I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the fourth of five children of François and E. Martin Pradier of Lafayette, Louisiana. Therefore, mine is a typical Creole background and I listened to both Creole and French spoken at home since I was born. Later, I learned to speak French and understand some Creole as well as several other romance languages that I picked up from my travels and because of attuning my ear to several languages at an early age.

Although the Pradier family is a relatively small one in the US, it has a history of renowned members in the arts and law in Europe--mainly in France, Switzerland and Italy (the Pradieri). The earliest records of the Pradier family are traced back to King Louis' Sheriff who was responsible for the territory that is now Switzerland. More recent examples of the Pradiers' influence is typically found in the area of Paris and northern France.

Pierre Pradier is considered the father of modern French law. Jean Jacques (James) Pradier's sculptures grace Paris on the Arc de Triomphe. the Place de la Concorde (The lions), and in the Louvre Museum. Here a few examples of his work in the "Venus und Amor" and the "Leda". In fact, the beauty of his sculptures, "the Pradier women," is praised in the poem, Vous en qui je salue une nouvelle aurore....

Among the contemporary Pradiers, we are all around the world. Many, especially in France, are in the arts. Examples of these are Etienne, who lives in England and travels around as a magician, and Perette and Vanina, who are movie actresses in Paris.

On my mother's side of the family the Martins trace their roots to the Chitimacha tribe of South Louisiana while the Moutons are a well-known Cajun (Acadian) family throughout Louisiana. Alexandre Mouton, my mother's grandfather, was the first Acadian Governor of Louisiana. He discovered the city of Lafayette, Louisiana and built its cathedral to replace the first church that was built by his father, Jean. His son, Alfred Mouton, at 32 years old, was the youngest general in the Confederate Army when he was killed in the battle of Mansfield.