Keeping the Faith

Jon Batiste is a musical prodigy and expert balladeer who has traveled the world, spreading melodic tunes from one continent to the next. In one chapter of that magnificent journey, Jon and his grandfather sauntered into Las Vegas, a city coated with a superior source of sunshine. David Gauthier told his grandson spellbinding, factual stories of his ancestors that Jon would later tell the world. At the 2022 Grammy Awards, he shared how his 89-year-old grandfather was his inspiration. Who was this grandfather, emulated by one of the best musicians of all time? How did that sedate gentleman with a curious, serene expression and avuncular smile endure almost nine decades of a rapidly evolving, deeply complex, and controversial southern milieu? This deeply moving memoir reveals the massive maneuverings of a world controlled by slavery and segregation. David Gauthier and his family face the struggles for full citizenship and voting rights; the tumultuous Civil Rights Movement; and today's social, political, and civil unrest. This riveting story about a southern family plays out amidst the panoramic portrait of New Orleans.