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The untimely passing of Russell Batiste Jr., the esteemed New Orleans drummer, on September 30 due to a heart attack has left a profound sense of shock and sorrow among his extensive musical family, as well as his numerous friends and admirers. In honor of his legacy, Batiste’s family has organized a series of commemorative events.
On Friday, October 5th, a private visitation for members of the St. Augustine High School community, where Batiste graduated in 1983 and was a prominent member of the renowned Marching 100 band, was held at Professional Funeral Services located at 1449 N. Claiborne Ave.
The public is invited to pay their respects at a public visitation on Monday, October 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Professional Funeral Services, followed by a musical jam session commencing at 7 p.m. and lasting approximately 45 minutes.
Subsequently, on Tuesday, October 10, St. Katherine Drexel Catholic Church, situated at 2015 Louisiana Ave., will host a visitation from 9 to 9:45 a.m. Following a final viewing for the family, a burial Mass will commence at 10 a.m. The Mass will be followed by a second-line funeral procession departing from the church at 11:15 a.m., with burial taking place at noon at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Russell Batiste, aged 57 at the time of his passing, was a prolific musician who contributed his talents to several notable bands, including the Meters, the Funky Meters, George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Dumpstaphunk, Bonerama, Papa Grows Funk, the Wild Magnolias, the Joe Krown Trio, as well as his own projects, Orkestra from da Hood and Russell Batiste & Friends. He was also a member of the all-star trio Vida Blue, featuring Phish keyboardist Page McConnell and Allman Brothers Band and Dead & Company bassist Oteil Burbridge.
Born as David Russell Batiste Jr., he hailed from a family deeply rooted in music and displayed proficiency in multiple instruments from a young age. His father, David Batiste Sr., was a pivotal figure in the pioneering New Orleans funk band, the Gladiators, which later evolved into the Batiste Brothers Band. To distinguish himself from his father, David Jr. adopted the middle name Russell. Following his graduation from St. Augustine in 1983, he pursued further education at Southern University, where he studied under the late jazz saxophonist Edward “Kidd” Jordan. Subsequently, he joined singer Charmaine Neville as her drummer.
For the subsequent four decades, Russell Batiste Jr. played an integral role in the foundation of the New Orleans music community. He gained prominence in the late 1980s as the drummer for a later incarnation of the acclaimed New Orleans funk band, the Meters, after the departure of their original drummer, Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste. Following guitarist Leo Nocentelli’s exit from the Meters, keyboardist Art Neville and bassist George Porter Jr. continued as a new project named the Funky Meters, with Batiste on drums and Brian Stoltz on guitar, delivering powerful renditions of classic Meters compositions to audiences nationwide.
Notably, Russell Batiste was scheduled to perform three times at the NOLA Funk Fest at the New Orleans Jazz Museum on the Old U.S. Mint grounds on October 20-22, with his own band, the Gladiators, and alongside Nocentelli.
As news of Russell Batiste’s passing reverberated, musicians from diverse genres within the New Orleans music scene flooded social media with heartfelt tributes to a musician whose charisma was as remarkable as his drumming prowess.
