Brian Setzer: Difference between revisions

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| years_active    = 1979–present
| years_active    = 1979–present
| label          = [[Arista Records|Arista]], [[EMI]], [[Interscope Records|Interscope]], [[Surfdog Records|Surfdog]]
| label          = [[Arista Records|Arista]], [[EMI]], [[Interscope Records|Interscope]], [[Surfdog Records|Surfdog]]
| associated_acts = The Bloodless Pharaohs, [[The Tomcats]], [[Stray Cats]], [[The Brian Setzer Orchestra]], [[Drake Bell]], [[Jeff Beck]]
}}
}}
| website        = {{URL|www.briansetzer.com/}}
| website        = {{URL|www.briansetzer.com/}}
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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-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 (film)|La Bamba]]''.
'''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 (film)|La Bamba]]''.


In February 2025, Setzer shared that he has an [[autoimmune disease]] which prevents him from playing guitar.
In February 2025, Setzer shared that he has an [[autoimmune disease]] which prevented him from playing guitar. In November 2025, Setzer announced he was battling a "serious illness" which required cancellation of a cross-country tour of the United States.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Musni |first1=Lauren |title=Legendary rock band cancels nationwide tour due to a member battling ‘serious illness’ |url=https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2025/11/legendary-rock-band-cancels-nationwide-tour-due-to-a-member-battling-serious-illness.html |website=NJ.com |access-date=5 November 2025}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
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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]].<ref name="Erlewine" /> On his first solo album, ''[[The Knife Feels Like Justice]]'' (EMI, 1986), he turned away from rockabilly and moved toward rhythm and blues ([[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.<ref name="Deming">{{cite web |last1=Deming |first1=Mark |title=The Knife Feels Like Justice |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-knife-feels-like-justice-mw0000201051|website=AllMusic|access-date=11 February 2017}}</ref> 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 (record producer)|Chris Thomas]] and [[David A. Stewart]].  He went on tour with Thorogood later that year.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13134930/george-thorogood-brian-setzer-july/ King, Louise (1988).  "Thorogood Hits Stage with Hard-Driving Show" ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', 22 July 1988.] Retrieved January 30, 2022.</ref>
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]].<ref name="Erlewine" /> On his first solo album, ''[[The Knife Feels Like Justice]]'' (EMI, 1986), he turned away from rockabilly and moved toward rhythm and blues ([[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.<ref name="Deming">{{cite web |last1=Deming |first1=Mark |title=The Knife Feels Like Justice |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-knife-feels-like-justice-mw0000201051|website=AllMusic|access-date=11 February 2017}}</ref> 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 (record producer)|Chris Thomas]] and [[David A. Stewart]].  He went on tour with Thorogood later that year.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13134930/george-thorogood-brian-setzer-july/ King, Louise (1988).  "Thorogood Hits Stage with Hard-Driving Show" ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', 22 July 1988.] Retrieved January 30, 2022.</ref>


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 music|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 Records|Interscope]], 1998).<ref name="Erlewine" /> 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 [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance|Best Pop Instrumental Performance]].<ref name="Boogie awards">{{cite web|title=The Dirty Boogie |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-dirty-boogie-mw0000039465/awards |website=AllMusic|access-date=11 February 2017}}</ref>
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 music|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 Records|Interscope]], 1998).<ref name="Erlewine" /> 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 [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance|Best Pop Instrumental Performance]].<ref name="Boogie awards">{{cite web|title=The Dirty Boogie |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-dirty-boogie-mw0000039465/awards |website=AllMusic|access-date=11 February 2017}}</ref>


The album ''[[Wolfgang's Big Night Out]]'' (2007) featured Setzer's interpretation of classical pieces, such as Beethoven's "[[Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)|Symphony No. 5]]" and "[[Für Elise]]". ''Wolfgang'' earned Setzer his eighth Grammy nomination, this time for [[Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album|Best Classical Crossover Album]].
The album ''[[Wolfgang's Big Night Out]]'' (2007) featured Setzer's interpretation of classical pieces, such as Beethoven's "[[Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)|Symphony No. 5]]" and "[[Für Elise]]". ''Wolfgang'' earned Setzer his eighth Grammy nomination, this time for [[Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album|Best Classical Crossover Album]].


