Rock Legend Dies of Stroke Complications: The Replacements’ Slim Dunlap Was 73

The only replacement member of The Replacements has died after years in and out of the hospital due to a stroke in 2012. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, guitarist Slim Dunlap was 73 and passed at home after years of being left bedridden with limited speech.

“Bob passed at home today at 12:48 p.m. surrounded by family. We played him his ‘Live at the Turf Club (’Thank You Dancers!)’ CD, and he left us shortly after listening to his version of ‘Hillbilly Heaven’ — quite poignant,” his family wrote. “It was a natural decline over the past week. Overall it was due to complications from his stroke.”

He joined The Replacements in 1987 when they toured in support of their Pleased to Meet Me album, the group’s would-be commercial break and it represented a change from original guitarist Bob Stinson after his firing. The harder sound was replaced by a poppier one, with Dunlap fitting in with the musical skills that allowed a smooth transition.

Frontman Paul Westerberg gave him the nickname Slim, both due to his skinny frame and to separate him from Stinson. He also brought versatility to the group.

“I wanted someone bluesier, who was hip to country music, ‘cause that’s where I envisioned the band going,” Westerberg said in Bob Mehr’s biography in 2015.

His wife, Chrissie Dunlap, spotlighted how her husband saw the Replacements position as a way to earn a steady pay while playing music professionally.

“He felt the obligation to bring home a steady paycheck, and [joining the Replacements] was a way for him to finally do that while playing music,” Chrissie said in a 2015 interview, adding the special reaction of their daughter. “She was really into the Replacements. So for her to have her dad suddenly playing in the band, it would be like my dad joining the Rolling Stones.”

Speaking about his time in the band in an interview from 2023 with Perfect Sound Forever, the guitarist called it a roller coaster ride.

“No one could replace Bob. I learned his parts but did it my way… It was both exhilarating and depressing— a roller coaster ride. It fulfilled a lot of my dreams and opened doors for me. I’m incredibly grateful to Paul and Tommy (Stinson) and Chris (Mars) for giving me a chance,” he said.