The family of Shifty Shellshock, the frontman of Crazy Town, has broken their silence on his death. The “Butterfly” singer, whose real name was Seth Binzer, died at his Los Angeles home on June 24 of an accidental drug overdose. He was 49.
In a statement obtained by The Sun, Binzer’s family said that the rocker’s “proudest accomplishments” were his three sons: Halo, Gage, and Phoenix. “To Seth, the world was art — he loved every part of it, from music and fashion to graffiti, skateboarding, and his hometown of Los Angeles,” the statement said. “He loved his three boys more than anything, and his dedication to his music and fans never wavered.”
Also in the statement, Binzer’s family acknowledged his experiences with substance abuse, which the star was always very open about. Early in his career, he appeared on VH1 shows Celebrity Rehab and Sober House. “Seth struggled with addiction throughout his life, he did so on a very public platform which was particularly challenging,” the statement said. “God knows he tried so hard to beat his demons but sadly he lost his battle.”
“Our hearts are shattered by his loss. Seth’s larger-than-life presence touched so many,” the statement continued. “Seth was a troubled soul but he was a beautiful one and he had a heart of gold.”
Crazy Town’s manager, Howie Hubberman, told PEOPLE that Binzer’s cause of death was “a combination of prescription drugs and street-purchased drugs.” “Seth Binzer, after struggling with addiction and Crazy Town’s rapid success with ‘Butterfly,’ never was able to reach out on a more successful level to deal with his addictions,” Hubberman said. “We all tried, but ultimately we all failed, or Shifty would still be here.”
“Shifty was a friend and really wanted to get himself fixed — unfortunately no one had the exact tools to do this, myself included,” he added.
Binzer first entered the music world in 1992 with fellow vocalist, rapper, and bandmate Bret “Epic” Mazur. The pair formed a group called the Brimstone Sluggers, which became Crazy Town in 1995, per Variety and Deadline. After Rust Epique, James Bradley Jr., Doug Miller, Adam Goldstein, and Antonio Lorenzo “Trouble” Valli joined the band, Crazy Town released its debut album, The Gift of Game, in 1999. The album’s third single, “Butterfly,” became the group’s first and only No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2002, Crazy Town dropped a second album before splitting the following year.
The “Butterfly” rocker, whose real name was Seth Binzer, died of an accidental drug overdose on June 24. The family of Shifty Shellshock, the frontman of Crazy Town, has broken their silence on his death. The “Butterfly” singer, whose real name was Seth Binzer, died at his Los Angeles home on June 24 of an accidental drug overdose. He was 49. In a statement obtained by The Sun, Binzer’s family said that the rocker’s “proudest accomplishments” were his three sons: Halo, Gage, and Phoenix. “To Seth, the world was art — he loved every part of it, from music and fashion to graffiti, skateboarding, and his hometown of Los Angeles,” the statement said. “He loved his three boys more than anything, and his dedication to his music and fans never wavered.”
Also in the statement, Binzer’s family acknowledged his experiences with substance abuse, which the star was always very open about. Early in his career, he appeared on VH1 shows Celebrity Rehab and Sober House. “Seth struggled with addiction throughout his life, he did so on a very public platform which was particularly challenging,” the statement said. “God knows he tried so hard to beat his demons but sadly he lost his battle.”
“Our hearts are shattered by his loss. Seth’s larger-than-life presence touched so many,” the statement continued. “Seth was a troubled soul but he was a beautiful one and he had a heart of gold.”
Crazy Town’s manager, Howie Hubberman, told PEOPLE that Binzer’s cause of death was “a combination of prescription drugs and street-purchased drugs.” “Seth Binzer, after struggling with addiction and Crazy Town’s rapid success with ‘Butterfly,’ never was able to reach out on a more successful level to deal with his addictions,” Hubberman said. “We all tried, but ultimately we all failed, or Shifty would still be here.”
“Shifty was a friend and really wanted to get himself fixed — unfortunately no one had the exact tools to do this, myself included,” he added.
Binzer first entered the music world in 1992 with fellow vocalist, rapper, and bandmate Bret “Epic” Mazur. The pair formed a group called the Brimstone Sluggers, which became Crazy Town in 1995, per Variety and Deadline. After Rust Epique, James Bradley Jr., Doug Miller, Adam Goldstein, and Antonio Lorenzo “Trouble” Valli joined the band, Crazy Town released its debut album, The Gift of Game, in 1999. The album’s third single, “Butterfly,” became the group’s first and only No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2002, Crazy Town dropped a second album before splitting the following year.
Source: The Sun, PEOPLE, Variety, Deadline
