The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner reports that Crazy Town’s main vocalist, Shifty Shellshock, passed away at the age of 49.
Online coroner records state that Shellshock, whose true name was Seth Binzer, passed away at home on Monday, June 24.
Although it was reported by Rolling Stone that Binzer’s rep, Howie Hubberman said that the cause of death was an accidental drug overdose, it is yet to be confirmed.
Hubberman tells Rolling Stone that “Seth has been struggling with substance abuse problems for quite some time.” “Seth was dissatisfied with life’s constant struggle. Some people use a variety of coping mechanisms. It’s terrible that addiction and easy access to dangerous substances claim the lives of so many of us. Shifty was a tragic real-life story. Too soon, too hard, and too quickly.”
During the 2008 season of “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” and the two seasons of “Sober House” in 2009 and 2010, among other shows, Shellshock had been transparent about his battles with substance misuse. Shellshock stated, “I have a really good group of people around me,” on a Punk Rock MBA podcast in 2023. “I’m very grateful to be here.”
He went on to say that he was still creating music, characterizing it as “my therapy for myself.” If it helps me and nobody else understands, then I suppose it’s a good thing. And it’s much better if they adore it.”
The band was formerly known as the Brimstone Sluggers, but in 1995 Shellshock and Bret Mazur, also known as Epic, founded Crazy Town. According to the band’s Spotify profile, the two started sending letters to one other from rehabilitation facilities, which gave rise to the idea to establish what would become known as Crazy Town.
Following the publication of their debut album, “The Gift of Game,” in 1999, Crazy Town became well-known. Because of “Butterfly’s” popularity, the record peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard album list in 2001, which ranks the most popular albums. The song received much praise and topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for two weeks. Rolling Stone magazine called it “a sweetly floating ballad that’s atypical for these hard-rocking B-boys.”
In an earlier release of the year, Shellshock and the rock group Black Oxygen collaborated on a remix of “Butterfly” titled “Butterfly (New Anthem).” Along with Mark_CXT, DJ Rick One, Sean Heenan, and the other members of Crazy Town X, he also released an EP in March titled “Flirting With Disaster”.
Mr. Binzer wrote on Instagram about his sobriety at the end of April. He stated, “The one I need to love more, instead of fight with, is myself.”
Phoenix, Gage, and Halo are the three children survived by Binzer.