News of Blues legend Selby Minner’s murder on June 9 spread quickly and inspired compassionate responses from across the state.
Here are a few of the heartfelt comments posted by fans and friends.
Glenna McBride
The Founding Director of the Eufaula Area Arts Council said: Selby Minner was more than a dear friend—she was family to me in the truest sense of the word. As a founding director of the Eufaula Area Arts Council, her passion for music, people, and place shaped our vision from the very beginning. We dreamed big together, and she brought heart, grit, and soul to every note and every project. Her absence is deeply felt, but her spirit will always be part of our rhythm, our roots, and our purpose.
Oklahoma Arts Council With a heavy heart, on behalf of our Council and staff, we express our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Selby Minner. She was a dear friend of our agency for many years, and we were able to support her extraordinary work in Rentiesville and beyond. It is truly amazing how one person’s passion enlivened her community like Selby’s did. Yet, this is a testament to the power of the arts. She not only organized a remarkable blues festival every year—carrying on a vital American art form that has roots in Oklahoma—she devoted her time to teaching music to young people, veterans, and others. Selby will be missed by many, and her shoes will be difficult to fill. But her legacy will live on.
OkPop Museum
We are heartbroken to learn of the tragic passing of Selby Minner, a blues legend and tireless champion of music in her community and across the state. Her passion, talent, and devotion to Oklahoma blues will never be forgotten.
Selby was a longtime bassist and vocalist who toured extensively with her late husband, D.C. Minner, as part of Blues on the Move. She cofounded Graniteville’s historic Down Home Blues Club and the Dusk ’til Dawn Blues Festival in 1991. Together, they received the International Blues Foundation’s Keeping the Blues Alive Award in Education for their Blues in the Schools program, bringing music, culture, and life lessons to children across Oklahoma. She also founded the D.C. Minner Museum and Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame in Rentiesville.
She will be missed!
The Blues Society of Tulsa
We send our deepest condolences to all who loved Selby Sue Minner. The Oklahoma, US and worldwide Blues community mourns this loss of a great person, great musician and ambassador of the Blues. Her lifelong work kept the blues alive and kept blues in schools as an educational tool. The Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame exists because of her tireless work. Rentiesville is on the maps because of her and the Dusk til Dawn Festival.
While we will miss her greatly, we know that she and DC had a joyous reunion, and they are playing together again.
Rest well Selby. As we get information on arrangements we will share.
Three rivers museum We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear colleague and friend, Selby Minner. Her warmth, dedication, and kind spirit touched the lives of everyone who had the privilege of knowing and working with her At the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame and DC Minner Museum in Rentiesville and at museum events.
Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. May they find comfort in knowing how deeply she was respected and loved by all of us.
State Rep. Tim Turner As a child I can remember going to Dusk ‘til Dawn and listening to D.C. and Selby. It was truly a dusk ‘til dawn event all weekend. The Rentiesville community will not be the same. We all know that Selby and D.C. are together playing some of the best blues America has ever heard.
State Rep. Neil Hays Selby Minner was more than a performer, she was a teacher, mentor and community leader who gave decades of her life to the art of the Blues. She made an impact not just onstage, but in the lives of so many students that she taught music to, including members of my own family.
Two years ago, I participated in an event hosted at the Capitol by the Governor to honor Oklahomans who have made a profound impact on the arts, including recognizing Minner for her contributions to music and culture in the state.
It was an honor to be part of the ceremony recognizing Selby’s remarkable influence. Her music told stories of hope, struggle, joy and resilience. Her legacy will live on through the countless lives she touched, the musicians she inspired and the vibrant Blues community she helped build and sustain.
Known for her steady presence and commitment to community, Minner’s contributions extended far beyond her performances. She spent years teaching guitar, sharing her knowledge and encouraging others to carry on the musical traditions she held dear.
Selby left a lasting mark on our district, on Oklahoma and on the music world. She will be remembered for her passion, her generosity and the way she used music to bring people together.
