Crazy Town singer Shifty Shellshock (born Seth Binzer) reportedly died at the age of 49 yesterday (June 24).
Newsweek reports that Binzer was found dead in his home and that no cause of death has been determined at this time. The Los Angeles medical examiner is said to have confirmed the singer’s death.
Binzer, who would’ve turned 50 in August, rose to fame in the early 2000s when Crazy Town released their smash hit “Butterfly” off their debut album The Gift of Game. The track hit No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart and its success helped the nu-metal group earn their only platinum record.
Crazy Town’s second album, 2002’s Darkhorse failed to achieve any sort of similar success and the band split up the following year.
Crazy Town, “Butterfly”
Meanwhile, Binzer was contending with substance abuse and addiction, which had caused some issues for the group, such as getting booted off Ozzfest in 2000 after an arrest over a drunken antic. Such problems followed the group even up until recently. In April of 2023, (hed)p.E. removed Crazy Town from the Nu-Metal Madness 2 tour after Binzer engaged in a fistfight with his bandmate after missing a show.
“Because of what’s going on with Seth and Crazy Town right now — Seth needs help. We can’t just sit by while he’s on the road, battling demons to the death. He needs to get off the road and deal with that shit. You’ve seen the video. If it was just a fistfight between band members, maybe I could be the first one to mediate that shit. But this is a lot deeper,” (hed)p.e. said at the time.
Binzer had previously sought assistance in overcoming his addictions. He appeared on the first two seasons of the reality TV shows Celebrity Rehab and Sober House. Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler and late Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr were among the participants on the programs as well.
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After breaking up in 2003, Crazy Town reformed in 2007 and, in 2015, released their third record, The Brimstone Sluggers, which references the moniker Binzer and co-founder Bret “Epic” Mazur went under. Although another album was never released, Binzer kept the nu-metal group active, having recently released a handful of singles under the name Crazy Town X.
Eight weeks ago, Binzer shared his last Instagram post — a photo of a person dressed in all black among others dressed in all white, the words “real is rare, fake is everywhere” at the top. In the caption, he wrote, “To the ones who stay even when I try my hardest to scare [them] away,” followed by an emoji of a black heart.
Loudwire extends our condolences to the Binzer family and all who knew and loved Seth. Rest in peace.
If you or someone you know is struggling with drug and/or alcohol dependence, help is available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website. To speak to someone on the phone, dial 1-800-622-HELP (1-800-622-4357) or send a text message to 1-800-487-4889.
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Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
