Crazy Town’s Shifty Shellshock dead at 49: Lead singer – who battled with substance abuse over the years – passes away

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

The Butterfly hitmaker, whose birth name was Seth Binzer, died on June 24, according to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner.

There is currently no known cause of death.

In 2012, Seth, who had struggled with substance abuse over the years, was hospitalized after losing consciousness and being in a coma before being released.

The musician recently opened up about getting sober and his battle with himself.

He wrote on Instagram eight weeks ago: ‘I’m a lover than a fighter…but the one I should love more instead of fighting with is myself.. mr shifty true Love # Sober, alive and grateful (sic)’

Seth struggled with drug addiction for years and appeared on the reality TV series Celebrity Rehab 1 and 2 and Sober House 1 and 2.

Last June, a police mugshot of Seth went viral after the star was spotted looking completely unrecognizable from his days with the band.

Seth was arrested in Myrle Beach, South Carolina, for driving under the influence of alcohol last April.

He seemed a far cry from his days as a fresh-faced punk rocker as he stood in front of his mugshot after failing a field sobriety test.

Once known for his boyish good looks and sharp aesthetic, Seth appeared drawn and scruffy in the image.

Although his famous labrette piercing is still present, his face has been transformed over the years with extensive tattoos.

A police report obtained by TMZ states that local police stopped Seth after he was spotted weaving in and out of lanes in a black SUV.

Seth, whose battle with addiction has been well documented, reportedly appeared lethargic and slurred his speech before failing a sobriety test.

The incident occurred just a week after Seth and his Crazy Town bandmate Bobby Reeves were involved in a fistfight with each other following a concert in Myrtle Beach.

The argument between the musicians stemmed from anger that the group’s lead singer, Shellshock, was not present until the end of the show, TMZ reported at the time.

Co-singer Reeves sang in place of the absent Binzer and delivered a performance full of blunders and angry words for Binzer, as seen in a clip posted by a TikTok user.

Set eventually made his way to the concert and was seen in the social media clip in a heated argument with Reeves, who was later seen with a black eye.

In a clip published by TMZ, the band members were seen backstage arguing about money and repeatedly getting physical with each other, with Reeves making threats toward members of Binzer’s family.

“I think you’re a b**** a** motherf*****, a homeboy,” Reeves told Binzer in the clip.

The exchange was eventually broken up after Reeves hit Binzer and the pair scuffled on the ground.

Band insiders told the outlet that the exchange was a “fight between brothers” and that the pair have since reconciled.

Reeves confirmed this in a video he posted on Instagram, showing off his black eye in the aftermath of the conflict.

“Me and Shifty got into a little fight, but it’s all good, we’re brothers,” Reeves said. “I love you all, I love you too Shifty.”

Seth first met co-frontman Bret Mazur in 1992, and they first went by the name Brimstone Sluggers.

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

The 1990s classic Butterfly, released in 2000, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and was number one in several other countries, including Austria, Denmark and Norway.

It samples Pretty Little Ditty from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 1989 album Mother’s Milk, so the group is considered songwriters.

Their debut album, The Gift of Game, sold more than 1.5 million copies.

However, after their 2002 follow-up Darkhorse was a flop, they split up.

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 was nicknamed Epic – announced his departure from the band, and in April Rick Dixon, Nick Diiorio and Kevin Kapler also quit.

Binzer then added an “X” next to the band’s name because it is “used by gangs to symbolize an area that has just been conquered.”

In November 2019, Crazy Town’s tour bus crashed into a moose in Ontario, Canada, leaving members including Binzer hospitalized for bruises and cuts.

Crazy Town – Binzer, DJ Rick One and Mark White – last toured in 2023 with Hed PE. The shows went on despite a bloody fight between Binzer and the group’s lead singer Bobby Reeves outside a venue in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Binzer also had a solo career, joining forces with British producer and musician Paul Oakenfold to provide vocals for his 2002 hit Starry Eyed Surprise.

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

He also formed Shifty and The Big Shots in 2010.

Binzer was often in trouble with the law, with crimes such as attempted burglary and selling and using recreational drugs.

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

Binzer dated Jasmine Lennard in 2010, but the following year the police were called due to a domestic disturbance between the couple.

In 2022, he began romancing his childhood friend, Punky Brewster actress Soleil Moon Frye, 47, when he was arrested for drunk driving in Los Angeles.