by KAREN LAGRANGE COX
His plan was to become a meteorologist, but country music got in the way. James Dupré attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe (UL-M) for two years for meteorology, during which he joined a band where he played guitar and started writing songs. Despite his initial plans, it seems that fate had a different path in store for Dupré.
After leaving UL-M, Dupré worked as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for Acadian Ambulance for six years after his father encouraged him to get a “real job”. Being an EMT didn’t stop him from pursuing a music career in country music.
A singer and songwriter, Dupré’s first album was released on Warner Records, It’s All Happening in 2010. Kyle Lehning produced the album and was a producer for country music singer Randy Travis.
In 2012, the Lehning connection gave way to an opportunity for Dupré to meet Travis, who is his idol. In 2013 Dupré made his acting debut in a movie with Travis called “The Price” which came out in 2015. The movie was about a dying country music legend (Travis) and the son he had never met (Dupre), who was an aspiring country music musician. A movie showing was held in Opelousas in May 2016, with both Dupré and Travis in attendance.
Dupré went on tour with Travis as a guest vocalist on The Music of Randy Travis 2019 tour. Dupré’s friendship with Travis continues to this day.
To advance his career, Dupré auditioned to be a contestant on the television show, The Voice. He was accepted and was on Season 9 in the fall of 2015. Dupré received the four-chair turn by the coaches Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Gwen Stefani, and Pharrell Williams. When deciding which coach to choose, Levine told Dupré whenever there is a country singer on The Voice, they always pick Shelton, which angered him. Dupré decided to pick Levine as his coach but was eliminated in the middle of the competition. His elimination did not interfere with his musical success.
When speaking with Dupré about favorite songs during this interview, he said Against the Wind by Bob Seger is his all-time favorite song. And it was agreed that Karen Carpenter had such a clear voice. Jackson Browne is one of Dupré’s favorite singers.
Dupré ‘s album Stoned to Death on Independent Records was released in 2016. His third album, Home and Away, also on Independent Records, was released in 2020
With 2020 being the year of the start of Covid-19, Dupré and other songwriters collaborated using online meetings. Meeting online made Dupré realize he could work from anywhere. After living in Nashville since 2011, Dupré and his wife, Kelsie decided to move back to Louisiana with their daughter Rellie in 2021. They choose Broussard, Louisiana, to make their home. The move back to Louisiana put Dupré closer to his four sons from a previous marriage, Paul, Topher, Nickie, and Jackson, who live in Evangeline Parish. Dupré does go back to Nashville about four times a year.
The choice for moving to Broussard was two-fold; Kelsie has family in Broussard, and Dupré saw it as an up-and-coming area with restaurants and bars that give him opportunities to perform his solo acoustic shows. Some of the places he has performed include The Barrel of Broussard and Trapp’s (now closed) in Broussard, Legends in Lafayette, and Frozen Sun in Maurice.
In his earlier musician days, Dupré performed at The Tap Room, Cowboys, Jefferson Street Pub, and Outlaws in Lafayette, The Dug Out in Eunice, and Toby’s Little Lodge in Opelousas. He also played at The Jungle Dinner Club in Ville Platte, where he held a release party for his first album.
During this interview, Rellie, who is three years old, said Travis is her favorite singer. Clarification was needed due to her father being a singer. She explained her daddy is her lovely singer and Travis is her favorite singer.
Dupré was born in Mamou, Louisiana, and grew up in Bayou Chicot in Evangeline Parish. Rellie was given the middle name of Evangeline after the parish where Dupré was raised.
Dupre still has a love for meteorology and looks at meterology reports daily.
Listen to Dupre on Apple Music
To keep up with Dupre or to schedule him to perform, visit his Instragram or Facebook page.
