Denise "The Creole Poet" 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 has two children: Michelle married to Chad Thomas and Glen Labrie Jr. Six grandchildren: Braden, Glen III (A.C.), Cameron, Sloane and Luna Labrie, Rose Denise Thomas.
Denise and CJ Chenier co-authored three songs featured on the 2006 “The Desperate Kingdom Of Love” CD World Village Records Harmonia Mundi label. 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.
She also co-authored with CJ Chenier the song, "Ridin' With Uncle Cleveland", on the CD "Can't Sit Down" World Village Records Harmonia Mundi label. The CD received a 2011 GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Regional Roots Music Album category. Denise received a GRAMMY® participation certificate as a songwriter on the CD. Also, the CD won the Best of the Beat Awards (Offbeat) for Best Zydeco Album. The song was selected by Songlines Magazine (a leading world music magazine in the UK) to be included in the Aug/Sept Issue # 86 of the magazine and covermount sampler CD. About 20,000 copies of the sampler cd were distributed.
Together with Joe Sample, she co-authored three songs for PRA Records: “Zydeco Train” featured in the 2008 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.
She, Joe Sample and Marita Phillips co-wrote the song, "Until The End," on Ida Sand's CD 'The Gospel Truth" for the ACT Music label. The CD entered the Sweden Top 60 in position 23 in 2011.
Denise and Joe Sample also co-wrote all songs on the CreoleJoe Band CD featuring Joe Sample, Ray Parker, Jr. and CJ Chenier. The CD debuted on the Top Selling New Releases in Japan and Current Top Selling CD in Japan lists. The CD was released by Bad Dog/PRA Records in 2013 and 2016.
Denise co-wrote the song, "Party Down In Redneck Town," with Vic Holdroyd (a British Country Music Award nominee) featured as the title song on a 2011 CD along with a music video by country artist, Michael J. Cloke. The video has appeared internationally on "The Phil Mack Country TV Show." The song was also released on Michael J. Cloke's CD Going Home in 2013. She and Vic also have a song that they co-authored "Bayou Song" selected as the Euro Masters Country Music 2013 Theme Song and featured on German TV in five (5) languages. In 2014 Bayou Song was the theme song for several music festivals in Europe: Westerwald Country Festival, Country Music Messe in Bergheim, and the Highway Women & Awesome Cowboys Show.
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) and the CreoleJoe Band CD.
Denise’s published articles/poetry credits include: Ode to Smarkand Creole French poetic translation, THE Creole Book, 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, a 2011 GRAMMY® participation certificate award nominated songwriter, The Creole Heritage Center and The St. Augustine Historical Society. She assisted the Frenchtown Community in Houston, Texas with acquiring two historical markers: The Frenchtown Community and Zydeco Music In Frenchtown.
Denise 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 Heritage Society (Houston, Texas) 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. Denise was instrumental in working to obtain the Frenchtown (Houston, Texas historical markers: The Frenchtown Community, and Zydeco Music in Frenchtown.
She is also the Owner of The Creole Poet, an IATAN accredited Travel Agency and Travel Agent with over 23 years experience and more than 3,500 clients served. Denise coordinates worldwide group and individual travel.
Denise specializes in group and individual travel. She utilizes her travel expertise and travel experience to many states within the continental USA and Hawaii, Alaska and to over 25 countries throughout the world: Asia: Japan-Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka; Europe: Spain-Barcelona, France Paris, Cannes, Villefrance, Nice, Marseilles; Italy-Venice, Pisa, Florence, Rome, Sorrento/Amalfi Coast, Pompeii and Sicily (Tindari), Cagliara (Sardinia); Monaco, Croatia, Germany-Berlin; Greece-Athens, Santorini; United Kingdom: England and Scotland; Caribbean-Aruba, Bahamas, Curacao, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, USVI: St. Thomas, St. John's; Dominican Republic-Punta Cana, La Romana; Puerto Rico-San Juan; Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, Turks & Caicos- Grand Turk, Providenciales; South America: Brazil-Porto Alegre, Gramado, Rio De Janeiro, Central America: Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, Mexico-Cozumel, Cancun, Costa Maya, Calica, Playa del Carmen, Progreso, Ensenada, Puerto Vallarta to assist her clients with planning their business and pleasure travel arrangements.
