Michael Houser

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michael Houser (January 6, 1962 - August 10, 2002) was the lead guitarist of the band Widespread Panic.

Houser was born in Boone, North Carolina and became a founding member of Widespread Panic in 1982 while attending the University of Georgia with John Bell. His distinctive playing style was featured on the band's first seven studio albums and is responsible for the band's moniker: "an honest tune with a lingering lead". Panic's large lineup released Houser from rhythm guitar duties, and allowed him to play lead melodies that lingered behind the dominant vocal melodies. Houser's nickname of "Panic" (earned due to his once-frequent panic attacks) became the basis for the band's name. Houser returned playing all shows seated in 1997. Due to circulation and his extensive use of the Ernie Ball volume pedal and the crybaby wah pedal caused his pedal leg to go numb. During an acoustic tour, mostly in Colorado, Houser remembered how much more comfortable and accurate he was sitting down while playing. Mike taught himself to play the guitar while sitting on the arm of a couch. At the first Widespread Panic show, he played an acoustic guitar while sitting on a small metal chair with his right foot on the volume pedal. Many consider him a master of the volume pedal for his skilled incorporation of its use in conjunction with the other members of Panic.

Houser was considered to be the "silent genius" of Widespread Panic and wrote many of the band's most well known songs, such as Porch Song, Airplane, Ain't Life Grand, and Vacation. Among those who he played with were Carlos Santana, Bob Weir, Dave Matthews, Trey Anastasio, and JJ Cale.

Houser played a discontinued guitar called a Fender Telecaster Deluxe Plus. This guitar is a Telecaster body with Strat hardware. Fender made five for him. A guitar lasted him about three years. At which point he felt he had sweated into them enough. He had two guitars he favored, a 1992 model, and a 1993 model, both with Firestorm red finish.

Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the spring of 2002, he died later that year at the age of 40. A solo album of his instrumentals entitled "Door Harp" was released after his death, and was followed by "Sandbox" in 2006. He is survived by his wife Barbette, two children (Waker and Eva), and many loving fans.

George McConnell, a former bandmate of keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann in the Oxford, Mississippi based Beanland, became full time lead guitar for two studio albums, Ball (2003), and Earth to America (2006), and Jimmy Herring from ARU/The Dead is currently on lead with Widespread Panic.