Jon Batiste is a musical prodigy and expert balladeer, and he has traveled the world spreading melodic tunes from one continent to the next. And on one part of that magnificent journey, sauntering into Las Vegas, a city coated with a superior source of sunshine, he brought along his grandfather. For years David Gauthier told his grandson spellbinding, factual stories of his ancestors. Jon would later tell the world. He would announce at the 2022 Grammy Awards how his then 89 year old grandfather was an inspiration. Who was this grandfather emulated by one of the best musicians of all time? How did that sedate gentleman with a curious and serene expression and avuncular smile live his life and endure almost nine decades or a rapidly evolving, deeply complex and controversial southern milieu?

In this deeply moving chronicle of the life of David Gauthier and his family, you will see the massive maneuverings of a world controlled by slavery and segregation, the struggles for full citizenship and voting rights, the tumultuous Civil Rights Movement, and today’s social, political, and civil unrest. A riveting story about a family in the south with a panoramic portrait of the city of New Orleans looming in the background, this is a classic piece of history and genealogy you will not want to miss.