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 Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...

group

Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in t ...

, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with his swing revival band,

the Brian Setzer Orchestra The Brian Setzer Orchestra (sometimes known by its initials BSO) is a swing and jump blues band formed in 1990 by Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer. In 1998, for their breakout album '' The Dirty Boogie'', the group covered Louis Prima's " Jump, ...

. In 1987, he made a cameo appearance as

Eddie Cochran Ray Edward Cochran (; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American rock and roll musician. Cochran's songs, such as " Twenty Flight Rock", "Summertime Blues", " C'mon Everybody" and " Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desir ...

in the film '' La Bamba''.

Career

Stray Cats

Setzer was born April 1959 in

Massapequa Massapequa (, ) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is considered the anchor community of the Greater Massapequa area. The po ...

, New York. He started on the

euphonium The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...

and played in jazz bands when he was in school. He found a way to hear jazz at the

Village Vanguard The Village Vanguard is a jazz club at Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. Originally, the club presented folk music and beat poetry, but it became primarily a jazz ...

, 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 The Tomcats may refer to one of several bands. English band First English band The Tomcats were a band from Perivale, England in the early to mid sixties. The founder members were Tom Newman (later founder of Virgin Records with Richard Branso ...

, which he began with his brother, Gary. The Tomcats became the

when double bassist

Lee Rocker Lee Rocker (born Leon Drucker, August 3, 1961) is an American musician. He is a member of the rockabilly revival band Stray Cats. He is the son of the classical clarinetists Stanley Drucker, the late former principal clarinetist of the New Yo ...

and drummer

Slim Jim Phantom James McDonnell (born March 21, 1961), known by the stage name Slim Jim Phantom, is the drummer for Stray Cats. Alongside bandmates Brian Setzer and Lee Rocker, he spearheaded the neo-rockabilly movement of the early 1980s. Phantom currentl ...

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. After performing in London for a few months, they met

Dave Edmunds David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with pub rock and new wave, having many hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has alwa ...

, a guitarist and record producer who shared their love of rockabilly and 1950s' rock and roll. Edmunds produced their debut album, ''

'' ( Arista, 1981), which yielded two hit singles, "

Stray Cat Strut "Stray Cat Strut" is the third single by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, released April 17, 1981 by Arista Records in the UK, where it peaked at No. 11 on the Singles Chart. It was taken from the band's 1981 debut album, '' ...

" and "

Rock This Town "Rock This Town" is the second single by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, released January 30, 1981 by Arista Records in the UK, where it peaked at No. 9 on the Singles Chart. It was taken from the band's 1981 debut album, '' Stray Cats''. ...

". The second album, ''

Gonna Ball ''Gonna Ball'' is the second studio album by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, first released in the UK by Arista Records in November 1981. The album was produced by the band and Hein Hoven. It went platinum in the U.K. Five of the album's t ...

'' (Arista, 1982), was less successful. The band returned to America and released '' Built for Speed'' (

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

, 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 ''Rant n' Rave with the Stray Cats'' is the third studio album by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, released on August 15, 1983 by EMI America. It was produced by Dave Edmunds. The album featured the No. 5 hit "(She's) Sexy + 17", Top 40 hit ...

'' (EMI, 1983) produced the hit " (She's) Sexy + 17". 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 ''Choo Choo Hot Fish'' is an album by the American rockabilly band Stray Cats, released in 1992. The first single was "Elvis on Velvet". The band supported the album with a North American tour. The album was named for a soul food fish restaurant ...

'' (1992).

Solo career/The Brian Setzer Orchestra

Brian Setzer performs with his orchestra in the East Room of the White House

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 The Honeydrippers were an English rock and roll band of the 1980s, deriving their name from Roosevelt Sykes, an American blues singer also known as "Honeydripper". Former Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant formed the group in 1981 to sati ...

led by Robert Plant. On his first solo album, ''

The Knife Feels Like Justice ''The Knife Feels Like Justice'' is the debut album by American musician Brian Setzer, released in 1986 on the EMI America record label. In contrast to the rockabilly sound of his earlier band Stray Cats, this album emphasizes a roots rock sound ...

'' (EMI, 1986), he turned away from rockabilly and moved toward rhythm and blues ( R&B) and the

heartland rock Heartland rock is a genre of rock music characterized by a straightforward, often roots musical style, often with a focus on blue-collar workers, and a conviction that rock music has a social or communal purpose beyond just entertainment. The ge ...

