People You Know! Vol. 1

Believe it or not, the High Country has been home to many notable people over the years. Musicians, authors, actors and directors, humanitarians, and religious figures have been able to say they're from the area, and have taken pride in it.

So who are these famous people? Well, one of them is musician Michael Houser. Born January 6, 1962 in Boone, Houser grew up playing guitar and became very talented, but was always soft spoken about his abilities. In alliance with this, Houser constantly experienced anxiety with panic attacks, giving him the nickname Panic. Once he started college at University of Georgia, Houser came in contact with singer and guitarist John Bell. As the two met at an open mic night, they began to play and practice together, which led to the beginning of the band Widespread Panic.

As the band grew, Houser started to have problems with his pedal leg from his use of the Ernie Ball. He then had to start playing sitting down, but is still considered a master of the volume pedal. This is his trademark, and he had played with various legends such as Santana, Bob Weir, and Robby Krieger. Not only was his guitar playing incredible, but Houser also wrote many of the songs for Widespread Panic. Never taking full credit, he was known as the silent genius of the band.

In 2002, Houser was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and past later that year, at the young age of 40. His musical legend lives on, but will always be loved in Boone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3Pjr4Ab40c