That's another one gone...

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Slim Dunlap checked out on Dec 18.  Sad news.  

I met him once.  Actually I sort-of met Tommy and almost-met Paul once but those are stories for another time.  On to Slim...

Despite being "the replacement Replacement" I generally had the impression most Mats fans welcomed him with open arms.  There were and always will be the armchair quarterbacks who thought the Mats lost it post-Bob, but actually I don't think that went for most serious fans who always knew that, great as Bob Stinson was, he wasn't what made the band special.  I never saw them with Bob, but those I met who did c. `84-`85 opined that the band might well be better off without him.  Say what you will.  All I know is when I first saw him up there with them in `87, I couldn't imagine a more perfect fit.

I really like Slim's two ragged-but-right solo albums ("Girlfriend" would have been a hit single in a rock-and-roll friendly world).  

Back around 1996 I was on an internet mailing list (remember those?) called "The Skyway" which was needless to say for Replacements fans.  Some fellow posted that his girlfriend was in the hospital and he was trying to contact musicians she dug (being as she too was a music geek) to call her up and lift her spirits.  Anyhoo, he was asking if anyone was going to see Slim on his solo tour and if so, would they try to get him to call her.  He provided a calling card number (remember those?).  So, as it happened Slim was playing here shortly, opening for Mary Lou Lord, so I volunteered to try.

So I went and caught Slim's short, fun, and self-deprecating set (some solo tunes, some Hank Williams, a gospel number).  And after I followed him to the back of the club and manager to politely corner him, thanked and complimented him on his set and then said "I have a strange request..."  and explained the whole thing, gave him a printed copy of the guy's e-mail with the calling card and the phone number.  Slim was friendly, patient and sweet and empathetic.  And then he engaged me in a conversation about the wonders of the internet and its potential to connect music fans and spread the music - he was genuinely excited about it.  I thanked him, shook hands, parted ways.  

About a week later the guy from the mailing list wrote me, and indeed Slim had come through and called her and talked for quite awhile.  A class act!


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