Brian Setzer
He resurrected the snarling guitar of rockabilly and the blaring horns of big band swing for entirely new generations of fans.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American singer, songwriter (b. 1959)·Birthday: April 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Brian Setzer is a musical archaeologist with a punk rocker's energy. In the synth-dominated early 80s, he formed the Stray Cats, a trio dedicated to the raw, upright-bass-driven sound of 1950s rockabilly. With his pompadour and a vintage Gretsch guitar, Setzer wasn't just reviving a style; he was injecting it with a modern ferocity, scoring hits like 'Rock This Town' and 'Stray Cat Strut.' A decade later, he performed another act of revival, assembling a massive 17-piece Brian Setzer Orchestra to champion the jump blues and swing of the 1940s. His 1998 album 'The Dirty Boogie' went platinum, making swing music unexpectedly cool again and sparking a nationwide dance craze. Setzer's genius lies in his authentic, virtuosic passion for American roots music, which he has tirelessly repackaged with enough flash and power to feel brand new.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Brian was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Brian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the Stray Cats to international success, reviving mainstream interest in rockabilly music in the 1980s.
- Founded the Brian Setzer Orchestra, catalyzing the swing revival of the late 1990s with the platinum album 'The Dirty Boogie.'
- Won a Grammy Award in 1998 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for the track 'Jump Jive an' Wail.'
Did You Know?
He is an avid collector of vintage guitars, particularly Gretsch models from the 1950s.
He provided the voice and guitar for the character 'Stray Cat' in the animated film 'The Emperor's New Groove.'
He made a cameo as rock and roll pioneer Eddie Cochran in the 1987 Ritchie Valens biopic 'La Bamba.'
“I'm just a guitar player in a band. That's all I've ever wanted to be.”
