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 Iris DeMent grew up the youngest of 14 children in a very religious family. Born in rural Arkansas, her family moved to California when Iris was still a toddler. After high school, she went off to Kansas City for college and made a living waiting tables and typing. At 25, she started writing songs and taking the spotlight at open mic nights. Two years later, she moved to Nashville and landed a record contract, but (just to prove that it's never too late) she was nearly 30 before her first album, Infamous Angel, came out in 1992.
DeMent's career was built at first by word-of-mouth through listeners drawn to her unique voice and songs that touch on the trials of everyday life. As with all things business related, Warner Bros. jumped on the DeMent bandwagon as her fanbase grew, re-releasing her early albums and 1996's The Way I Should. In 1999, she released In Spite of Ourselves, dueting with the legendary John Prine and earning a Grammy nomination. Her most recent CD is Lifeline, released in 2004. DeMent is currently married to singer/songwriter Greg Brown.
(This concert was recorded, mixed and mastered by contributing producer, Jimmie Wilson.)
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