Iris DeMent

Iris DeMent (born January 5, 1961) is an American singer and songwriter. DeMent's musical style encompasses the genres country and folk music. DeMent was the youngest child of Pat DeMent and his second wife, Flora Mae. (As the baby of the family, she was Pat DeMent's fourteenth child, and Flora Mae's eighth.) She was raised in a Pentecostal household, but now identifies as agnostic. She was born near the town of Paragould, Arkansas but grew up in... more

Iris DeMent (born January 5, 1961) is an American singer and songwriter. DeMent's musical style encompasses the genres country and folk music. DeMent was the youngest child of Pat DeMent and his second wife, Flora Mae. (As the baby of the family, she was Pat DeMent's fourteenth child, and Flora Mae's eighth.) She was raised in a Pentecostal household, but now identifies as agnostic. She was born near the town of Paragould, Arkansas but grew up in Cypress, California, where she was exposed to and influenced by country and gospel music. DeMent's songs are typically simple, clearly told stories about life's pains and joys. Her first album, Infamous Angel, was released in 1992 and explored themes like religious skepticism, living in a small town, lamenting "nothing good ever lasts", and forgiving human frailty. Her song "Let the Mystery Be" from that album has been covered by a number of artists, including 10,000 Maniacs and Alice Stuart, and has become one of DeMent's better known... less