Bob Stinson
The brilliantly chaotic and self-destructive lead guitarist whose raw energy defined the early sound of the beloved cult band The Replacements.
1959–1995 (age 36)·American guitarist·Birthday: December 17·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bob Stinson was the original wild heart of The Replacements. As a teenager, he provided a sanctuary for his younger stepbrother, Tommy, and their friend Paul Westerberg, letting them rehearse in his basement. His guitar playing became the band's chaotic engine—a glorious, untamed clatter of rock 'n' roll, blues, and pure noise that stood in defiant opposition to the polished sounds of the early 1980s. On stage, his unpredictable behavior, fueled by heavy substance abuse, was both legendary and a source of constant tension. He dressed in thrift-store finery and played with a joyous, reckless abandon that captured the band's 'could fall apart any second' magic. That same instability eventually led to his firing from the band he helped create in 1986. His post-Replacements life was a struggle, and he died at 35, but his influence lived on as the architect of a guitar sound that prized feeling over technique and inspired a generation of indie rockers.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bob was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1995Died at 36
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
Key Achievements
- Was a founding member and the original lead guitarist of the influential rock band The Replacements.
- His guitar work is featured on the band's first four albums, including the critically adored 'Let It Be' (1984).
- Helped shape the band's early, raw sound that became a cornerstone of American alternative rock.
Did You Know?
He taught his younger stepbrother, Tommy Stinson, how to play bass, making Tommy, at 12, one of the youngest musicians ever signed to a major label.
He was known for wearing dresses and other unconventional clothing on stage.
Before The Replacements, he played in a band called Dogbreath with future Replacements drummer Chris Mars.
“If it's too loud, you're too old.”
