Yahoo Finance Stephen Colbert Reveals Jon Batiste Is Leaving Show After 7 Seasons, Announces News Bandleader
Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Jon Batiste and Stephen Colbert
It's the end of an era for Stephen Colbert and Jon Batiste.
During Thursday night's episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Colbert announced that the five-time Grammy-award-winning musician, 35, would be leaving his post as bandleader after seven seasons on the show.
Colbert explained that following Batiste's absence from the show this summer, the musician had made the official decision to leave the show.
"It's for all the best reasons," Colbert, 58, said. "Including to continue sharing his art with the world."
Colbert said that while they will miss Batiste, he looks forward to welcoming him back to the studio in a different way in the future.
Jim Spellman/WireImage Stephen Colbert and Jon Batiste
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"I can't wait to have you back on as a guest with your next hit record," Colbert said. "I love you."
Despite Batiste's departure, Colbert said the band will stay intact with Louis Cato, whom he called a "musical genius" stepping in as bandleader. According to a release from CBS, Cato, who is a Grammy-nominated musician, has been serving as interim bandleader this summer ahead of the announcement.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert/YouTube Louis Cato
"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," Cato said, per the release "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."
Cato has been with The Late Show Band since the show launched and will officially take the helm when it returns for its eighth season on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
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According to the release, Cato has worked with an assortment of acts over the years including Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, John Legend and A Tribe Called Quest.
Following Batiste's sweep of the Grammy's earlier this year, he told PEOPLE that he wanted to "make more music" and do what feels right in the moment.
"I have ambitions to do anything creative with good people that are dedicated to the craft. I'm constantly working. I'm constantly creating, I'm constantly trying to find that thing that is the muse that drives me. I'm always in the space where anything can happen," he said. "I don't want to limit any of the possibilities. I definitely want to make more music, but anything as long as it's with the right people and it feels aligned."
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will return for its eighth season early next month.
