Crazy Town singer Shifty Shellshock dies at the age of 49 after battle for sobriety

Shifty Shellshock, the frontman of Crazy Town, known for their hit Butterfly, has tragically passed away at the age of 49.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed that Seth Binzer, better known by his stage name Shifty Shellshock, died on June 24. However, the cause of death has not yet been announced.

He had a history of drug abuse and was hospitalized in 2012 after falling into a coma, but later recovered.

Recently, the musician has spoken openly about his journey to sobriety and self-love, sharing an intimate post on Instagram just eight weeks ago: “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).”

His struggles have also been documented through his appearances on reality TV shows such as “Celebrity Rehab” and “Sober House.”

Shifty formed Crazy Town with Bret Mazur in 1999 and they shot to fame when their single Butterfly shot to the top of the US charts in 2000. The song, which samples the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Pretty Little Ditty, became a defining anthem of the early 2000s, reaching number 3 in the UK in April 2001.

Despite their success, the band faced challenges, including an incident in 2000 in which Seth was arrested for throwing a chair out of a window while under the influence of alcohol. The band was subsequently dropped from the Ozzfest lineup that same year.

Their debut album The Gift of Game sold over 1.5 million copies. However, after their follow-up Darkhorse from 2002 was a flop, they parted ways. They reformed in 2007 and were back on 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 that year, Rick Dixon, Nick Diiorio and Kevin Kapler also left the band. Seth then added an “X” next to the band name because it is “used by gangs to symbolize territory they have just conquered.”

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

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

Seth also pursued a solo career, teaming up with British producer and musician Paul Oakenfold to provide vocals on his 2002 hit “Starry Eyed Surprise”, which reached number 6 in the UK charts in September 2002.

His debut solo album, “Happy Love Sick,” was released in 2004. He also founded “Shifty and The Big Shots” in 2010.

Seth frequently came into trouble with the law, including 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.

He 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 dating childhood friend and Punky Brewster actress Soleil Moon Frye (47), around the time he was arrested for drunk driving in Los Angeles.