Michael Houser

Michael Houser (January 6, 1962 – August 10, 2002) was a founding member and lead guitarist of the band Widespread Panic. He appeared on seven studio albums during his 16-year tenure with the band from 1986 till 2002. He is also featured on 4 live albums by Widespread Panic as well as several archive releases, live video concerts and compilations. Two solo albums by Houser were released posthumously.

Musical career

Michael "Mikey" Houser was born in Boone, North Carolina. He graduated from Hixson High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and became a founding member of Widespread Panic in 1986 while attending the University of Georgia with John Bell. Michael's adolescent nickname was "Panic" due to his then frequent panic attacks, and this moniker later became the inspiration for the band's name.

Widespread Panic's large rhythm section, and John Bell's virtuosity as a rhythm guitarist, allowed Michael to pursue an atmospheric lead guitar style that often lingered behind the primary melodies. His predominant use of the volume pedal caused him to spend most of his performance time balanced on one leg, this would eventually lead to circulation problems causing his left leg to become numb. In 1996, during an acoustic tour known as the "Sit and Ski" tour, he was reminded of how much more comfortable and accurate his playing was while he was seated. Subsequently, Houser returned to playing all shows seated in 1997. His playing style used a volume pedal for sonic effect, rather than just for volume control.

Widespread Panic always shared writing credits for all of their songs during the Houser era, but he wrote many of the band's standards, including "Pleas," "Porch Song," "Airplane," "Ain't Life Grand," "The Waker," "Impossible," "Pilgrims," "You Got Yours," "This Part of Town," "Vacation," "Postcard," and others.

Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the spring of 2002, he died on August 10 of that year, in Athens, Georgia, 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 and two children, Waker and Eva.

Widespread Panic has continued to tour and record after Houser's passing as was his wish.

Equipment

Houser played a discontinued Fender Telecaster Deluxe Plus. This guitar is a Telecaster body with Stratocaster hardware. Houser purchased his first Telecaster Deluxe Plus second hand in 1991. A guitar lasted him about five years, needing to be replaced "'cause esweated into hemso much". Fender made two custom-remake replacements with his preferred discontinued ''Firestorm'' finish. Houser claimed of the three guitars, "they're as close as modern science can get"

These guitars had Lace Sensor pickups (a Blue at the neck, and a dual Red at the bridge with a mini switch to split them), a Strat-style tremolo behind the metal place surrounding the bridge pickups, and a roller nut. Houser didn’t like to use a whammy bar, preferring to pull up on the tail of the bridge instead. The mini switch is in between the volume and tone pots. This allows for a wider array of tones than a standard Telecaster. On most Telecasters, you can choose neck, bridge, or both pickups simultaneously. With the dual Reds in the bridge being splittable, you can choose neck, bridge dual, bridge single, or combinations of neck and dual bridge as well as neck and single bridge.

Houser's signature sound was also due to his use of Soldano SLO-100 Super Lead Overdrive Heads through a Mesa Boogie Quarterback 2x12 Cabinet. He played Medium Gauge D'Addario Strings.

His effects included the Soldano Surf Box Spring Reverb / Tremolo / Vibrato unit, a Boss GE-7 Equalizer, the Ernie Ball 6166 Mono Volume Pedal, a TC Electronic TCF Chorus/Flanger and a Kendrick Model 1000 Tube Reverb.

Discography

Source:

Solo Studio Albums

* 2002 ''Door Harp'' - Sanctuary Records
* 2006 '' Sandbox'' - Supercat Records

Widespread Panic Studio Albums

* 1988 ''Space Wrangler'' - Landslide Records
* 1991 ''Widespread Panic'' - Capricorn Records
* 1993 '' Everyday'' - Capricorn Records
* 1994 '' Ain't Life Grand'' - Capricorn Records
* 1997 '' Bombs & Butterflies'' - Capricorn Records
* 1999 '''Til the Medicine Takes'' - Capricorn Records
* 2001 '' Don't Tell the Band'' - Widespread Records

