The Replacements

(born: 12/17/59 – 2/18/95)

1985 saw the band poised on the edge of national success, having inked a deal with Sire/Reprise Records and scoring an appearance on Saturday Night Live.  The tour left the foursome exhausted and burnt out on their perpetual swingin’ party and, citing Bob’s legendary taste for excesses, the other three members asked him to leave the group. The Replacements went on without Bob, with Westerberg and replacement guitarist Bob “Slim” Dunlap taking over axe duties.  Bob continued to play in local bands (Static Taxi and The Bleeding Hearts, among others) and to struggle with the addictions that had plagued him since adolescence. Friends and acquaintances remember him as a fascinating storyteller and a colorful figure on the local scene and, unlike some of his contemporaries, he was always accessible to his fans.   Though his love for libation never quite abated, the summer and fall of 1994 found Bob with renewed energy and plans to head back into the studio. During the early winter months, he met with his ex-wife Carleen and agreed to play on her upcoming album, a project that never came about. On February 18th, 1995, Bob was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment, and though those close to him weren’t surprised that his lifestyle had taken such a heavy toll, fans the world over were shocked and in mourning.   He left behind a son, his mother Anita, his brother Tommy, and a slew of admirers of both his musicianship and his affable personality.   read more from the same article by Tom Hallett