Bob Stinson

For the baseball player, see Bob Stinson (baseball)

Bob Stinson
Stinson with The Replacements
Background information
Birth name	Robert Neil Stinson
Born	December 17, 1959 Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Died	February 18, 1995 (age 35)
Genres	Alternative rock
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Lead guitar
Associated acts	The Replacements Model Prisoner Static Taxi The Bleeding Hearts

Bob Stinson (born Robert Neil Stinson, December 17, 1959–February 18, 1995) was the founding member and lead guitarist for the American rock band The Replacements.

Biography

Early life

The Replacements

Stinson formed The Replacements in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA in 1979 with drummer Chris Mars and Bob's younger half-brother Tommy, then just 12 years old; a year later, Stinson brought in Paul 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 stylings. 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.^{[citation needed]} His body was found in his Uptown, Minneapolis apartment, with an unused insulin 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 foil to Westerberg's increasingly earnest pop leanings. 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.^{[citation needed]}

Equipment: Bob used a variety of guitars that he both owned and borrowed. A short list is: Black Fender Tele, Gibson Firebird, Gibson Les Paul, Univox Strat Copy (Static Taxi)

Notes and references