Brian Setzer, the guitarist/singer frontman of the Stray Cats and the Brian Setzer Orchestra, has revealed he has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.
In a recent post to Instagram, Setzer shared close-up pictures of his hands playing guitar, explaining, "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 autoimmune disease. I cannot play guitar."
He continued, "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."
Setzer thanked the Mayo Clinic in the US state of Minnesota for working with him on treatment, writing, "Luckily, I have the best hospital in the world down the block from me."
"I know I will beat this, it will just take some time. I love you all," he concluded.
Setzer rose to fame in the 1980s with his band The Stray Cats, playing 1950s-inspired rockabilly.
Their debut album, Stray Cats, featured two hit singles, Stray Cat Strut and Rock This Town.
After the group disbanded for the first time in 1984, Setzer went solo and later formed the Brian Setzer Orchestra.
In 2024, Stray Cats announced a three-week US summer tour, their first tour in five years.
