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Brian Setzer | |
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 Setzer in 2006 | |
| Born | Brian Robert Setzer (1959-04-10)April 10, 1959 (age 65) Massapequa, New York, U.S. |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, record producer |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | Arista,EMI,Interscope,Surfdog |
Musical artist | |
| Website | www |
| Signature | |
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Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-stylerockabilly groupStray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with hisswing revival band,the Brian Setzer Orchestra. In 1987, he made a cameo appearance asEddie Cochran in the filmLa Bamba.
In February 2025, Setzer shared that he has anautoimmune disease which prevents him from playing guitar.
Setzer was born April 1959 inMassapequa, New York. He started on theeuphonium and played in jazz bands when he was in school. He found a way to hear jazz at theVillage Vanguard, though as he got older he became more interested in rock, punk, and rockabilly. He was a member of the Bloodless Pharaohs andthe Tomcats, which he began with his brother, Gary. The Tomcats became theStray Cats when double bassistLee Rocker and drummerSlim Jim Phantom joined and Gary left the band. In 1980, thinking they might have more success in England than in America, they sold their instruments to pay for airplane tickets and flew to London.[1]
After performing in London for a few months, they metDave Edmunds, a guitarist and record producer who shared their love of rockabilly and 1950s' rock and roll. Edmunds produced their debut album,Stray Cats (Arista, 1981), which yielded two hit singles: "Stray Cat Strut" and "Rock This Town". The second album,Gonna Ball (Arista, 1982), was less successful. The band returned to America and releasedBuilt for Speed (EMI, 1982), produced again by Dave Edmunds, with songs collected from their first two albums. Helped by their music videos on MTV, the Stray Cats became popular in America. Their next album,Rant n' Rave with the Stray Cats (EMI, 1983) produced the hit "(She's) Sexy + 17".[1]
The Stray Cats disbanded in 1984, though they occasionally reunited, recorded, and toured. After recording three albums with different producers, they returned to Dave Edmunds forChoo Choo Hot Fish (1992).[1]
After the Stray Cats disbanded in 1984, Setzer began a solo career that included working as a sideman for other acts, such asthe Honeydrippers led byRobert Plant.[1] On his first solo album,The Knife Feels Like Justice (EMI, 1986), he turned away from rockabilly and moved toward rhythm and blues (R&B) and theheartland rock ofJohn Mellencamp. The album was produced byDon Gehman and featuredKenny Aronoff on drums. Both men had worked on albums by Mellencamp.[2] His second studio albumLive Nude Guitars followed in 1988. While this album retained some heartland rock elements, it found Setzer moving in more of a straight-aheadblues rock direction, comparable toGeorge Thorogood's style; Setzer served as co-producer along with Larson Paine,Chris Thomas andDavid A. Stewart. He went on tour with Thorogood later that year.[3]
Setzer returned to his love of music from the 1950s, this time thejump blues ofLouis Prima. Whereas he had resurrected rockabilly in the 1980s, he resuscitatedswing in the 1990s. He assembledthe Brian Setzer Orchestra, a seventeen piece big band that got the public's attention with a cover version of Prima's "Jump, Jive an' Wail" from the albumThe Dirty Boogie (Interscope, 1998).[1] The song won theGrammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, while "Sleep Walk" from the same album won the Grammy forBest Pop Instrumental Performance.[4]
The albumWolfgang's Big Night Out (2007) featured Setzer's interpretation of classical pieces, such as Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5" and "Für Elise".Wolfgang earned Setzer his eighth Grammy nomination, this time forBest Classical Crossover Album.
He executive produced the albumReady Steady Go! (Surfdog, 2014) byDrake Bell and played guitar on two songs.[5][6]
On June 25, 2021, Setzer announced a new solo album, his first in 7 years, titledGotta Have the Rumble.[7]
Setzer has been married three times, most recently in 2005 to Julie Reiten, a former singer with the Dustbunnies, and lives in Minneapolis.[8]
In February 2025, Setzer shared that he has anautoimmune disease which prevents him from playing guitar.[9]
The Brian Setzer Orchestra
Bloodless Pharaohs
Stray Cats
Brian Setzer has a very large guitar collection which spans many decades and brands. He favours vintage equipment[19] and hollow body guitars,[20] and currently endorsesGretsch guitars.[21]
Vintage guitars:
| Signature guitars:
Other guitars:
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Towards the end of the last Stray Cats tour I noticed that my hands were cramping up. I've since discovered that I have an auto-immune disease. I cannot play guitar. There is no pain, but it feels like I am wearing a pair of gloves when I try to play.
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| Singles | |
| Related topics | |
