Slim Dunlap
The steady-handed guitarist who brought a rootsy, reliable warmth to the Replacements during their final, tumultuous chapter.
1951–2024 (age 73)·American guitarist and singer-songwriter·Birthday: August 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Slim Dunlap was the antithesis of rock star chaos, which made him the perfect stabilizing force for the famously volatile Replacements. A fixture of the Minneapolis music scene, Dunlap was a seasoned player with a deep love for classic rock, country, and blues when he was asked to replace the ousted Bob Stinson in 1987. Where his predecessor was all explosive, punk energy, Dunlap was a melodic anchor, his clean, thoughtful guitar lines providing a newfound cohesion on the band's final two major-label albums, 'Don't Tell a Soul' and 'All Shook Down'. He was the older brother in the van, a working musician who showed up ready to play. After the 'Mats disbanded, Dunlap released two wonderfully understated solo albums that showcased his wry, observant songwriting and unpretentious bar-band charm. In 2012, a severe stroke ended his playing career, prompting an outpouring of support from the music community through a series of tribute albums to fund his care. He remained a beloved figure, remembered for his humility and essential role in one of rock's great stories.
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.
Slim was born in 1951, 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 Slim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1951
#1 Movie
Quo Vadis
Best Picture
An American in Paris
#1 TV Show
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
Slim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1951Born
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1956Started school
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1964Became a teenager
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
1967Could drive
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1969Could vote
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Turned 21
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
1981Turned 30
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 40
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 50
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 60
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 70
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2024Died at 73
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
Key Achievements
- Served as the lead guitarist for the Replacements from 1987 until their initial breakup in 1991, appearing on two studio albums.
- Released two solo albums, 'The Old New Me' (1993) and 'Times Like This' (1996), praised for their rootsy songcraft.
- His 2012 stroke inspired the 'Songs for Slim' benefit project, featuring artists like Tom Petty and Steve Earle covering his songs to raise funds for his medical care.
- Was a foundational member of the Minneapolis rock scene, playing in bands like Curtiss A and The Spooks before joining the Replacements.
Did You Know?
He earned his nickname 'Slim' from a friend who said he looked like the cartoon cowboy character Slim Jim.
Before music, he worked as a commercial painter, a job he sometimes returned to between tours.
Dunlap's guitar style was heavily influenced by 1960s rock and roll and blues players like Chuck Berry and Steve Cropper.
The Replacements song 'I'll Be You' features one of his most recognizable and melodic guitar solos.
A 2013 Replacements reunion tour was partially motivated by a desire to raise money for Dunlap's ongoing care.
“I'm just a guitar player who likes to play songs.”
