Guitarist Jimmy Herring celebrates his 57th birthday today. The highly regarded musician known for his stints with Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit, The Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh & Friends, Jazz Is Dead and a variety of other projects currently holds membership in Widespread Panic, the band he joined in 2006.
On August 3, 2006, Widespread Panic formally announced Herring’s membership in the band. Herring replaced George McConnell who joined WSP in 2002, the same year co-founding guitarist Michael Houser died of pancreatic cancer. Herring was introduced during Widespread Panic’s three-night stand at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on September 14 – 16, 2006.
Herring’s opening number as a member of Panic was “Pleas,” which segued into “Imitation Leather Shoes.” That first night of the run ended with Widespread Panic’s debut cover performance of The Band’s “Chest Fever.” Each of the three shows featured John Keane on guitar and pedal steel guitar, and the second night also featured the late Col. Bruce Hampton sitting-in on “Time Is Free” and “Fixin’ To Die.” Watch video highlights shared by Oleana of Jimmy Herring’s first three shows as a member of Widespread Panic below:
