Brian Setzer

About Brian Setzer

Brian Setzer (born April 10, 1959, Massapequa, New York) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter.

Beginning in January 1980, Setzer fronted the popular rockabilly band, Stray Cats. After performing from New York to Philadelphia, Setzer, Lee Rocker (born Leon Drucker) and Slim Jim Phantom (born James McDonnell) decided in June 1980 to go to London, England where they believed people would better appreciate their sound and style. Upon arrival, they decided to call themselves "Stray Cats", a name suggested by Rocker. The Stray Cats drew the attention of producer Dave Edmunds and released a series of successful singles in the UK.

The Stray Cats caught America's attention with the 1982 album Built for Speed, which included the two Top Ten hits, "Rock This Town" (#9) and "Stray Cat Strut" (#3), as well as with the follow-up 1983 album Rant 'N Rave with the Stray Cats, which included the two successful singles "(She's) Sexy + 17" (#5), and "I Won't Stand In Your Way" (#35).