McAlester News-Capital, McAlester, OK

Local News

May 8, 2008

D.C. Minner knew the Blues is life

By James Beaty

“The blues ain’t nothin’ but a good man feelin’ bad.” — Leon Redbone

Oklahoma music legend D.C. Minner has died, following a long career making people happy by playing and singing the blues.

Minner, 73, died on Tuesday. The cause of death was not released.

Minner, and his wife, Selby, have hosted the annual Dusk Til Dawn Blues Festival in Rentiesville, near Checotah, for the past 17 years.

Locally, they brought their Blues in the Schools educational program to McAlester and once served as the featured concert act at Hard Times Day Festival in Hartshorne. During his career, he and Selby toured and played at hundreds of concerts and festivals across the U.S.

McAlester News-Capital Editor Matt Lane has some personal memories of Minner.

“For the Lane family, D.C. was not only a great bluesman, but a great and dear friend,” Lane said.

“His house of blues was less than a mile from my family’s old home place on Pumpkin Ridge.

“D.C. was good friends with my grandpa, Virgil Lane, and especially good friends with my uncle, Curtis Lane.

“Our family, like many families, held get-togethers during the summer. D.C. and Selby would often come and perform,” Lane said.

“At one particular occasion, I thought I might sit in on keyboards with D.C. and Selby.

“After playing about one measure of a familiar blues tune, D.C. turned around and shot me a withering glance that drove me from the stage,” Lane said.

After that, Lane just looked on and enjoyed the music of one of the country’s best bluesmen.

John Peters, who hosts Jammin’ John’s Boogie Down Blues Show on McAlester Radio’s 105.1 FM station from 6-8 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday, said Minner will be missed by the blues family.

“He was the blues when it came to Oklahoma,” Peters said today, citing Minner’s work with the schools and with his blues festival.

“He taught us all. He brought so many young musicians and he gave people a place to play.”

“He was Mr. Blues. We’ll miss him.”

D.C. and Selby Minner were honored with numerous awards, including the Handy People Award from the Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tenn. for their Blues in the Schools music education program.

D.C. Minner is also a member of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. The street outside the Down Home Blues Club has been renamed in his honor.

Born on Jan. 28, 1935, and brought up by his grandmother, Lura Drennan, Minner grew up hearing acoustic blues played at her juke joint in Rentiesville.

He later moved to Oklahoma City and played bass guitar with a band known as Larry Johnson and the New Breed.

With that band, Minner played behind such future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members as Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, as well as the great Texas-Oklahoma bluesman Freddie King and soul singer Eddie Floyd.

After moving to California, he started playing lead guitar and met Selby in a club in the Bay area, where she played acoustic blues.

They toured together for 12 years, with Selby now playing bass guitar, before D.C. moved back to Rentiesville in 1988 and reopened his grandmother’s old place as the Down Home Blues Club

In 1991, he and Selby started the Dusk Til Dawn Blues Festival, which has become a Labor Day weekend tradition for many lovers of blues music.

Funeral services are pending with Ragsdale Funeral Center in Muskogee.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.

Text Only
Local News
Seasonal Content
Poll

It's awards season? Which 85th Academy Award nominated movie for Best Picture is your fave?

"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
"The Help"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Moneyball"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"
     View Results
AP Video
Gingrich Renews Vow to Campaign Until Convention Romney Rolls to Easy Win in Nevada GOP Caucuses Raw Video: Missing Family Found Alive in Ore. Police Clear Tents From Occupy Site in DC Killer of Fla. Girl Found in Landfill Gets Life Army Orders Bradley Manning Court-martial Cancer Charity Revives Breast-screening Grants Heavy Snowstorm Hits Colorado On Its Way East 2nd Teacher From LA School Arrested on Sex Claim Prosecutors Close Armstrong Inquiry, No Charges Sights and Sounds: Football Fans Pour Into Indy Unemployment Rate Down to 8.3% Obama: Still Far Too Many Americans Need Jobs GOP: Jobs Numbers Welcome, Can Do Better Fla. Man Adopts Girlfriend in Legal Battle More Deaths As Egypt Clashes Continue Raw Video: Prince William in Falklands Egpyt Protesters Blame Police for Soccer Deaths 'Lucky' 9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant Raw Video: Michelle Vs. Ellen in Pushup Contest
NDN Video
Romney Takes Strong Lead in Nevada GOP Victory Nevada voters cast vote in state caucus Celebs Suit Up for DirecTV Beach Bowl Super Bowl's impact on Indy Social media do the trick for Planned Parenthood Huge snowstorm hits Colorado SB XLVI: Adam Sandler Bronx Zoo Selling Valentine's Day Roaches Adam Levine: Shame on Randy Jackson Tim Tebow Addresses His Fans and Faith Gossip Girl's Steamy Spread AG Holder defends actions in heated hearing 'Lucky' 9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant First Look: Kim Kardashian on 'Last Man Standing' Panetta said to expect Israel attack on Iran in spring Madonna channels Victor Cruz Christina Hendricks Stuns in Sexy Dress Raw Video: Snow Causes 20-Car Pileup in Italy Raw Video: Michelle Vs. Ellen in Pushup Contest College Football Prospect Chooses Team Based on Chick-Fil-A
Parade
Magazine
Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.