GREENSBORO, North Carolina — Lynn Blakey, a respected figure in the American indie rock scene whose work spanned several influential bands and served as inspiration for the alt-rock classic “Left of the Dial,” has died at 60, Parade magazine reported.
Blakey performed with bands including Let’s Active, Oh-OK and Tres Chicas and was credited by some musicians as a major creative force in the college rock movement of the 1980s, according to Parade.
Author and music historian Bob Mehr, who chronicled the story of The Replacements in his book “Trouble Boys,” noted on social media that Blakey was the inspiration for the Replacements’ song “Left of the Dial,” a tribute to college radio that also reflected frontman Paul Westerberg’s fascination with her during the early years of both artists’ careers…