Shifty Shellshock of Crazy Town dies at 49: Lead singer who struggled with drug abuse for years

Shifty Shellshock from Crazy Town has died at the age of 49.

The Butterfly singer, whose real name was Seth Binzer, died on June 24, according to the Los Angeles coroner.

The cause of death is currently unknown.

In 2012, Binzer, who had struggled with drug abuse for years, was hospitalized after losing consciousness and was in a coma before his release.

The musician recently spoke openly about his withdrawal and his struggle with himself.

Eight weeks ago he wrote on Instagram: “I’m more of a lover than a fighter… but the one I need to love more than fight with is myself… Mr. Shifty True Love #Sober, Alive and Grateful (sic)”

Binzer struggled with drug addiction for many years and appeared in the reality TV series Celebrity Rehab 1 and 2 and Sober House 1 and 2.

He met co-frontman Bret Mazur in 1992 and they initially performed under the name Brimstone Sluggers.

In 1999 they formed Crazy Town and a year later they were scheduled to tour as part of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne’s Ozzfest, but Binzer was arrested for throwing a chair out of the window while drunk.

Released in 2000, the 2000s classic “Butterfly” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and also reached number one in several other countries, including Austria, Denmark and Norway.

It contains a sample of Pretty Little Ditty from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 1989 album Mother’s Milk; the group is therefore credited as the songwriter.

Their debut album “The Gift of Game” sold over 1.5 million copies.

However, after their successor “Darkhorse” from 2002 was a flop, they parted ways.

They reformed in 2007 and returned to the stage in 2009. Their third album, The Brimstone Sluggers, followed in 2015.

In January 2017, Mazur – who went by the nickname Epic – announced his departure from the band. In April of the same year, Rick Dixon, Nick Diiorio and Kevin Kapler also left the band. Binzer then added an “X” next to the band name because it is “used by gangs to symbolize a territory they have just conquered”.

In November 2019, Crazy Town’s tour bus collided with a moose in Ontario, Canada. The members, including Binzer, had to be treated in hospital for bruises and cuts.

Crazy Town – Binzer, DJ Rick One and Mark White – last toured with Hed PEm in 2023, with the shows taking place outside a venue in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, despite a bloody altercation between Binzer and the group’s singer, Bobby Reeves.

Binzer also pursued a solo career, teaming up with British producer and musician Paul Oakenfold to provide vocals on his 2002 hit “Starry Eyed Surprise.”

His debut solo album “Happy Love Sick” was released in 2004.

In 2010 he also founded Shifty and The Big Shots.

Binzer frequently came into conflict with the law due to crimes such as attempted burglary and the sale and use of recreational drugs.

He has two children, a son named Halo from his marriage to Melissa Clark. And a son named Gage with a woman named Tracy.

Binzer was in a relationship with Jasmine Lennard in 2010, but the following year the police were called because of a domestic dispute between the two.

In 2022, he began a romance with his childhood friend, Punky Brewster actress Soleil Moon Frye, 47, when he was arrested in Los Angeles for driving under the influence.