Stray Cats’ Brian Setzer Shares Scary New Details About Illness

Brian Setzer is offering scary new details about his recent health issues ahead of an improbable Stray Cats summer tour.

He revealed last year that he’d been battling a debilitating autoimmune disease, and at one point was under the care of doctors at the renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Frozen in pain, Setzer says he also became addicted to Kratom, an over-the-counter herbal wellness tonic.

He says he got to the point where he couldn’t accomplish everyday tasks. “It’s frustrating when you sit down and your hands do nothing,” Setzer tells Guitar Player. “You really can’t take it for granted. Playing guitar is certainly on top, but so is holding a toothbrush, y’know?”

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Setzer later found solace at the Mayo Clinic – and a proper diagnosis. “The best way I can describe it is, your nerves are like wires, and wires have sheathing on them,” he said. “Well, that’s coating has kind of eroded, so the wires malfunction. Basically, they lock up my hands and feet. I can’t move them. I can’t button my pants, let alone play guitar.”

Setzer had a long journey back. “I was able to hold a guitar pick – that came first,” he said. “It was, ‘All right, I’m more than halfway there.’ And then when I was able to fingerpick, when my fingers came back, then I had the whole package.”

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The Stray Cats announced a 2025 tour, then promptly canceled it. Setzer ended up at Minnesota’s Hazelden Betty Ford clinic, where he finally kicked Kratom. “They advertise it as a safe tonic to give you energy, and it’s not,” Setzer admits. “So, that just aggravated the whole thing. I just stopped everything and went away and cleaned out and came back fresh and clean.”

Setzer’s new Stray Cats dates with bassist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom kick off in late July. They’ll play 16 shows together through August.