Bob “Slim” Dunlap, a guitarist and singer-songwriter finest recognized for his tenure within the different band the Replacements through the closing years of their unique ’80s/’90s run, died Wednesday at age 73.

The reason for loss of life, in accordance with a press release from his household, was “issues from his stroke,” which befell him in early 2012, inflicting extreme well being issues during the last almost 13 years.

Dunlap joined the Replacements after founding member Bob Stinson was kicked out of the band, including a extra stabilizing presence to the group whereas holding the musical rowdiness excessive. He was formally billed as Slim at frontman Paul Westerberg’s request, to keep away from any confusion with the Bob he was changing.

Dunlap’s considerably rootsier however equally loud model might be heard on the tour behind 1987’s “Happy to Meet Me,” the final to characteristic Stinson on guitar, after which on the Replacements’ closing two albums, 1989’s “Don’t Inform a Soul” — which featured the rock radio hit “I’ll Be Me” — and their much less profitable swan track, 1991’s “All Shook Down.”

In a press release printed by hometown paper the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Wednesday evening, Dunlap’s household wrote: “Bob handed at house right now at 12:48 p.m. surrounded by household. We performed him his ‘Reside on the Turf Membership (’Thank You Dancers!)’ CD, and he left us shortly after listening to his model of ‘Hillbilly Heaven’ — fairly poignant. It was a pure decline over the previous week. General it was on account of issues from his stroke.”

In 1993, the Minnesota native launched his first solo album, “The Previous New Me,” adopted in 1996 by a follow-up, “Instances Like These.” Though he had not participated within the Replacements as a songwriter, various followers and critics have been shocked to search out out he was expert as a frontman— together with Bruce Springsteen, who years later known as Dunlap’s two solo albums “simply stunning rock ‘n’ roll information… deeply touching and emotional.”

Born in 1951 because the son of a Minnesota state senator, Dunlap grew up idolizing Chuck Berry, James Burton, Buddy Holly, Scotty Moore and Chet Atkins, by his personal recollection. In 1976, he joined the band Thumbs Up, which developed into Spooks, the group he was taking part in in when Westerberg first got here throughout him. He was described as reluctant to take the gig with the replacements when it was supplied to him, because of the touring calls for and having three youngsters at house, however his spouse and Westerberg have been each persuasive in speaking him into accepting the job.

Of his time within the Replacements, Dunlap stated in a 2023 interview with Good Sound Perpetually, “Nobody may change Bob. I realized his elements however did it my means… It was each exhilarating and miserable— a curler coaster trip. It fulfilled a variety of my goals and opened doorways for me. I’m extremely grateful to Paul and Tommy (Stinson) and Chris (Mars) for giving me an opportunity.”

The stroke he suffered in 2012 left him incapacitated and marked an finish to Dunlap’s music profession. In 2014, when a brand new incarnation of the Replacements was lastly hitting the street, Westerberg informed Rolling Stone that they’d gotten his blessing to proceed — and famous that he had been “out and in of the hospital possibly 40 occasions” at that time.

In 2013, an all-star forged of musicians started overlaying songs from his solo information beneath the banner “Songs for Slim,” as a fundraiser for his medical wants. Westerberg and one other former member of the Replacements, Tommy Stinson, reunited to document materials for the undertaking, previous a Replacements reunion tour within the mid-2000s. Others who recorded Dunlap materials as a part of that effort included Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Jeff Tweedy, Soul Asylum and Frank Black.

Within the 2023 Good Sound Perpetually story, his spouse, Chrissie Dunlap, stated, “He’s paralyzed and might solely transfer his head. He won’t ever play once more. He stays in good spirits regardless of his incapacity and ache. He has been hospitalized over 100 occasions and so long as he’s house with me, he feels fairly good.”

Following his loss of life at house on Wednesday, Dunlap’s daughter, Emily Boigenzahn, a musician, informed the Star Tribune, “Seeing his music profession be sort of reignited like that [by the covers and tributes] actually saved him going and supplied him ethical help — along with my mother’s love, which was every thing to him.” Dunlap is survived by his spouse, Chrissie, together with Boigenzahn, two different youngsters, Delia and Louie Dunlap, and 6 grandchildren.