The Stray Cats frontman said it “feels like I am wearing a pair of gloves when I try to play”
Brian Setzer, frontman for the Stray Cats and the Brian Setzer Orchestra, is unable to play guitar after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.
The musician recently revealed his condition on Instagram, writing that he first noticed his “hands were cramping up” near the end of the Stray Cats’ most recent tour. Setzer said he soon learned he had an autoimmune disease — though did not provide specifics — adding, “I cannot play guitar. There is no pain, but it feels like I am wearing a pair of gloves when I try to play.”
Setzer, however, seemed confident that the impediment was only temporary. He said he’s being treated by doctors at the Mayo Clinic and has already seen “some progress” with other hand mobility tasks, like holding a pen and tying his shoes. “I know this sounds ridiculous, but I was at a point where I couldn’t even do that,” he said.
While Setzer did not offer a timeline for when he might be able to play or perform again, he ended his note by saying, “I know I will beat this, it will just take some time.”
Setzer’s rockabilly group the Stray Cats scored a string of hits in the early Eighties, including “Rock This Town” and “Stray Cat Strut.” He also went on to release several solo albums before founding the Brian Setzer Orchestra in the early Nineties. The swing revival group enjoyed a minor hit with a version of Louis Prima’s “Jump, Jive an’ Wail” in 1998.
Over the years, Setzer has kept both the Stray Cats and the Brian Setzer Orchestra active, while also maintaining his solo career. The most recent Stray Cats album, 40, arrived in 2019, while the Brian Setzer Orchestra released a Christmas album, Rocking’ Rudolph in 2015. Setzer’s last solo album, The Devil Always Collects, arrived in 2023.
