Harold Battiste facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harold Battiste
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Battiste in 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Harold Raymond Battiste Jr. |
| Born | October 28, 1931 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | June 19, 2015 (aged 83) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, arranger, record producer |
| Instruments | Saxophone, piano |
| Years active | 1957–2015 |
Harold Raymond Battiste Jr. (born October 28, 1931 – died June 19, 2015) was a talented American musician. He was a composer, arranger, performer, and teacher. Harold Battiste was from New Orleans, Louisiana. He became famous for arranging music for many artists. Some of these artists include Sam Cooke, Sonny and Cher, and Dr. John. He was also a leader in his community.
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Early Life and Musical Start
Harold Battiste was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He grew up in the Magnolia Projects area. He went to Dillard University and studied music. In 1953, he earned a degree in music. He became very good at playing the saxophone and piano. He was also skilled at arranging music. While at college, he formed his first music group. It included Alvin Batiste on clarinet and Edward Blackwell on drums.
A Career in Music
Harold Battiste had his first big success in 1957. He worked as a studio arranger for Sam Cooke's song "You Send Me". In 1961, he started something new. He created AFO Records, the first record label in the American South owned by African American musicians.
Within a few months, AFO Records had a huge hit song. It was "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)" by Barbara George. This song sold over a million copies! His label also released the first album by jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis, called The Monkey Puzzle.
Battiste also produced and arranged music for many other famous artists. He worked on Joe Jones' "You Talk Too Much" and Lee Dorsey's "Ya Ya". He also arranged the hit song "I Got You Babe" for Sonny and Cher. Harold Battiste helped introduce the world to New Orleans artist Mac Rebennack, who became known as Dr. John. He produced Dr. John's first albums.
Life in Los Angeles
Harold Battiste lived in Los Angeles for 30 years. He spent 15 of those years working with the famous duo Sonny and Cher. He helped them earn six gold records. He was also the musical director for their TV show.
During this time, he also played piano for Tom Waits. You can hear his piano playing on "Whistlin' Past The Graveyard" and "A Sweet Little Bullet from a Pretty Blue Gun". These songs are on Waits' 1978 album, Blue Valentine. Battiste also played baritone saxophone on Gram Parson's 1973 album, GP.
Teaching and Community Work
Harold Battiste was also a teacher. He lectured at several colleges. In 1989, he joined Ellis Marsalis Jr. at the University of New Orleans. He taught jazz studies there.
He also started the AFO Foundation. This is a non-profit group that helps keep the history of New Orleans music alive. It works to recognize and share the stories of the musicians who created this music.
Battiste was very active in his community. He was on the board of many cultural groups. These included the Congo Square Cultural Collective and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation. He received many awards for his work. These included the Beau Arts Award and the Governor's Arts Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1998, the City of New Orleans even named his birthday "Harold Battiste Day". In 2010, he published his autobiography, Unfinished Blues.
Harold Battiste passed away on June 19, 2015, at the age of 83. He had been in declining health.
