For seven years, Jon Batiste watched Stephen Colbert lead The Late Show night after night. The musician began serving as bandleader on the series with his house band Stay Human in 2015 and held the position through 2022. Now, Colbert is on his way out, too, following the cancellation of The Late Show . The musician is confident that his former colleague and collaborator will land on his feet

“I’m very grateful to him and I think where he goes next, his voice won’t be silenced,” Batiste told Rolling Stone AU/NZ in a recent interview. “The voice of free speech is challenge, but the soul of an individual cannot be cancelled. He’s gonna find another megaphone, another outlet, I’m sure of it. I’m rooting for him.”

When CBS announced in July that the late-night talk show would c

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