The youngest of 14 children, Iris DeMent was born in Paragould, Arkansas, and moved to California with her devoutly religious family when she was three. As a teenager she absorbed the country music of Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash, as well as the folk classics of Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. Her 1992 debut album, "Infamous Angel," distilled these influences into a poetic yet down-to- earth songwriting style. With a heartfelt, homespun voice that listeners recognize instantly, Iris released some of the most powerful roots albums of the 1990s with the beautifully sparse "My Life" and the harder-edged "The Way I Should." Although she has said she does not describe herself as a Christian, she returned to the music scene with "Life Line," an all-gospel collection. Iris stopped performing when the U.S. invaded Iraq and has rarely been seen on stage since -- this concert is a rare chance.