Keyboardist John Hermann has been jamming with the Southern rock band Widespread Panic since 1992, and while they haven't entirely consumed the mainstream success similar to the Dave Matthews Band, the fervor of a devoted following has been their key. He and his bandmates are well-known for being road dogs, leaving Hermann little time to enjoy the blues rock he left back home in Oxford, MS. A native since 1987, Hermann returned home from the road to find himself playing with local musicians in coffee shops and clubs in and around the deep South. He hooked up with the North Mississippi All-Stars' Luther and Cody Dickinson, and Paul "Crumpy" Edwards of Bloodkin in fall 2000 to embark on a solo album. The country-rock Smiling Assassin was issued on Epitaph in early 2001. ~ MacKenzie Wilson