Bob Stinson

Bob Stinson
Stinson with The Replacements
Background information
Birth name	Robert Neil Stinson
Born	(1959-12-17)December 17, 1959 Waconia, Minnesota, United States
Died	February 18, 1995(1995-02-18) (aged 35) Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Genres	Alternative rock, punk rock
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Lead guitar
Associated acts	The Replacements, Model Prisoner, Static Taxi, The Bleeding Hearts

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

Biography

The Replacements

Stinson formed The Replacements (formerly Dog's Breath^[1]) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1979 with drummer Chris Mars and Stinson's younger half-brother Tommy, then just 12 years old; a year later, Stinson brought in Paul Westerberg on second guitar and vocals. Bob Stinson won acclaim for his lead guitar on the band's first four albums.

In 1985, a long-running power struggle between Stinson and Westerberg 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 [the band's label] 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, 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 album Pleased to Meet Me.

Later projects

Stinson's first band after leaving The Replacements was called Model Prisoner, which broke up in 1988. Model Prisoner's line up consisted of Sonny Vincent on vocals and guitar, Stinson on guitar, Eric Magistad on bass and Jeff Rogers on drums. Other members included Jim Michels and Mike Henderson. The band performed live and they recorded an album at Nicollet Studios (Twin Tone).

Stinson 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.

Along with Vincent, Stinson formed the band Shotgun Rationale, and released the single "Time Is Mine" – a remake of the original song by The Testors – in 1991 on Dogmeat Records. The new version of the song, with Stinson on guitar, also featured future Bash & Pop guitarist Steve Brantseg. Stinson also appears on European releases that featured him playing alongside Vincent.

Shotgun Rationale's line up changed constantly. At one point Stinson and Vincent invited Cheetah Chrome (of Dead Boys) to join the band, and Chrome moved to Minnesota to play guitar with them. Vincent called this period, "quite insane for a while... You have to imagine a band consisting of both Bob Stinson and Cheetah Chrome playing and working together.. then add to that I was no angel and you start to get a glimpse of the mercurial energy and intense chaos that we lived in, it didn't last long but it was like living in a constant lightning storm and the sound was the same, tight and concentrated but always exploding over the edge."

Stinson also played with the local band Dog 994 around this time. His 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 Lounge in late 1994. They performed a version of Lefty Frizzell's "Lil 'Ol Wine Drinker Me".

In 2010, Sonny Vincent compiled all the songs he recorded with Stinson over the years into the album Cow Milking Music, which he released under the name Model Prisoners Featuring Sonny Vincent And Bob Stinson. It is available as a Euro import. The album was released on vinyl, with CD included, along with many photos of Stinson from Vincent's archives and a four-page story detailing the history of their collaboration and friendship.

Death

Stinson, a long-term alcoholic and drug addict, died on February 18, 1995. According to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Report, he did not die of a drug overdose (as is frequently reported) but rather frequent drug use caused his overall health to diminish, resulting in organ failure.^[2] 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.^[3]

Notes and references