- Bob Stinson
"For the baseball player, see
Bob Stinson (baseball) "Infobox musical artist
Name = Bob Stinson
Img_capt = Stinson withThe Replacements
Img_size =
Landscape =
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Robert Neil Stinson
Alias =
Born =December 17 1959 Minneapolis, Minnesota , USA
Died =February 18 1995 (age 35)
Origin =
Instrument =Lead guitar
Voice_type =
Genre =Alternative rock
Occupation =Musician
Years_active =
Label =
Associated_acts =The Replacements
Model PrisonerStatic Taxi
The Bleeding HeartsBob Stinson (born Robert Neil Stinson,
December 17 ,1959 –February 18 ,1995 ) was the founding member and lead guitarist for the American rock bandThe Replacements .Biography
Early life
The Replacements
Stinson formed
The Replacements inMinneapolis, Minnesota , USA in 1979 with drummerChris Mars and Bob's younger half-brother Tommy, then just 12 years old; a year later, Stinson brought inPaul Westerberg on second guitar and vocals.In 1985, during the recording of "Tim", the power struggle reached a breaking point, and Stinson was forced out of the band sometime in late 1986. Though the exact circumstances of the split remain murky, published explanations include Westerberg's commercial aspirations, pressure from Sire Records for more mainstream records, and Stinson's increasing substance abuse problems. "Whether he was thrown out for the way his alleged alcohol problems had destroyed his skills or he left voluntarily due to creative tension is a moot point," according to Prefix Magazine. "What matters is this: Stinson was gone, and with him went much of the band's edge." With the departure of Stinson, "Tim" and all subsequent recordings by the band were increasingly more pop-oriented, dominated by Westerberg's pop sensibilities. Stinson's last stint in the band was on the demos for the "
Pleased to Meet Me " album.Later projects
Stinson's first band after leaving The Replacements was a short-lived outfit called Model Prisoner, which broke up in 1988.
He later formed
Static Taxi in 1988. They recorded two albums "Stinson Boulevard" (released in 2000) and "Closer 2 Normal" (released in 2003) before folding in the summer of 1991.Stinson appeared on Shotgun Rationale's "Time Is Mine" single (in 1991 on Dogmeat Records) which also featured Sonny Vincent and future
Bash & Pop guitarist Steve Brantseg. He also played with local band Dog 994 around this time.Stinson's last band was The Bleeding Hearts, which he formed with his roommate Mike Leonard. One of their most high-profile performances was opening for his brother Tommy's band Bash & Pop in 1993. His last public performance was playing with Minneapolis Countryswing band Trailer Trash at Lee's Liquor Bar in late 1994. They performed a version of
Lefty Frizzell 's "Lil 'Ol Wine Drinker Me".Death
Stinson, a long-term alcoholic and drug addict, died in 1995; according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Report, he did not die of a drug overdose (as is frequently reported) but rather his body simply wore out after years of abuse. His body was found in his
Uptown, Minneapolis apartment, with an unusedinsulin syringe next to it. His obituary appeared in the print edition of the "New York Times " on February 24, 1995.Musical style
Stinson's guitar style was strongly influenced by '70s-era
classic rock and punk. Among Stinson's heroes was guitarist Steve Howe from the group Yes. Onstage, as well as in the studio, Stinson was prone to fits of brilliance and fecklessness in equal measure. Because of this, Stinson soon became the comic foil to Westerberg's increasingly earnest pop sensibility. The creative tension between the two is one of the reasons The Replacements' first four full-length records — especially the third and fourth, "Let It Be" and "Tim", respectively — are often credited with being their best work.Fact|date=April 2008Notes and references
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