60 years ago today the late Widespread Panic lead guitarist and co-founder Michael Houser (Mikey) was born on 1/6/62. Known for his “lingering lead” and playing on a stool with a fan blowing on his long curly hair; Houser’s guitar helped define the Panic sound and set the song foundation for one of rock’s greatest touring bands. 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. One can only imagine what a grey-haired Mikey would have added to the band the last twenty years. Watch classic Panic with the late Todd Nance perform live on 10/13/01 at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre.
