January 5, 1961

Iris DeMent was born in Paragould (Greene County), the youngest of fourteen children. DeMent has used her distinctive voice to sing folk, country, bluegrass, and gospel music. She began singing about family, religion, people, places, and political ideas in a time when few did so. DeMent’s songs—some inspired by, and some in reaction to, her fundamentalist upbringing—have earned her more critical than commercial success. Many of her songs express her openness and reluctance to embrace rigid doctrines.