From the man who was head of his security for 19 years to the mayor of Muskogee, everyone one was singing the praises of D.C. Minner on Saturday.

Mayor Wren Stratton’s last official act was to proclaim Saturday as D.C. Minner Day in Muskogee. She shared memories of her son, Sam, meeting D.C., and how at the end of the day Sam and D.C. were singing, “Jeremiah was a Bullfrog.”

“The Celebration of the Life of D.C. Minner” is how his last poster read, and the event was attended by several hundred of his family, friends and fans. The Frisco Depot was filled with the blues as the celebration took place, according to a media release.

Minner, who founded and operated the Dusk ’til Dawn Blues Festival, was born Jan. 28, 1935, in Rentiesville, and passed away May 6.

Beth Seim, director of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, welcomed attendees. Seim spoke of Minner’s induction into the hall of fame in 2003 and how no one has done more in Oklahoma to keep the blues alive among young people and adult blues fans in the state than D.C. Minner.

“We proudly display D.C.’s picture on our hall of fame wall and now his life and music can be viewed and heard into eternity at the touch of a button in our museum. Today, we celebrate life, D.C. Minner’s life — in honor of his contributions to music in Oklahoma and all over the world.”

Sue Harris, OMHOF board president and master of ceremonies, opened the floor for comments. Grandchildren, musicians, family and friends spoke of D.C. and his love for music, how he always encouraged them, allowed them to build confidence in themselves and was a loving, caring grandfather and individual.

In recognition of D.C. and his love for blues, Miss Blues (Dorothy Ellis) and Donna “Lady D” sang individually.

Cassandra Gaines, coordinator of the Black Town Tours of Oklahoma, shared when she started the tour in 1999, Rentiesville was one of the towns on the tour. One of the favorite stops on the tour is the house D.C. was born in and is now home of one of Oklahoma’s most famous “juke joints.” D.C. would tell the visitors that he “went from the house of shame to two halls of fame,” Gaines said.

The OMHF's video-biography was shown, and, courtesy of The National Arts Council, the “Blues in Schools” video shared the message of how DC and his wife, Selby, helped so many children in Oklahoma schools turn their lives around through the blues program. This is the successful program, in all 50 states, that has turned around attitudes and lives of young people across the nation, Seim said.

As the video of Minner’s performance at the 2003 Induction Ceremony ran, attendees were patting the knees to the music and you could hear the toe taping on the wood floors of the old depot. Minner said during his video performance that, “When he had spent every dime he had, he would pull out some applause and use it.”

John Wise, D.C.’s cousin from Oklahoma City, stepped on stage and shared, “Cousin D.C., you and I have a friend, a friend in Jesus,” and then sang the song.

Minner had requested legendary singer Ernestine Dillard sing at his celebration. Her powerful voice radiated in the hall as she sang “To God be the Glory,” Seim said.

At the close of the service Harris shared a quote from, Jack Fowler, writer and managing editor of the Checotah Democrat Newspaper.

“The first time I ever met D.C. Minner, we spent close to three hours in the corner booth of the Down Home Blues Club, smoking cigarettes, laughing, talking music. I was supposed to be interviewing him for the newspaper, but I more or less scrapped that whole idea about 15 minutes into it.