This article is about Iris Dement; follow the one about Greg Brown!

TWO LEGENDSFor singer/songwriter fans, two legends will take the stage on Sunday.They happen to be married to each other but they seldom performtogether, though anything is possible at Dunegrass. Greg Brown hasbeen a longtime favorite of the region. He performed here a couple ofsummers ago at Intlerlochen and for years he use to do afishing-concert tour of the region.Brown will take the stage at 6 p.m. just after local favorite Steppin'In It. Iris Dement and Greg Brown have said at the time of theirmarriage in November of 2003 that they were going to keep theirpersonal and performance lives separate from one another While hiswife probably won't join him, it is a safe bet that Brown will joinSteppin' In It or vice versa. Two years ago after their Interlochenperformance both headed to Union Street Station and gave a rousing jamsession and Brown is a big fan of the Lansing based band, Steppin' in It.Mid-afternoon Sunday Iris Dement will take the stage. She is one ofthe most celebrated folk singers of the day. At 45, she is celebratingher 20th year in her musical career, one that is rooted in gospel (sheis the youngest of 14 kids from a religious family and started singingspirituals at age 3) and inspired by the likes of Loretta Lynn, JohnnyCash, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell. But at the end of the day Dementlikes for her songs to speak for themselves."Everything I want people to know about me is in my music," saidDement. "I am very intimate and hands on with my music. So manyapproach this as a career and they look to do things to advance thatcareer. This music is me and I refuse to create some sort ofseparation between me and my music so that I might have a career."EARLY DAYSAfter graduating from high school Dement took on a series of jobswaitressing and secretarial before moving to Nashville in 1988. Shehoned her vocal skills at open-mic nights and eventually landed alabel deal with Rounder Records. She released her debut "InfamousAngel" CD which garnered instant universal acclaim. The album waspopular in both country and folk circles despite the lack of supportfrom mainstream radio. Sales success through word-of-mouth earned hera deal with Warner Bros., which reissued "Infamous Angel" in 1993.Dement released her second album "My Life," in 1994 and a third in1996 "The Way I Should." The latter was a sharp departure from herintrospective earlier works and focused on subjects of sexual abuse,religion, government policy, and Vietnam. With the exception of hercollaborations with John Prine (earning her a Grammy) in the late`90s. Dement would not release another album until 2004 when shereturned to her introspective roots with the CD "Lifeline."The CD has been met by mixed reviews from critics but has been wellreceived by her fans who continue to flood to her limited performances(she performs only a few times a year these days)."I don't write, sing or perform for the critics," said Dement. "Isometimes read what they have to say, but I put it behind me quicklyand move on. I can't be what other people want me to be, I am who I am."