Brian Setzer is an iconic Rockabilly guitarist and singer from my home town of Massapequa, New York. USA. He attended Massapequa High School (my alma mater). Brian and I also studied guitar at a local music shop with the very same guitar teacher, Ray Gogarty. Ray Gogerty was my inspiration to becoming a musician, and I sense that Gogerty also inspired Setzer, introducing him to the genre of Jazz. In an interview with Guitar World Magazine, Setzer states; "So my first teacher was actually a saxophone player. After that I studied with this other jazz teacher, Ray Gogarty- He took me further into the jazz world, advanced chords, alittle bit of the modes, scales and standards."
I find it quite amazing that this small home town on Long Island, produced so many famous actors, musicians, ( Neil Diamond, Jerry Seinfeld, Baldwin Brothers, Elliot Easton, Steven Guttenberg), The list goes on! Brian, like other famous alumni, was skyrocketed to stardom. He became a well know guitarist, fronting his band, The Stray Cats, originally they were called the Tom Cats. The change of name came from a time when they needed to raise enough money for their plane tickets and tried to sell their instruments in New York City at Sam Ash music store on 48 street. Upon their arrival to the famed music store, they decided to name themselves "Stray Cats", a fitting name due to their "stray" status.
Brian was born on April 10, 1959. He first found widespread fame and success in the early 1980s with a very fifities Rockabilly revival group called the Stray Cats. He also revived his career in the late 1990s with The Brian Setzer Orchestra, a Swing Revival Band.
This iconic guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, and three time Grammy award winner currently tours with his orchestra acround the world. I am quite proud to say he is from my home town.
