Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer has revealed that he’s been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and one of the side effects is that he’s no longer able to play guitar.
“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 auto-immune disease,” he shared 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.”
“I have seen some progress in that I can hold a pen and tie my shoes,” he adds. “I know this sounds ridiculous, but I was at a point where I couldn’t even do that.”
Setzer says he’s being treated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, which he describes as “the best hospital in the world,” noting, “I know I will beat this, it will just take some time.”
Stray Cats released their self-titled debut album in 1981, which featured the hit songs “Rock This Town” and “Stray Cat Strut.” They disbanded in 1984, although they’d occasionally reunite over the years. Their most recent tour was in 2024, which was their first tour together in five years. Their last show took place Aug. 17 in Hartford, Connecticut.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
