Laurie Lindeen, a guitarist and vocalist from the post-punk era with the indie rock band Zuzu’s Petals, passed away on Monday.
According to Deadline, she died from a brain aneurysm at the age of 62 in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
In 1987, Lindeen relocated from Wisconsin to immerse herself in the thriving Minneapolis music scene, where iconic acts like Prince, The Replacements, Soul Asylum, and Babes in Toyland were gaining national recognition.
Zuzu’s Petals, named after the rose petals carried by James Stewart’s character in the film It’s a Wonderful Life, made a lasting impression on the local club scene as an all-female band, a rarity at the time.
With assistance from Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum and Gary Louris of the Jayhawks, they recorded a debut four-song cassette that showcased their unique sound.
The band subsequently released two full-length albums with Twin/Tone Records: When No One’s Looking in 1992 and The Music of Your Life in 1994.
News of Lindeen’s death sent mourners to Zuzu Petals videos on YouTube. “R.I.P. Laurie Lindeen – I’m glad I got to see your band twice in New Haven, Connecticut in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s,” one fan wrote in the comments to their video for “Cinderella’s Dream“.
Laurie Lindeen Steps Back From Zuzu’s Petals to Become a Writer and Mother
Lindeen married Paul Westerberg of the Replacements and gradually scaled back her extensive touring. However, she still occasionally performed at clubs in Minneapolis.
She shifted her focus to writing, producing Petal Pusher: A Rock and Roll Cinderella Story in 2007 for Atria Books and contributing an essay to the New York Times.
Meanwhile, she earned a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Minnesota while raising her son, Johnny, with Westerberg.
More recently, she has taught writing and literature at the University of St. Thomas, St. Cloud State University, the Loft Literary Center, and local grammar schools. Additionally, she has led writing retreats on Madeline Island in Wisconsin and other locations.
A recent piece titled My Third Act, published by the University of Minnesota Alumni Association, details her move to Martha’s Vineyard with her new partner, Jim Diem.
Besides her son and partner, she is survived by her father, Lance Lindeen of Northville, Michigan, and three siblings: Megan Lindeen of Madison, Wisconsin; Hillary Benson of Hilton Head, South Carolina; and Chris Lindeen of Santa Fe, New Mexico.