Rockabilly electric guitar legend Brian Setzer has announced he has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and is currently unable to play guitar.
The Stray Cats guitarist first noticed the effects of his condition late last year while on the road with the band. As the trip reached its end, he says, “my hands were cramping up.”
“I’ve since discovered that I have an autoimmune disease,” Setzer writes on social media. “I cannot play guitar. There is no pain, but it feels like I am wearing a pair of gloves when I try to play.”
Autoimmune diseases are where a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in their body. It can affect virtually every part of the body, but in Setzer’s case, his hands are feeling the brunt of the symptoms. Luckily, there seems to be a glint of hope.
“I have seen some progress in that I can hold a pen and tie my shoes,” he continues. “I know this sounds ridiculous, but I was at a point where I couldn’t even do that. I know I will beat this, it will just take some time.”
As things stand, there is no cure for autoimmune diseases but a range of treatments – from anti-inflammatory drugs to targeted therapies – can curtail the more intense symptoms and, importantly here, enable Setzer to pick up a guitar once more.
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Inspired by the likes of Eddie Cochran and Carl Perkins, Setzer and his rockabilly guitar style initially found success with the Stray Cats, who first formed in the late 1970s.
Finding a unique and infectious blend of jazz, swing, and rock ‘n’ roll, Setzer built a sizable reputation for the music he created with big-body Gretch guitars. He has been described as “a guitar god” by GW scribe Andy G Jones, who delivered an in-depth lesson into his iconic playing style.
Speaking of his lifelong love of hollowbody Gretsch guitars to Guitar World last year, Setzer said, “The whole thing shakes. You feel it. It’s the best thing in the world, for me.”
Guitar World wishes Setzer a smooth and speedy recovery.
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