15 years ago today (8/10/02), Widespread Panic lead guitarist and founding member Michael (Mikey) Houser died at age 40 from cancer. Known for his “lingering lead” and his renowned sitting on stool playing with fan blowing on his curly long hair, Houser’s guitar helped define the Panic sound and build the foundation for what the band had become during his 16 year tenure: home to one of the most devoted fan bases in rock history. Panic has since had two other lead guitarists following his death, but many still concur that the “Mikey” days were some of Panic’s brightest. In what never gets old, let’s watch Mikey perform one of his own “Airplane” from 11/22/00.
