The jazz musician passed away on Friday (19Jun15) after a period of declining health. His cause of death was not revealed as WENN went to press.

Battiste, who played saxophone and piano, is best known for his work as musical director for Sonny & Cher, most notably on tracks I Got You Babe and The Beat Goes On. He worked for them for fifteen years and even helped out on their 1970s TV series, The Sonny & Cher Show.

Battiste also produced for Sam Cooke on hits including You Send Me and A Change Is Gonna Come and Ike and Tina Turner on River Deep, Mountain High.

In the 1960s, he founded the first musicians-owned label in New Orleans, A.F.O. (All For One) Records, and also served as director of jazz studies at Coburn School of Music at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).