies, and he was creating too," Katherine told Rising Fame.

They have two children

The couple are also parents to a daughter, Jon’s older sister Kaleana Gautier.

Like her brother, Kaleana was enrolled in piano lessons when she was younger, though she recalls a different experience from Jon’s.

“[Jon] was really taking off and really getting much, much better,” Kaleana told 4WWL. “[But] it was more work for me.”

She also told the outlet that her brother was "very shy" when he was younger compared to the performer he is now.

On her birthday in 2023, Jon celebrated the big day with a touching post on Instagram. “Merry Christmas to all and Happy Birthday to my sister Kaleana ! Wish her a good one y’all,” the musician wrote alongside a childhood photo of the two playing on toy instruments.

Katherine predicted Jon was going to win at the 2022 Grammys

While Michael and Katherine have cheered on their son throughout his life, the couple were particularly proud of his achievements at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

During the 2022 ceremony, Jon was the most nominated and awarded artist of the night. He took home his first Grammy that evening, winning five categories in total, including album of the year for We Are.

“All of the songs on We Are, I love every single song on there. I listen to that album every day. I told him it was going to win. It's a beautiful album, every song,” Katherine told 4WWL after Jon’s big Grammy night. “I get proud and feel happy and feel thankful that I have a son that's blessed.”

“You see because a lot of this has exceeded our wildest imagination,” Michael added.

Michael has worked on Jon's albums

Jon and Michael have collaborated on a few songs for the Soul composer’s discography.

In the deluxe version of Jon’s 2021 album We Are, Michael plays on the Uptown Remix of “Tell the Truth” alongside Big Chief Romeo of the Mardi Gras Indian Show.

The father-son duo joined forces for the track “Call Now (504-305-8269)” off Jon’s seventh studio album, World Music Radio.

Michael is credited as a background vocalist for other songs on the 2023 album as well.

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