John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...

. The album was produced by

Don Gehman Don Gehman is an American record producer, engineer, and executive, best known for his work with John Mellencamp and Hootie & the Blowfish. He was one of "the most successful producers of the 1980s and 1990s." As a sound engineer, he also helped ...

and featured

Kenny Aronoff Kenny Aronoff (born March 7, 1953) is an American session drummer. Early life Aronoff grew up in Stockbridge, Massachusetts He developed an interest in music at an early age and gravitated to the drums as "drumming was one hundred percent ene ...

on drums. Both men had worked on albums by Mellencamp. 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 Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...

direction, comparable to George Thorogood's style; Setzer served as co-producer along with Larson Paine, Chris Thomas and

David A. Stewart David Allan Stewart (born 9 September 1952) is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for Eurythmics, his successful professional partnership with Annie Lennox. Sometimes credited as David A. Stewart, he won Best British ...

. He went on tour with Thorogood later that year. Setzer returned to his love of music from the 1950s, this time the

jump blues Jump blues is an up-tempo style of blues, usually played by small groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Appreciation of jump blues was renewed in the 1990s as ...

Louis Prima Louis Leo Prima (December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and trumpeter. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he forme ...

. Whereas he had resurrected rockabilly in the 1980s, he resuscitated swing in the 1990s. He assembled

, a seventeen piece big band that got the public's attention with a cover version of Prima's "

Jump, Jive an' Wail "Jump, Jive an' Wail" is a 1956 jazz swing song by Louis Prima.Stark, Karl (September 7, 2007). Louis Prima; Jump, Jive An' Wail: The Essential Louis Prima (review). ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''Hillburn, Robert (July 24, 2007). Prima and Smith's ...

" from the album '' The Dirty Boogie'' ( Interscope, 1998). The song won the

Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by ...

, while "

Sleep Walk Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism or noctambulism, is a phenomenon of combined sleep and wakefulness. It is classified as a sleep disorder belonging to the parasomnia family. It occurs during slow wave stage of sleep, in a state of low ...

" from the same album won the Grammy for

Best Pop Instrumental Performance The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by m ...

. 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 Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor ( WoO59, Bia515) for solo piano, commonly known as "Für Elise" (, ), is one of Ludwig van Beethoven's most popular compositions. It was not published during his lifetime, only being discovered (by Ludwig Nohl) 40 ye ...

". ''Wolfgang'' earned Setzer his eighth Grammy nomination, this time for Best Classical Crossover Album. He executive produced the album ''

Ready Steady Go! ''Ready Steady Go!'' (or ''RSG!'') was a British rock/pop music television programme broadcast every Friday evening from 9 August 1963 until 23 December 1966. It was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Rediffusion TV. Allan wanted a light ente ...

'' ( Surfdog, 2014) by

Drake Bell Jared Drake Bell (born June 27, 1986) is an American actor, singer, songwriter, and musician. Born in Newport Beach, California, he began his career as an actor in the early 1990s at the age of five with his first televised appearance on ''Hom ...

and played guitar on two songs. On June 25, 2021, Setzer announced a new solo album, his first in 7 years, titled ''Gotta Have the Rumble''.

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.

Awards and honors

* Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award, 1999 *

, "

", 1998 *

Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by m ...

, "

" and " Caravan" * Long Island Music Hall of Fame, 2015

Discography

Solo

* ''

'' (EMI, 1986) * ''Live Nude Guitars'' (EMI, 1988) * ''Rockin' by Myself'' (InsideOut

apan Apan is a city and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 346.9 km². Overview As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 39,247. It was an important site in the Wa ...

1993) * ''

Ignition! ''Ignition!'' is a studio album by Brian Setzer released in 2001. Following fronting a swing orchestra in the 1990s, ''Ignition!'' marks Setzer's return to purist rockabilly fronting a trio, named the Brian Setzer '68 Comeback Special, in homage ...

'' (Surfdog, 2001) * ''

Nitro Burnin' Funny Daddy ''Nitro Burnin' Funny Daddy'' is the eleventh solo album from American musician Brian Setzer, released in 2003 on Surfdog Records. He said, when released, that it was the most personal record he had ever done. He ventured away from his tradition ...