He executive produced the album ''[[Ready, Steady, Go! (album)|Ready Steady Go!]]'' ([[Surfdog Records|Surfdog]], 2014) by [[Drake Bell]] and played guitar on two songs.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lipshultz |first1=Jason |title=Drake Bell Talks 'Ready Steady Go!' Album: Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Video |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/5922973/drake-bell-talks-ready-steady-go-album-exclusive-behind-the-scenes |website=Billboard.com|publisher=Billboard|access-date=2 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140901005114/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/5922973/drake-bell-talks-ready-steady-go-album-exclusive-behind-the-scenes |archive-date=1 September 2014|date=28 February 2014}}</ref><ref name="Drake Bell Guitar World Interview">{{cite web |last1=Wood |first1=James |title=Actor/Musician Drake Bell Discusses 'Ready Steady Go!,' His New Album with Brian Setzer |url=http://www.guitarworld.com/actormusician-drake-bell-discusses-ready-steady-go-his-new-album-brian-setzer |website=GuitarWorld.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006123758/http://www.guitarworld.com/actormusician-drake-bell-discusses-ready-steady-go-his-new-album-brian-setzer|archive-date=6 October 2014}}</ref>
He executive produced the album ''[[Ready, Steady, Go! (album)|Ready Steady Go!]]'' ([[Surfdog Records|Surfdog]], 2014) by [[Drake Bell]] and played guitar on two songs.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lipshultz |first1=Jason |title=Drake Bell Talks 'Ready Steady Go!' Album: Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Video |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/drake-bell-talks-ready-steady-go-album-exclusive-behind-the-scenes-5922973/ |website=Billboard.com|publisher=Billboard|access-date=2 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140901005114/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/5922973/drake-bell-talks-ready-steady-go-album-exclusive-behind-the-scenes |archive-date=1 September 2014|url-status=live |date=28 February 2014}}</ref><ref name="Drake Bell Guitar World Interview">{{cite web |last1=Wood |first1=James |title=Actor/Musician Drake Bell Discusses 'Ready Steady Go!,' His New Album with Brian Setzer |url=http://www.guitarworld.com/actormusician-drake-bell-discusses-ready-steady-go-his-new-album-brian-setzer |website=GuitarWorld.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006123758/http://www.guitarworld.com/actormusician-drake-bell-discusses-ready-steady-go-his-new-album-brian-setzer|archive-date=6 October 2014}}</ref>


On June 25, 2021, Setzer announced a new solo album, his first in 7 years, titled ''Gotta Have the Rumble''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Price|first=Jason|date=2021-06-25|title=BRIAN SETZER To Release 'Gotta Have The Rumble' Album On August 27th!|url=https://www.iconvsicon.com/2021/06/25/brian-setzer-to-release-gotta-have-the-rumble-album-on-august-27th/|access-date=2021-06-27|website=Iconvsicon.com|language=en-US}}</ref>
On June 25, 2021, Setzer announced a new solo album, his first in 7 years, titled ''Gotta Have the Rumble''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Price|first=Jason|date=2021-06-25|title=BRIAN SETZER To Release 'Gotta Have The Rumble' Album On August 27th!|url=https://www.iconvsicon.com/2021/06/25/brian-setzer-to-release-gotta-have-the-rumble-album-on-august-27th/|access-date=2021-06-27|website=Iconvsicon.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

Latest revision as of 17:34, 5 November 2025

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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-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.

In February 2025, Setzer shared that he has an autoimmune disease which prevented him from playing guitar. In November 2025, Setzer announced he was battling a "serious illness" which required cancellation of a cross-country tour of the United States.[1]

Career

Stray Cats

File: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.[2]

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".[2]

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).[2]

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.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4]

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).[2] 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.[5]

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.[6][7]

On June 25, 2021, Setzer announced a new solo album, his first in 7 years, titled Gotta Have the Rumble.[8]

Personal life

Setzer has been married three times, first to DeAnna Madsen with whom he has one son, second to Christine Schmidt with whom he has two children, and most recently in 2005 to Julie Reiten, a former singer with the Dustbunnies. He lives in Minneapolis.[9]

In February 2025, Setzer shared that he has an autoimmune disease which prevents him from playing guitar.[10]

Awards and honors

Discography

Solo

The Brian Setzer Orchestra Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote".

As member

Bloodless Pharaohs

  • Marty Thau Presents 12 x 5 (Red Star, 1980) on two tracks
  • Brian Setzer and the Bloodless Pharaohs (Collectables, 1996)[15]

Stray Cats Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote".

As guest

DVDs

  • Brian Setzer Orchestra Live in Japan (2001)
  • Rumble in Brixton (2004)
  • Brian Setzer Orchestra Live: Christmas Extravaganza (2005)
  • One Rockin' Night ('95) (2007)
  • Live in Montreal Jazz Festival (2010)
  • Rockabilly Riot! Osaka Rocka Live in Japan (2016)
  • Brian Setzer Orchestra Live: Christmas Rocks! (2018)

Musical equipment

Brian Setzer has a very large guitar collection which spans many decades and brands. He favours vintage equipment[20] and hollow body guitars,[21] and currently endorses Gretsch guitars.[22]

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References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Brian Setzer Template:The Brian Setzer Orchestra Template:Stray Cats

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  4. ↑ King, Louise (1988). "Thorogood Hits Stage with Hard-Driving Show" St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 22 July 1988. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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