The Man Behind The Photos: Brian Setzer, Nice Guy

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At the time when my own band was struggling to make the charts, Brian Setzer's group, "The Stray Cats", were burning up the airwaves, playing music that gave you no choice but to rock n' bop. I looked up to him and his band throughout my short musical career, and often found solace in the great music that they created. I was lucky enough to get to meet him about two years after The Stray Cats broke up. At first I didn't know who he was, but on closer inspection of the rather slim and small man in front of me, I knew who he was. He actually introduced himself as "Brian", and asked my name. What he was doing there, I haven't the foggiest. It's true, his new group, called The Cellar Ratz had been recording recently in a basement nearby, so I didn't think anything of it. Quite honestly what shocked me most was that he was dressed in head-to-toe blue jeans. In his back pocket was a red car cloth, as though he'd just come from working on his car. His 'do was still that lovely blond duck tail, and his voice was much more soft than I'd have imagined it to be. He actually asked me about my violin and said, "I never knew The Long Island Fishermen had a fiddle player!" Whaaaaaaaaaaaaa????? I figured that he couldn't have heard of us, it would just be too much for me. He didn't stick around, he just watched with incredulity as I tuned my violin using a standard banana (electronic tuning device). Then he smiled and sauntered off, and I don't even know if he stayed to see us perform. I was very nervous that he might be listening. During the break in our set, I went outside, and there at the curb was Setzer's beautiful car, complete with fuzzy dice. I'll never forget that night, because it was then that my lead singer decided to give me the boot. What highs! What lows! I never felt more screwed up then that night. But Brian Setzer closed my career with the Fish with a real bang, and ever since I've felt happy knowing that he's still rockin' away. Nice guy, great attitude, and a presence 100 times bigger than his jeans. If you ever meet him, treat him with respect! He's the real thing.