Widespread Panic struggled for many years to find an effective replacement for its deceased talismanic guitarist, Mikey Houser. Depending on who you asked between 2002 and 2006, the band ranged from “eh, alright” to “not very good” to “sucks donkey balls” under the six-string leadership of George McConnell.
Then Jimmy Herring came along, and he restored energy, precision and sheer nastiness to Panic. Finally, after four objectively subpar years, they appear to have re-lit the southern rock torch they once carried. Herring is, quite simply, fucking incredible. I’ve yet to meet anyone who’s walked away from a show he’s played and had anything less than overwhelming positives for his melodic stylings. He can blend in, he can lead, and he can fucking rip.
So imagine our delight when a friend passed along this video of Herring as a quick-fingered 23-year-old, playing a “fast country chicken pickin’ instrumental” original at a Guitar Institute of Technology concert in 1985. Awesome. The song’s co-writer Todd Barth shares guitar duties, Rick Nash (or Garth Algar) plays bass and Steven Gallagher sits at the kit. Here’s Squakin’ in the Henhouse:
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- Related Video: “On The Pipe” from the same 1985 GIT video
- Related Video: Jimmy Herring 21 years later with ARU in Atlanta
- Related Video: Herring at the Atlanta Institute of Music 2005
6 Responses
Awesome! I’m a big Herring fan. This vid rules as Jimmy’s rocking a heavily customized Tele, a la Steve Morse (from the Dixie Dregs at the time, formerly of Kansas and now with Deep Purple, so you know he’s the shizzle…youtube some of his stuff right now). I’ve never seen Jimmy play this guitar, as even in the old-school ARU days he was ripping a sunburst Strat. Thanks for this. Bow to THE MAN!
Is Jimmy Herring a Viking? Very well could be.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Jimmy in:
Jazz Is Dead, Project Z, The Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh & Friends, The Codetalkers w/Col. Bruce and Widespread Panic. Never got to see A R U, but man, what a beast. One of my favorite guitarists of all time. Project Z was my favorite, he could really unleash in that group.
He’s not as albino looking back then as he is now
How’s that for some finger lickin’ chicken pickin’?! One point of clarification: That body is a Tele (heavily modified) but that neck looks like it came from a Strat. That guitar is some sort of Frankenstein. I luv me some Jimmy!
You’re right, Doogels. That’s absolutely a strat neck–just like Steve Morse’s crazy mod Tele from back in the day. Go, Jimmy, Go!