Paul Batiste obit

Paul Batiste, a New Orleans music icon and leader of Batiste Brothers Band, has died

 He was not on the list.

Paul Batiste, a pillar of New Orleans' old-school funk and soul music scene and leader of the Batiste Brothers Band, died on Friday, family members announced on social media.

A New Orleans native who led the Batiste Brothers Band to fame after their first recordings and tours in the '70s, Batiste was a staple of the Crescent City's music scene. Batiste, usually alongside his family members, was a frequent flier at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and taught music at dozens of schools across the city.

"Jazz Fest was our family time," Damon Batiste wrote in a Facebook post Saturday announcing his family's loss. "This is a new era and time for our family. New Orleans will never be the same for us nor will Jazz Fest for Louisiana's largest musical family."

Batiste and his six brothers grew up hearing their parents, Estella and Jean Batiste, play music. His parents met in New York but moved to New Orleans, where they owned a grocery and hardware store in the 9th Ward. Four of the Batiste boys went on to become professional musicians.

Today the Batiste family comprises of more than a dozen musicians, including Grammy Award winner Jon Batiste, Paul Batiste's nephew. Batiste documented his decades-long musical and teaching career in an autobiography he released in 2011, "(Gon' be dat) New Orleans Music: Memoirs of Paul Batiste."

Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Saturday that Batiste will be remembered as "a proud son of New Orleans, Army veteran, educator, musician, and cultural icon."

"Mr. Batiste dedicated his life to service — in the military, in the classroom, and on the stage — shaping generations of musicians and preserving the rich legacy of New Orleans music," Cantrell said in a prepared statement.

Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.