yvette landry

Biography

Yvette Landry grew up in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, near the levees of the Atchafalaya Basin, North America's largest swampland, where she developed a deep appreciation for Cajun culture, music, dance, stories, and language. After earning a master's degree in education and building a successful teaching career spanning from 1990 onwards, Landry came to music later in life when she purchased a guitar at C & M Music during her father's cancer treatments at M. D. Anderson. Never having picked up a string instrument before, she taught herself to play by ear, and the experience transformed her life. She joined a weekly Cajun Jam led by Brazos Huval, and despite growing up listening to Swamp Pop rather than traditional Cajun music, she was captivated by music that sang of her family's roots.

Landry's professional music career took off when Randy Vidrine invited her to play at Randol's Restaurant with the Lafayette Rhythm Devils, where she performed regularly on Wednesday nights for ten years while touring festivals throughout the United States, Germany, and France. She recorded three albums with Vidrine and expanded her skills by attending Louisiana Folk Roots on scholarship, where she learned accordion, fiddle, and guitar. There she met Kristi Guillory, and together with Anya Burgess and Christine Balfa, they formed Bonsoir Catin, whose 2015 album "Light the Stars" was Grammy-nominated for Best Regional Roots Music Album. Fronting her own band, The Yvette Landry Band, she released her debut album "Should Have Known" in 2010, which won Offbeat Magazine's "Best Country/Folk Album" award and earned her "Best Country/Folk Artist" honors. She has since released four more albums including "No Man's Land," "Me & T-Coe's Country," "Oh What A Silent Night," and "Louisiana Lovin'" (nominated for Best Roots Rock Artist and Best Roots Rock Album).

Beyond performing, Landry has served as Louisiana's State Music Ambassador (2013 and 2019), was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, and served as a Cultural Ambassador for the Library of Congress, touring Russia and performing at prestigious venues including the Kennedy Center and the Bluebird Café in Nashville. She has shared stages with Vince Gill & The Time Jumpers, Darrell Scott, and Rhonda Vincent. As an educator, she currently teaches American Sign Language and Song Writing at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, works as a private homeschool teacher, and has taught bass, guitar, accordion, and vocals at notable camps including Festival of American Fiddle Tunes and Cajun/Creole Week at Augusta Heritage Center. She has also authored children's books including "The Ghost Tree" (nominated for Louisiana's Young Reader's Choice Award) and "Madame Grand Doigt," both formally accepted into the Library of Congress Collection for Children's Literature. Her latest project is producing "A Regional Roots Journey with The Godfather of Swamp Pop" with Warren "Storm" Schexnider, featuring guest contributions from John Fogerty, Sonny Landreth, and Marc Broussard.

Fun Facts

• Landry never picked up a string instrument until she bought a guitar to 'mess around with' during trips to M. D. Anderson for her father's cancer treatments, learning entirely by ear with no formal instruction.
• She balanced an intense 'Clash of the Titans' schedule for years, waking at 4 a.m. to meet her cross-country and volleyball teams for practice before school, then playing music until 2 a.m., all while maintaining her career as a full-time educator and semi-professional volleyball player.
• Despite growing up in Cajun country in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, Landry actually grew up listening to Swamp Pop rather than traditional Cajun music, only discovering her family's musical roots later through the weekly Cajun Jam sessions.
• She has served as Governor to the Memphis Chapter of the Recording Academy and as Louisiana's State Music Ambassador in both 2013 and 2019, touring Russia as a Cultural Ambassador on behalf of the Library of Congress.

Associated Acts

• Bonsoir Catin - original
• Yvette Landry & the Jukes - eponymous, original

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Brazos Huval - Invited Landry to join weekly Cajun Jam sessions when she was first learning guitar (Weekly Cajun Jam gatherings with 50-60 participants) [Early career (after she started playing guitar)]
• Randy Vidrine - Gave Landry her first professional opportunity and mentored her through ten years of performances (Lafayette Rhythm Devils, three albums together, regular Wednesday performances at Randol's Restaurant) [10-year period including tours to U.S., Germany, and France]

Key Collaborators

• Kristi Guillory - Co-founder of Grammy-nominated band Bonsoir Catin (Bonsoir Catin, album 'Light the Stars' (Grammy-nominated 2015)) [2015]
• Anya Burgess - Band member of Grammy-nominated Bonsoir Catin (Bonsoir Catin, album 'Light the Stars') [2015]
• Christine Balfa - Band member of Grammy-nominated Bonsoir Catin (Bonsoir Catin, album 'Light the Stars') [2015]
• Bill Kirchen - Co-producer and collaborator (Album 'No Man's Land') [2010s]
• Cindy Cashdollar - Co-producer and collaborator (Album 'No Man's Land') [2010s]
• Dirk Powell - Collaborator on album production (Album 'No Man's Land') [2010s]
• Richard Comeaux - Pedal steel ace collaborator (Albums 'No Man's Land' and 'Oh What A Silent Night') [2010s]
• Roddie Romero - Featured collaborator (Album 'Louisiana Lovin'') [2010s-2020s]
• Warren 'Storm' Schexnider - Subject of biographical/musical project, the 'Godfather of Swamp Pop' (Producer of 'A Regional Roots Journey with The Godfather of Swamp Pop' and 'Taking the World, by Storm: A Conversation with the Godfather of Swamp Pop') [Recent project]
• John Fogerty - Guest contributor on Warren Storm project ('A Regional Roots Journey with The Godfather of Swamp Pop') [Recent]
• Sonny Landreth - Guest contributor on Warren Storm project ('A Regional Roots Journey with The Godfather of Swamp Pop') [Recent]
• Marc Broussard - Guest contributor on Warren Storm project ('A Regional Roots Journey with The Godfather of Swamp Pop') [Recent]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Brahms' Lullaby (Je M'endors: Cajun and Créole Lullabies)
2. I'm Leaving It Up to You (Me & T-Coe's Country)
3. Fais Do Do (Je M'endors: Cajun and Créole Lullabies)
4. Honky Tonk Angels (Joel Savoy's Honky Tonk Merry-Go-Round)
5. Les Traces de Mon Boghei (Les Traces de Mon Boghei)
6. Dog House Blues (No Man's Land)
7. Three Chords and a Bottle (No Man's Land)
8. Together Again (Me & T-Coe's Country)
9. Paillasse poule d'eau (Bienvenue!)
10. Les sept souris (Bienvenue!)

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz