Jon Batiste Leaves 'Late Show' Bandleader Gig After Seven Seasons, Replacement Revealed!

12/08/2022 06:40

Stephen Colbert has announced that Jon Batiste has departed his gig as the bandleader on The Late Show after seven seasons. Jon, who has won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and five Grammys during his tenure on the late night show, will be pursuing personal and professional interests. “We’ve been so lucky to have a front row seat to Jon‘s incredible talent for the past seven years. And will we miss him here? ‘Yeaaa!’ But we’re happy for you, Jon, and I can’t wait to have you back on as guest with your next hit record,” Colbert said during his show on Thursday (August 11). Colbert also announced the new bandleader! Click inside to find out who it will be… It was announced that Louis Cato, who has served as the interim bandleader this summer, will become the new permanent bandleader for the upcoming eighth season, which premieres September 6. See photos of him in the gallery! “Louis has done a great job this summer, and he is very humble, so he won’t say this. But I will. He’s a musical genius. He can play basically every instrument over there. Give him an afternoon, he’ll learn how to play Mozart on a shoehorn,” Stephen said. Louis said, “It has been one of the great honors of my life to work on this show, alongside some of the most talented musicians and creatives I know. Watching and learning from both Jon and Stephen for these past seven years, I’m genuinely excited to continue the tradition of excellence they’ve established.” Watch the announcement below! Congratulations to our new band leader @realLouisCato and The Late Show Band!! pic.twitter.com/seLY92jeee — The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) August 12, 2022