Widespread Panic is an Athens, Georgia-based American rock band. Guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Duane Trucks, percussionist Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz, keyboardist John “JoJo” Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring make up the current lineup. Michael Houser, the band’s founding guitarist, and sometime songwriter, died of pancreatic cancer in 2002, while Todd Nance, the band’s original drummer, quit in 2016 and died in 2020.
The band was established in 1986 in Athens, Georgia, and is influenced by the genres of Southern rock, blues-rock, progressive rock, funk, and hard rock. They’ve been compared to jam bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish. They are well-known for their live performances and have held the record for the most sold-out shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre (Morrison, Colorado) and State Farm Arena. (Atlanta).