'' (Surfdog, 2003) * ''Rockabilly Riot Vol. 1: A Tribute to Sun Records'' (Surfdog, 2005) * '' 13'' (Surfdog, 2006) * ''Red Hot & Live'' (Surfdog, 2007) * '' Setzer Goes Instru-Mental!'' (Surfdog, 2011) * ''Rockabilly Riot! Live from the Planet'' (Surfdog, 2012) * '' Rockabilly Riot! All Original'' (Surfdog, 2014) * ''Gotta Have the Rumble'' (Surfdog, 2021) The Brian Setzer Orchestra * ''

The Brian Setzer Orchestra The Brian Setzer Orchestra (sometimes known by its initials BSO) is a swing and jump blues band formed in 1990 by Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer. In 1998, for their breakout album '' The Dirty Boogie'', the group covered Louis Prima's " Jump, ...

'' ( Hollywood, 1994) * '' Guitar Slinger'' (Interscope, 1996) * '' The Dirty Boogie'' (Interscope, 1998) * '' Vavoom!'' (Interscope, 2000) * '' Jumpin' East of Java'' (Toy's Factory, 2001) * ''

Boogie Woogie Christmas ''Boogie Woogie Christmas'' is a 2002 Christmas album recorded by the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Track listing Original #"Jingle Bells" - 2:22 #"Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" - 3:02 #"Winter Wonderland" - 2:40 #" Blue Christmas" - 2:48 #"Santa Clau ...

'' (Surfdog, 2002) * ''

Dig That Crazy Christmas ''Dig That Crazy Christmas'' is the second Christmas album by The Brian Setzer Orchestra. Released in 2005 on Surfdog Records, it is a collection of holiday songs performed in big band swing style. Although most of the songs have been previously ...

'' (Surfdog, 2005) * ''

Wolfgang's Big Night Out ''Wolfgang's Big Night Out'' is the seventh studio album from the United States, American swing revival band The Brian Setzer Orchestra, released on September 25, 2007, on Surfdog Records. It is a collection of swing versions of classical composi ...

'' (Surfdog, 2007) * ''

Songs from Lonely Avenue ''Songs From Lonely Avenue'' is the eighth studio album from the American swing revival band The Brian Setzer Orchestra The Brian Setzer Orchestra (sometimes known by its initials BSO) is a swing and jump blues band formed in 1990 by Stray ...

'' (Surfdog, 2009) * ''Christmas Comes Alive'' (Surfdog, 2010) * '' Rockin' Rudolph'' (Surfdog, 2015)

As member

Bloodless Pharaohs * ''Marty Thau Presents 12 x 5'' (Red Star, 1980) on two tracks * ''Brian Setzer and the Bloodless Pharaohs'' (Collectables, 1996) Stray Cats * ''

'' (1981) * ''

'' (1983) * ''Rock Therapy'' (1986) * ''Blast Off!'' (1989) * ''Let's Go Faster!'' (1990) * ''

'' (1992) * ''Original Cool'' (1993) * ''40'' (2019)

As guest

* '' Come Out and Play'',

Twisted Sister Twisted Sister was an American heavy metal band originally from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York. Their best-known songs include " We're Not Gonna Take It" and " I Wanna Rock", both of which were associated with ...

(1985) * ''Deep in the Heart of Nowhere'',

Bob Geldof Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (; born 5 October 1951) is an Irish singer-songwriter, and political activist. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s as lead singer of the Rock music in Ireland, Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats, who achieved ...

(1986) * ''Sentimental Hygiene'',

Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician. Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", " Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Th ...

(1987) * ''

Two Fires ''Two Fires'' is the fourth studio album by the Australian rock singer Jimmy Barnes, and his first United States release for Atlantic Records. It was released in Australia by Mushroom Records and was his fifth consecutive No. 1 album, debuting ...

'',

Jimmy Barnes James Dixon "Jimmy" Barnes (née Swan; born 28 April 1956) is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best- ...

(1990) * ''Closer to the Flame'',

(1990) * ''Traffic from Paradise'',

Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, and jazz. A two ...

(1993) * '' Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters'',

Paul Rodgers Paul Rodgers (born 17 December 1949) is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the lead vocalist of numerous bands, including Free, Bad Company, The Firm, and The Law. He has also performed as a solo artist, and co ...

(1993) * ''La Bamba'', Los Lobos (1993) * ''Toolin' Around'',

Arlen Roth Arlen Roth (born October 30, 1952) is an American guitarist, teacher, and author. From 1982 to 1992, he was a columnist for ''Guitar Player'' magazine. Those ten years of columns became a book, ''Hot Guitar''. His father Al Ross (Abraham Roth) ...

