Hopefully only a temporary setback, but still truly horrible news from an old and dear friend.
“I cannot play guitar.” Rockabilly legend Brian Setzer reveals he has an auto-immune disease that prevents him from playing guitar
Setzer said the effects of his illness became apparent during the Stray Cats’ 2024 summer tour, the group’s first road stint in five yearsBrian Setzer announced he has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that prevents him from playing guitar.
The rockabilly electric guitar legend made the news public on February 13 via Facebook:
Hi everybody,
I just wanted to check in with you all. 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. I have seen some progress in that I can hold a pen and tie my shoes. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I was at a point where I couldn’t even do that. Luckily, I have the best hospital in the world down the block from me. It’s called the Mayo Clinic. I know I will beat this, it will just take some time.
I love you all,
Brian
Although there is no cure for autoimmune diseases, their symptoms can be mitigated with a range of treatments. With any luck, Setzer will be able to play again soon.
Setzer is by the far the best-known and most successful rockabilly guitarist in rock and roll history. He first found success with the Stray Cats in the 1980s, when he helped relaunch the rockabilly genre decades after it has fallen from popularity.
“Rockabilly is so near and dear to my heart,” the guitarist told Guitar Player in 2023. “There’s just something exciting about it, and it never goes out of style. You can always add your own wrinkle to it and take it somewhere else.”
Truer words etc. Brian, I doubt you’ll ever see this, but in case you do please know that my thoughts, hopes, and prayers are with you, brother. You’re one of the very best guitarists I know or ever have known, so I know it’s a bitter pill indeed to have to swallow—Depuytren’s Contracture left me unable to play anything but the most rudimentary, primitive licks as of about 5-6 years ago or so myself—even moreso when music has been your life, for most of your life, as it has been for you and me both. Hang tough, never give up the fight; I just know your tremendous courage, determination, and strong heart will see you through in the end.
Update! A little inside-the-music story that illustrates one of the biggest reasons I think so highly of Setzer: my brother has always been quite close not only to Brian but the entire Setzer family, enough so that when Brian’s dad passed away the fam insisted on flying Jeff up from NC for the funeral. Myself, I’ve never met Brian’s dad OR mom, nor have I ever been out to the Setzer clan’s Old Home Place out on Lawn Guyland. Whereas Jeff, y’know, has.
Anyhoo, the thing that always got me was, ever since then each and every time I’ve run into Brian, opened for the BSO, whatever whenever wherever, the very first words out of Brian’s mouth to me have been, and I quote: “So how’s Jeff doing, Mike?” No exceptions, not a single one. That always impressed the heck out of me, made me feel good, and brought home forcefully what a decent, thoughtful, just plain good guy Brian is.
I gigged regularly with a half-assed little side-band trio in NYC which included oldest Setzer sibling Gary on drums for a year or thereabouts, and played little brother Kenny’s wedding after-party down in Miami with another side project of mine—a party Brian and his lovely wife also attended, hanging out at our big ol’ table drinking free open-bar booze and shooting the breeze with us well into the wee hours.
Now, for some bizarre reason I’ve been informed many times over lo, these many years—as is also the case with Mike Ness and, truth be told, my own self as well—by people I neither knew nor wished to know that “Ohhh, that Brian Setzer is such an asshole, what a dick!”
Who even knows the reason why, I certainly don’t. Some too-drunk chick trying (and failing) to coax him into a fast Green Room, tour bus, or parking lot fuck? A random dude who felt himself short-changed in the attention department in the impromptu post-show grip ’n’ grin line, perhaps? Don’t know, don’t care. In any event, you’ll never, ever get me to put a yes to that “Brian Setzer is an asshole” proposition. I know firsthand that it simply ain’t so.
Good luck and best wishes for a full and speedy recovery, Bri. God willing, you’ll pull through and have the last laugh on everybody ere the end.
- Entries
Sad to hear that Bro. Rockabilly has always been a favorite. Once I discovered who you were some new songs were added to my playlist on my phone.
Thanks so much, Bear, it’s deeply appreciated. As I learned after my late wife’s untimely death, the main thing is to find a way not to be bitter over what you lost, but to be grateful for what you had.
Being from nearby on Lawn Guyland I can attest that it is certainly a great place to grow up and full of some very great people. Biran is a few years older and he came from further out on the Guyland. Now my family lives near where he grew up and they love it. I’m pretty sure I know where that gas station is in the album cover photo. Great place.
Glad to hear about Brian and his family being great people in person and personally endorsed by you Mike. I always had that feeling about him.
I was a fan right from the first time I heard the Stray Cats. I have 15 ‘albums’ of his, including all the old Stray Cats stuff, plus his Brian Setzer Orchestra Swing stuff, some later Stray Cats CDs plus his foray into instrumentals or Classical Fusion stuff.
I hope he gets better. I really wanted to see him. I had tickets to his Christmas Show for my two sons and I when it got cancelled due to his tinnitus at the time. Just haven’t had the chance since.
There aren’t many true guitar slingers out there these days and bands I’d still want to see. He’s one.