Widespread Panic Compilation Album

* 2007 '' Choice Cuts: The Capricorn Years 1991-1999'' - Capricorn Records

Widespread Panic Live Albums

* 1998 ''Light Fuse, Get Away'' - Capricorn Records
* 2002 ''Live in the Classic City'' - Widespread Records
* 2004 ''Jackassolantern'' - Widespread Records
* 2010 ''Live in the Classic City II'' - Widespread Records

Widespread Panic Archive Releases

* 2008 ''Carbondale 2000'' Recorded live at Southern Illinois University Arena in Carbondale, Illinois on December 1, 2000
* 2009 ''Valdosta 1989'' Recorded live at The Armory in Valdosta, Georgia on April 8, 1989
* 2009 ''Huntsville 1996'' Recorded live at Von Braun Civic Center Arena in Huntsville, Alabama on April 3, 1996
* 2009 '' Montreal 1997'' Recorded live at Club Soda in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on September 6, 1997
* 2010 '' Johnson City 2001'' Recorded live at Freedom Hall in Johnson City, TN on November 20, 2001
* 2011 ''Colorado Springs 1998'' Recorded live at City Auditorium in Colorado Springs, Colorado on October 20, 1998
* 2011 '' History Lesson New Years 1997'' Recorded live at Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia on December 31, 1997
* 2013 '' Oak Mountain 2001 - Night 1'' Recorded live at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham, Alabama on July 27, 2001

Widespread Panic "Porch Songs" Releases

* 2009 ''Mud Island '97'' Recorded live at Mud Island Amphitheater Arena in Memphis, Tennessee on July 18 & 19, 1997
* 2010 ''June 2001 Santa Fe'' Recorded live at Paolo Soleri, Santa Fe, New Mexico June 19 & 20, 2001
* 2010 ''Wilmington, DE 2001'' Recorded live at Kahuna Summer Stage in Wilmington, Delaware on July 22, 2001
* 2010 '' Milwaukee, WI 1996'' Recorded live at Modjeska Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November 1, 1996
* 2010 ''Chicago, IL 1996'' Recorded live at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois on October 31, 1996
* 2010 ''Morrison, CO 1996'' Recorded live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on May 31, 1996
* 2011 '' Jackson, WY '96'' Recorded live at Snow King Center Arena in Jackson, WY on February 6 & 7, 1996
* 2011 '' Geneva, MN 2001'' Recorded live at Harmony Park Music Garden in Geneva, Minnesota on July 4, 2001
* 2012 ''Omaha, NE 1997'' Recorded live at Ranch Bowl in Omaha, Nebraska on July 1, 1997

brute Studio albums

* 1995 ''Nine High a Pallet'' – Capricorn Records
* 2002 ''Co-Balt'' – Widespread Records

with John Hermann

* 2001 '' Smiling Assassin'' – Fat Possum Records

with Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons

* 2002 ''Conscious Contact'' - Terminus Records

with Bloodkin

* 1994 ''Good Luck Charm'' – Backdoor Records
* 1999 ''Out Of State Plates'' - Pretty Mean Records

Compilation albums

* 1992 ''The Mother Of All Flagpole Christmas Albums'' - with Widespread Panic - Long Play Records
* 1993 ''The Best of Mountain Stage Live, Vol. 5'' - with Widespread Panic - Blue Plate Records
* 1994 ''Better Than A Poke In The Eye'' - with Widespread Panic - Long Play Records
* 1995 '' Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML'' - with Widespread Panic - Capricorn Records
* 1996 ''Five Ring Circus'' - with brute. - Flip Records
* 1997 ''To the Extreme'' - with Widespread Panic - American Recordings
* 2002 '' Crowd Around The Mic Vol. 6'' - with brute. - WNCW Records
* 2002 ''Live From Bonnaroo'' - with Widespread Panic - Sanctuary Records
* 2003 ''Carved In Stone'' - with Widespread Panic - Harvest Media Group

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Houser, Michael
1962 births
2002 deaths
American rock guitarists
American male guitarists
Widespread Panic members
Deaths from pancreatic cancer
University of Georgia alumni
People from Boone, North Carolina
People from Chattanooga, Tennessee
20th-century American guitarists
20th-century American male musicians
Brute (band) members