Iris DeMent more than made up for having had to postpone her May 25 show, back on May 25 when she became ill after arriving in Little Rock to perform the inaugural concert at the newly renovated theater at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. Saturday night she returned, apologetic for having let down her fans, none of whom seemed to have been holding a grudge.
Get your own copy of this album at SwapaCD.com. If you're not yet a member, your first 2 cds and membership are free! All you have to do is post 10 cds you want to get rid of. Visit the site to find a huge selection of music!
Get your own copy of this album at SwapaCD.com. If you're not yet a member, your first 2 cds and membership are free! All you have to do is post 10 cds you want to get rid of. Visit the site to find a huge selection of music!
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Each Sunday, Pitchfork takes an in-depth look at a significant album from the past, and any record not in our archives is eligible. Today, we revisit the devastating and sublime debut from one of the most outstanding voices and songwriters in country music.
When Iris DeMent was a baby, her father staged a wildcat strikeâmeaning a strike without the backing or safety of a unionâat the Emerson Electric plant in Arkansas. He stood for a year on the picket line before the whole thing collapsed in 1964, sending his family of 16 scrambling for a new home. They packed up everything they had and hastily relocated to Buena Park, California, and then Sacramento. Irisâ father found work as a gardener and a janitor, and her mother raised the family in extreme hardship. When things grew unbearably difficult, as they often did, Irisâ mother Flora Mae sat down at the piano to sing.