Brian Robert Setzer is a singer/songwriter and guitarist born on 10th April 1959 in Massapequa, New York, USA, probably best known as the frontman of the 1950s rockabilly-style revival group Stray Cats, and The Brian Setzer Orchestra.
Have you ever wondered how rich Brian Setzer is, as of mid-2016? According to sources it has been estimated that Brian Setzer’s overall net worth is $6.5 million, acquired thanks to a successful musical career which he built through his work in bands as well as his solo career since the late ‘70s. Since he is still an active musician his net worth continues to grow.
Brian Setzer Net Worth $6.5 Million
Brian was raised in Massapequa, and as a child he studied the euphonium – a tuba-like instrument – but played the baritone horn in school. In January 1979, Setzer began fronting the rockabilly band The Tomcats, performing from New York to Philadelphia with no great success, so Brian and his bandmates decided to move to London in 1980, where they thought their music style would be better appreciated. Since they had to sell all their musical gear in order to collect enough money for three one-way plane tickets, they decided to change the band’s name to Stray Cats, due to their “stray” status upon arriving to London. Soon after, the band drew the attention of record producer Dave Edmunds, which enabled them to release a series of successful singles and two albums in the UK, later expanding their fame to the US. This started Brian’s net worth rising.
Setzer released his first solo album, “The Knife Feels Like Justice”, in the summer of 1986 presenting a completely different sound leaning towards a more mainstream rock sound, but it only achieved minor success. However, this album is considered a cult favorite among those who understood Setzer’s message concerning the nuclear proliferation, immigration issues, understanding of religion, unemployment etc. His second solo album “Live Nude Guitars” brought greater success, reaching the top ten lists for the year in the opinion of many critics.
Brian then formed the swing and jump blues music band The Brian Setzer Orchestra in the mid- nineties, releasing four studio albums and several live releases between 1994 and 2002. His biggest accomplishment came in 1998 when the band released “The Dirty Boogie” album which reached the top ten in US album charts, also featuring the hit single “Jump, Jive an’Wail”. In 2007 they released the “Wolfgang’s Big Night Out” album which is based on Brian’s take on classical pieces, and which earned him his eighth Grammy nomination, this time for Best Classical Crossover album of the year.
When it comes to his more recent activity, Setzer toured Europe in 2011 on “The Brian Setzer Rockabilly Riot Tour!”. In 2014 he produced Drake Bell’s “Ready Steady Go” album, playing the guitar on two of the songs.
During his career, Brian has been rewarded multiple times for his musical work; these include the Orville H.Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1999 Gibson Awards, and three Grammy Awards since 2000. His seventh Grammy nomination came in December 2006 for his version of “My Favorite Things”. He was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in November 2015.
When it comes to his private life, Setzer was married to DeAnna Madsen(1984-92) and Christine Schmidt(1994-2002) before marrying Julie Reiten in 2005; the two now reside in Minneapolis.
