Brian Setzer

Last updated
Brian Setzer
Brian Salzburg 2006.JPG
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
InstrumentsGuitar, vocals
Years active1979–present
Labels Arista, EMI, Interscope, Surfdog
Website www.briansetzer.com
Signature
Brian Setzer signature.png

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-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with his swing revival band, the Brian Setzer Orchestra. In 1987, he made a cameo appearance as Eddie Cochran in the film La Bamba .

Contents

In February 2025, Setzer shared that he has an autoimmune disease which prevents him from playing guitar.


Career

Stray Cats

Setzer performing with the Stray Cats in Tampa, Florida, 1983 Brian Setzer 1983.jpg
Setzer performing with the Stray Cats in Tampa, Florida, 1983

Setzer was born April 1959 in Massapequa, New York. He started on the euphonium and played in jazz bands when he was in school. He found a way to hear jazz at the Village Vanguard, though as he got older he became more interested in rock, punk, and rockabilly. He was a member of the Bloodless Pharaohs and the Tomcats, which he began with his brother, Gary. The Tomcats became the Stray Cats when double bassist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim 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 met Dave 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 released Built 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 for Choo Choo Hot Fish (1992). [1]

Solo career/The Brian Setzer Orchestra

After the Stray Cats disbanded in 1984, Setzer began a solo career that included working as a sideman for other acts, such as the Honeydrippers led by Robert 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 the heartland rock of John Mellencamp. The album was produced by Don Gehman and featured Kenny Aronoff on drums. Both men had worked on albums by Mellencamp. [2] His second studio album Live Nude Guitars followed in 1988. While this album retained some heartland rock elements, it found Setzer moving in more of a straight-ahead blues rock direction, comparable to George Thorogood's style; Setzer served as co-producer along with Larson Paine, Chris Thomas and David A. Stewart. He went on tour with Thorogood later that year. [3]

Setzer returned to his love of music from the 1950s, this time the jump blues of Louis Prima. Whereas he had resurrected rockabilly in the 1980s, he resuscitated swing in the 1990s. He assembled the 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 album The Dirty Boogie (Interscope, 1998). [1] The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, while "Sleep Walk" from the same album won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. [4]

The album Wolfgang'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 for Best Classical Crossover Album.

He executive produced the album Ready Steady Go! (Surfdog, 2014) by Drake Bell and played guitar on two songs. [5] [6]

On June 25, 2021, Setzer announced a new solo album, his first in 7 years, titled Gotta Have the Rumble. [7]

Personal life

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 an autoimmune disease which prevents him from playing guitar. [9]

Awards and honors

Discography

Solo

The Brian Setzer Orchestra

As member

Bloodless Pharaohs

Stray Cats

As guest

DVDs

Musical equipment

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 endorses Gretsch guitars. [21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Brian Setzer". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  2. ↑ Deming, Mark. "The Knife Feels Like Justice". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  3. ↑ King, Louise (1988). "Thorogood Hits Stage with Hard-Driving Show" St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 22 July 1988. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  4. ↑ "The Dirty Boogie". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  5. ↑ Lipshultz, Jason (28 February 2014). "Drake Bell Talks 'Ready Steady Go!' Album: Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Video". Billboard.com. Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 September 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  6. ↑ Wood, James. "Actor/Musician Drake Bell Discusses 'Ready Steady Go!,' His New Album with Brian Setzer". GuitarWorld.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
  7. ↑ Price, Jason (2021-06-25). "BRIAN SETZER To Release 'Gotta Have The Rumble' Album On August 27th!". Iconvsicon.com. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  8. ↑ "The latest from the StarTribune". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on June 28, 2006.
  9. ↑ Respers France, Lisa (February 18, 2025). "Brian Setzer says he can no longer play guitar due to an autoimmune disease". CNN . Retrieved February 19, 2025. 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.
  10. ↑ "Home - Gretsch Guitars Blog". Gretschguitars.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  11. ↑ "Awards". Grammy.com. 30 April 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  12. 1 2 "Brian Setzer | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  13. ↑ "Brian Setzer to release new solo album, 'The Devil Always Collects,' in September – 97.1fm The Drive – WDRV Chicago". Wdrv.com. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  14. ↑ "Brian Setzer". Rocky-52.net. 2009-10-13. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
  15. ↑ "Brian Setzer | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  16. ↑ Greene, Andy (1 May 2020). "Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa Guest on Dion's 'Hymn to Him'". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "Dion Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic . Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  18. ↑ "Dion's 'Blues With Friends' Album, With Legends: Listen". Bestclassicbands.com. 30 May 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  19. ↑ "Fender Players Club". Halleonard.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009.
  20. ↑ "Brian Setzer: Effects Pedals". Musicroom.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
  21. ↑ "Gretsch Guitars and Basses". Gretschguitars.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
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