Oklahoma blues Icon Selby Minner remembered after tragic death

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Selby Minner, a pioneering musician and cultural force in the Oklahoma blues scene, was tragically killed at her home in Rentiesville on June 9.

She was 74.

Passing details

Authorities have confirmed that Minner’s brother, Louis Guenther, has been charged with her murder. According to a probable cause affidavit, Guenther confessed to attacking Minner with a hammer and knife during a mental health crisis.

The Oklahoma blues community mourns Selby Minner

Minner was not only a beloved blues performer, she was a preservationist, an educator, and a visionary. She founded the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame, created the Dusk ‘Til Dawn Blues Festival, and also owned the Down Home Blues Club in Rentiesville. For decades, she built spaces where music, history, and community came together.

Her impact reached well beyond the borders of Rentiesville. Alongside her late husband, D.C. Minner, she toured the country as part of Blues on the Move, bringing the soul of Oklahoma blues to audiences nationwide.

Shelby and D.C. Minner (Photo Source: GoFundMe)

GoFundMe created for Shelby Minner

Minner’s family is determined to honor and preserve the legacy she built.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help cover funeral expenses and support the preservation of the institutions she built. Her grandchildren and longtime collaborators are stepping forward to ensure the Down Home Blues Club, the Hall of Fame, and the annual festival continue to serve as living testaments to her life’s work.

“Selby gave everything to her music and her people,” the fundraiser reads. “She taught, performed, organized, mentored, and kept the flame of real blues burning in Oklahoma and beyond.”

Plans are underway to continue the Dusk ‘Til Dawn Blues Festival this Labor Day weekend in her honor.