Book Review: The Untold Story of Oklahoma Blues Legend D.C. Minner

***Please pardon our mistake! We misspelled the author's name in our Volume 3, Issue 3 publication.***

The review was written by Donna Gourd

D.C. Minner and his wife Selby have, over the years, been the subject of many feature articles, news stories, and other publicity associated with their careers as Blues artists and music festival producers. Everyone in the region has heard of Rentiesville’s annual Dusk ‘Til Dawn Blues Festival, and if one is at all interested in Blues music, Oklahoma history, and the sort of rich storytelling that makes people and places come to life from unique circumstances amid universal challenges, the new book that chronicles the life story of this Blues Man extraordinaire is well worth the read.

Mama Said This Boy Is Gonna Be Somebody, The Untold Story of Oklahoma Blues Legend D.C. Minner was written by La Nelda Hughes from recollections of Selby Minner, the transcript of personal videotaped interviews conducted with D.C. by Dr. Harold Aldridge, Jr., and various published articles and anecdotes from others who were fortunate enough to have known and spent time with the man. It is, at best, D.C. in his own words—words from an insightful human being who never forgot who he was or where he came from even as he set about the business of transforming himself from a “fat Black kid” to a spiritually grown mentor of Blues guitar and Godfather of the Rentiesville roadhouse that has nurtured talent and friendships of all ilk for over 80 years.

Minner tells listeners that his life took him “from a house of shame to the Hall of Fame;” but his family history—and his own memories of the spot in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, that is now best known for the DTD festival—tell the tale of a life well-lived, despite its hardships, by a truly kind man with a deep understanding of the decisions that brought his ancestors to Rentiesville and unearthed the cornerstone of his career as a musician.

The full article can be found on pages 24-28 of Shades Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 3. Get your copy today! 

About the Author: Donna Gourd is a writer who is retired from the Cherokee Nation having authored numerous documents and materials ranging from grant proposals to tribal history curricula. She has also worked as a publicist in the entertainment field, coordinated and produced special events in music, theater, education, and community service. Gourd is a graduate of Northeastern State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication.