Denise Labrie was born in Houston, Texas and attended the University of Houston. She is a freelance writer, composer, lyricist, and narrator known worldwide as “The Creole Poet” and “La Poetess Texane” in France.
Her mother Inez and grandparents Agnes and Victorien Prejean migrated to Texas from Louisiana in 1927 following the Great Mississippi Flood. She is married to Glen Labrie and together they have two children: Michelle and Glen Jr., who is married to Celeste, and two grandchildren: Braden and Glen III.
Denise Labrie and CJ Chenier co-authored three songs featured on “The Desperate Kingdom Of Love” CD World Village Records Harmonia Mundi. The CD received a major French award, equivalent to a Grammy, Coups de Coeur Blues Category from l'Académie Charles Cros. The CD has been at the top of music and bestseller charts; the songs have received positive newspaper, magazine and radio station music reviews and airplay worldwide.
Together with Joe Sample, she co-authored three songs for PRA Records: “Zydeco Train” featured in New Line Cinema’s “Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay”; “Zydeco Zoo” selected for a Starz TV’s Hollywood reality show and “Tailgatin’” spotlighted in a national product promotion.
Her published books include: The Creole Chronicles, Volume 4, Houston Frenchtown, Reflections: A Poetry Collection, Parle Creole French: Southern Louisiana Dialect (formerly Parle Creole French I and Parle Creole French II). Denise is the scriptwriter/producer of “The Creole Diaries” oral history CD and she has spoken word credits on the audio CD(s) that accompany the book in print, Parle Creole French: Southern Louisiana Dialect (formerly Parle Creole French I and Parle Creole French II).
Denise’s published articles/poetry credits include: The Josephite Harvest, Eh Toi Zydeco & Blues Magazine (Associate Editor), Zydecoach Newsletter, The Ebbing Tide, The Poet’s Pen, Night Roses, and excerpts from her writings were featured in The Port Arthur News (front page) and the Houston Chronicle newspapers.
She is a 2008 Creole People’s Award recipient, a BMI registered songwriter and member of The Creole Heritage Center. She assisted the Frenchtown Community with acquiring two historical markers: The Frenchtown Community and Zydeco Music In Frenchtown.
She has been a guest on several radio stations, featured in a KTRK Channel 13 TV program, Crossroads, and the Defender Newspaper, Chag’s Place column; and read her poetry before thousands at various venues including the Ensemble Theater in Houston, Texas.
She was invited by the Houston Heritage Society to present a lecture on Houston Frenchtown. The lecture included a historical view of the community comprised of Creoles who migrated from Louisiana to Houston and settled in an area of Houston known as Frenchtown. It detailed their contributions to the community, preservation of their unique language, music, culture, and heritage, and founding of Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church
Denise loves to write, travel and celebrate her Creole culture and heritage. She enjoys working to preserve the historical significance of her unique ancestry.
She is also a Travel Agent with over 12 years experience and more than 1,000 clients served. Denise coordinates worldwide group and individual travel. She uses her personal travel experience to many states within the continental United States and Hawaii and to over 12 countries throughout Europe, the Caribbean, South and Central America to assist her clients with planning their business and pleasure travel arrangements.
