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Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He gained major recognition in the early 1980s with the 1950s-inspired rockabilly band Stray Cats and made a comeback in the early 1990s with his swing revival group, the Brian Setzer Orchestra. In 1987, he appeared briefly as Eddie Cochran in the film La Bamba.
Setzer was born in April 1959 in Massapequa, New York. He began playing the euphonium and participated in school jazz bands. He discovered jazz at the Village Vanguard but gradually developed an interest in rock, punk, and rockabilly music. He played with the Bloodless Pharaohs and later formed the Tomcats with his brother Gary. When double bassist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom joined, and Gary departed, the Tomcats evolved into the Stray Cats. In 1980, hoping for greater success abroad, they sold their instruments to fund tickets and moved to London.
After several months performing in London, they connected with guitarist and producer Dave Edmunds, who shared their passion for rockabilly and 1950s rock 'n' roll. Edmunds produced their debut album, Stray Cats (Arista, 1981), which featured hit singles "Stray Cat Strut" and "Rock This Town." Their sophomore effort, Gonna Ball (Arista, 1982), met with less success. Returning to the U.S., they released Built for Speed (EMI, 1982), again produced by Edmunds, combining tracks from their earlier albums. Supported by MTV airplay, the Stray Cats gained popularity in America. Their following album, Rant n' Rave with the Stray Cats (EMI, 1983), included the hit "(She's) Sexy + 17."
Though the Stray Cats disbanded in 1984, they reunited sporadically for recording and touring, returning to Edmunds for the 1992 album Choo Choo Hot Fish.
Following the band's breakup, Setzer launched a solo career and collaborated as a sideman for other artists, including Robert Plant's Honeydrippers. His debut solo album, The Knife Feels Like Justice (EMI, 1986), marked a shift away from rockabilly toward rhythm and blues and John Mellencamp-style heartland rock. Produced by Don Gehman, the album featured drummer Kenny Aronoff, both of whom had worked with Mellencamp. His second studio album, Live Nude Guitars (1988), retained some heartland rock influences but leaned more toward straightforward blues rock reminiscent of George Thorogood; Setzer co-produced with Larson Paine, Chris Thomas, and David A. Stewart. He toured with Thorogood later that year.