(1993) * ''Bug Alley'',

Gary Hoey Gary Hoey (born August 23, 1960) is an American hard rock and latterly blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has recorded over 20 albums and had five Top 20 ''Billboard'' hits. Early life and early career Hoey was born in Lowell, Ma ...

(1996) * ''

Cheating at Solitaire ''Cheating at Solitaire'' is the first solo album from Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness. Released in 1999, it bypasses much of Social Distortion's punk muscle in favor of a more roots-oriented approach to rock and roll. It features cameos by ...

'', Mike Ness (1999) * ''Beatin' the Heat'', Dan Hicks (2000) * ''Ghost on the Canvas'',

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodt ...

(2011) * ''Step Back'',

Johnny Winter John Dawson Winter III (February 23, 1944 – July 16, 2014) was an American singer and guitarist. Winter was known for his high-energy blues rock albums and live performances in the late 1960s and 1970s. He also produced three Grammy Award-win ...

(2014) * ''Ready Steady Go!'',

(2014) * "Uptown Number 7", Dion from '' Blues with Friends'' (2020)

DVD

* ''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 and hollow body guitars, and currently endorses

Gretsch Gretsch is an American company that manufactures musical instruments. The company was founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York by Friedrich Gretsch, a 27-year-old German immigrant, shortly after his arrival to the United States. Friedrich Gretsc ...

guitars. Vintage guitars: *

D'Angelico John D'Angelico (1905 in Little Italy, Manhattan – September 1, 1964 in Manhattan) was a luthier from New York City, noted for his handmade archtop guitars and mandolins. He founded the D'Angelico Guitars company, where other notable luthiers l ...

Excel - 1938 * D'Angelico New Yorker - 1940 *

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

Model D-28 Acoustic - 1956 *

Fender Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously ...

Turquoise - 1957 *

Guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

Bluesbird - 1959 *

Model 6130 Round Up - 1955 * Gretsch Model 6128 Black Duo Jet - 1958 * Gretsch Model 6136 White Falcon - 1957 * Gretsch Model 6129 Silver Jet - No Pickguard - 1957 * Gretsch Model 6129 Silver Jet - White Pickguard - 1957 * Gretsch Model 6136 White Falcon - 1957 * Gretsch Model 6129 Silver Jet - Black Pickguard - 1958 * Gretsch Model 6120 "Stray Cat" - 1959 * Gretsch Model 6120 Chet Atkins - 1959 * Gretsch Model 6119 "Christmas Custom" - 1959 * Gretsch Model 6119 Blue Sparkle Jet - 1959 * Gretsch Model 6120 - 1960 * Gretsch Model 6119 - 1960 *

Gibson Gibson may refer to: People * Gibson (surname) Businesses * Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment * Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based * Gi ...

Firebird V - 1964 Signature guitars: * Gretsch Model 6120 Setzer Signature Prototype * Gretsch Model 6120 Setzer Hot Rod Custom Purple * Gretsch Model 6120 Setzer Hot Rod Custom "Pinstripe" * Gretsch Model 6120 Setzer Hot Rod Custom "Spotty" * Gretsch Model 6120 Setzer Hot Rod Custom "Sparkle Red" * Gretsch Model 6120 Setzer Hot Rod Custom "Sparkle Blue" * Gretsch Model 6120 SSLVO Brian Setzer Signature * Gretsch Model 6120 SSL Brian Setzer Signature * Gretsch Model 6120 SSU Brian Setzer Signature * Gretsch Model 6120 SSUGR Brian Setzer Signature * Gretsch Model 6136SLBP Brian Setzer Black Phoenix *

Indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming *Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies *Indie game, any game (board ...

Model With White GT Stripes Other guitars: * Bigsby Custom - 2003

References

External links

* *
Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2016)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Setzer, Brian 1959 births Living people People from Oyster Bay (town), New York Stray Cats members Swing revival musicians Swing singers American bandleaders American blues guitarists American expatriates in the United Kingdom American rock guitarists American rockabilly guitarists American male guitarists Lead guitarists American male singers American rock singers Songwriters from New York (state) American rockabilly musicians Singers from New York (state) Grammy Award winners People from Massapequa, New York Guitarists from New York (state) 20th-century American guitarists The Honeydrippers members Massapequa High School alumni Dead Men Walking members