Although Mark Selby was based in Nashville and wrote or co-wrote songs for major country-pop stars, the earthy, gritty singer/songwriter and guitarist favored blues-rock and roots rock as a solo artist. Selby wasn't originally from Nashville; he was born and raised in Oklahoma and lived in Kansas (where he earned a degree in music composition from Fort Hays State University) before settling in Nashville in the 1990s. After making Music City his home, Selby landed a publishing deal and wrote or co-wrote songs for major country-pop artists like Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna Judd, and the Dixie Chicks (including the female trio's number one country hit "There's Your Trouble"). But the diverse Selby was best known for the writing he did for blues-rocker Kenny Wayne Shepherd; he wrote or co-wrote eight of the songs on Shepherd's Live On CD. In 2000, Selby signed with Vanguard as a solo artist, producing his debut solo album, More Storms Comin', with Brent Maher. Dirt followed in 2003. Selby switched to the ZYX/Pepper Cake label for his third album, a solo acoustic effort called Mark Otis Selby...and the Horse He Rode in On, released in 2006. Nine Pound Hammer appeared in 2008, followed by Blue Highway in 2013. Mark Selby died of cancer in Nashville on September 18, 2017. ~ Alex Henderson