Musician Brian Setzer announced on Thursday that he can no longer play guitar.
In a social media post, the leader of the 1980s rockabilly band The Stray Cats and the ’90s swing band The Brian Setzer Orchestra said that he has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that prevents him from playing the instrument.
Setzer said he first noticed his hands were “cramping up” while touring last summer with the Stray Cats. It was the band’s first tour in five years, according to GuitarPlayer.com.
The musician explained that although he doesn’t feel any pain in his hand, it does feel “like I am wearing a pair of gloves when I try to play.”
As terrible as that news must be, Setzer seems to be trying to remain positive.
“I have seen some progress in that I can hold a pen and tie my shoes,” he wrote in his post. “I know this sounds ridiculous, but I was at a point where I couldn’t even do that.
“Luckily, I have the best hospital in the world down the block from me. It’s called the Mayo Clinic. I know I will beat this, it will just take some time.”
Setzer’s post got lots of support from his fans and at least one of his contemporaries, guitarist Steve Vai, who responded:
“Brother Brian, you are a soldier! Take your time, you’re on the mend, and we are all eager for your full recovery to optimum health. Much love to you.”
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Setzer first rose to fame in the early ’80s with The Stray Cats, a rockabilly revival group whose hits included “Rock This Town,” “Stray Cat Strut” and “She’s Sexy And 17.”
After that band split, Setzer rode the mid-’90s swing revival as leader of The Brian Setzer Orchestra with songs like “The Dirty Boogie” and “Jump, Jive And Wail.”
His latest recording is 2023′s “The Devil Always Collects.”
