January 5, 1961

Singer Iris DeMent, who was born in Paragould (Greene County), married fellow singer-songwriter Greg Brown, a troubadour from Iowa. Her political topics have earned her comparisons with Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and other musicians who have criticized American government and politicians. She co-wrote “This Kind of Happy” with Merle Haggard (who had praised her version of his song “Big City” on Tulare Dust, a Haggard tribute CD) and sang a duet with Delbert McClinton on “Trouble,” the final cut of The Way I Should. DeMent’s fourth album, Lifeline (2004), marked her departure from Warner Bros. to record for her own label, Flariella Records, named for her mother.