Tommy Stinson has been around the world countless times, tearing the roof off clubs and concert halls for most of his life – most famously as an original member of the Replacements and, for the past 14 years, as the bass guitarist for Guns N’ Roses. Stinson is also fresh off the release of his latest solo album, and he’s kicking off a brief tour at Club Helsinki in Hudson next week as a benefit concert for children in Haiti.

Stinson, who grew up in Minneapolis before finding his way to Hudson later in life, joked that he has been playing music for so long that “It’s pretty much all I’ve known and all I’ve got, besides my family and friends.” That’s an oversimplification, of course. He has also got Timkatec, a trade school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Timkatec was founded in 1994 with the goal of teaching young orphaned and destitute children a trade so that they have a chance to go out and make a difference in their communities. Like much of Haiti, Timkatec was devastated by the massive earthquake that hit in January 2010.