Jon Batiste to sing for Macron at Biden’s 1st state dinner

Batiste, 36, most recently was bandleader and musical director of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," leaving the broadcast after a seven-year run.

Musician Jon Batiste is on tap to perform at President Joe Biden’s first White House state dinner on Thursday, highlighting long-standing ties between the United States and France and honoring President Emmanuel Macron.

“An artist who transcends generations, Jon Batiste’s music inspires and brings people together,” said Vanessa Valdivia, a spokesperson for first lady Jill Biden, whose office is overseeing dinner preparations.

Jon Batiste attends the TIME100 Gala celebrating the 100 most influential people in the world at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on June 8, 2022, in New York. Musician Jon Batiste is on tap to perform at President Joe Biden’s first White House state dinner on Thursday, highlighting long-standing ties between the United States and France and honoring President Emmanuel Macron. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

“We’re thrilled to have him perform at the White House for the first state dinner of the Biden-Harris administration,” Valdivia said.

Batiste, 36, most recently was bandleader and musical director of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” leaving the broadcast after a seven-year run.

He won five Grammy Awards earlier this year, including for album of the year for “We Are.”

The Washington Post was first to report that Batiste will perform at the dinner.

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