David Russell Batiste Jr. was born in New Orleans on December 12, 1965.[1][2] He was a member of the New Orleans musical family, the Batiste family; he started playing drums at the age of four.[1] He also learned to play keyboards, saxophone, guitar and bass, and started to play in the family band when he was seven.[2]
Batiste left college after two years to join Charmaine Neville's band.[2] He joined the funky Meters, the reincarnation of the funk band The Meters, in 1989. The funky Meters without Art Neville played under the name Porter Batiste Stoltz (PBS) (with George Porter Jr. on bass, and Brian Stoltz on guitar).He also played drums with George Porter Jr. and the Runnin Pardners.
As a solo artist, he led his own band Russell Batiste Jr. and the Orkestra from 'Da Hood and has released two albums under the name.
Batiste also played regularly with organ player Joe Krown and guitarist Walter "Wolfman" Washington as the Krown Washington Batiste trio. This unit released a live CD Live at the Maple Leaf in 2008.[3]
Batiste died of heart attack at his home in LaPlace, Louisiana, on September 30, 2023, at the age of 57.[6] His funeral was scheduled for October 10 at St. Katharine Drexel Church in New Orleans.[7]