Lionel Batiste
February 1, 1931 – July 8, 2012
Uncle Lionel Batiste was a bass drummer, singer and assistant leader of the Treme Brass Band. Batiste was just 11 when he began his career by playing his bass drum in the Square Deal Social & Pleasure Club. A long time fixture on the streets of New Orleans, Batiste was an unofficial ambassador of the great city as well as a musical influence on countless musicians who have since devoted their lives to music as well. When the streets of the Crescent City became flooded in the days following Hurricane Katrina, Batiste reportedly kept afloat by sitting on top of his bass drum. A few years later, he could be seen from time to time performing with the marching band in the HBO series, Treme. Lionel Batiste was 81 when he passed away on July 8, 2012
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