Brian Setzer is set to return to the stage with beloved rockabilly band The Stray Cats this summer after recovering from a “serious illness.”
Videos by Suggest
In February 2025, Setzer announced he had an autoimmune disease that prevented him from playing guitar.
He received treatment at the Mayo Clinic, sharing that he was recovering well. By August 2025, the Stray Cats announced a fall tour, with Setzer rejoining his bandmates, bassist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom.
However, by October, Setzer was forced to cancel tour dates due to ongoing health issues.
“I’m heartbroken to share, due to serious illness, I am unable to perform,” Setzer wrote at the time. “I’ve been trying to do everything I can to go on and do with this show, but it is just not possible. I’ve been looking forward so much to being on stage with my band mates again and playing for all of our amazing fans, and I’m gutted,” the band’s frontman added.
Now, he’s ready to rock across 18 cities with his trio starting in late July.
“I’m feeling really good, I have to tell ya,” the 67-year-old recently told Guitar Player. “I wouldn’t book a tour if I couldn’t say I’m 100 percent. I would’ve taken more time if I had to.”
Brian Setzer Details How an Over-the-Counter Tonic Further Derailed His Health
Setzer also told the outlet his return was further delayed by an unintended dependence on Kratom. The over-the-counter herbal tonic has been deemed “unsafe and ineffective” by the Mayo Clinic and is a controlled substance in several states and the District of Columbia.
Setzer, who sought treatment at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation clinic in Minnesota, recounted his struggle. “It started innocently enough,” he told Guitar Player. “They advertise it as a safe tonic to give you energy, and it’s not. So that just aggravated the whole thing. I just stopped everything and went away and cleaned out and came back fresh and clean.”
“I had to go get everything out of my system, really,” he added. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about; if anyone has a problem, you go, and they take care of you. And thank God you can come back.”
Setzer knows his autoimmune issue could return, but for now, he and the band are hitting the gas. He even predicts more tours in the future.
The Stray Cats’ upcoming tour kicks off on July 24 in Las Vegas and will hit cities including Phoenix, Santa Rosa, and Tulsa before wrapping up on August 16 in Morristown, NJ.