This week’s passing of Crazy Town vocalist Shifty Shellshock (aka Seth Binzer) was the result of an accidental overdose, according to his rep, Howie Hubberman. Shifty was found deceased in his Los Angeles, CA residence this past Monday, June 24th.
While an official investigation was launched into the cause of his death, Hubberman has since confirmed via (Rolling Stone) that the 49-year-old musician succumbed to his addiction issues.
Hubberman stated:
“Seth has been struggling with substance abuse problems for quite sometime. Seth was not happy with the daily struggle that’s called life. Some people cope in many different ways. It’s unfortunate we lose so many people to addiction and accessibility to harmful drugs. Shifty was a real-life tragedy. Too fast, too hard, too soon.”
Issues with addiction unfortunately played a large part in the life and times of Shellshock, who carried Crazy Town through numerous lineup shifts up to his death. Shifty took his addition issues public in 2008, appearing on two seasons of ‘Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew‘, in which he attempted to regain his sobriety over his addition to crack cocaine.
Sadly despite his many attempts to get clean, his struggles continued to persist, as his battles with addiction once again spilled into the public eye in 2023 with a bloody backstage brawl between himself and his then Crazy Town bandmate Bobby Reeves surfacing online.
Crazy Town were ejected from their tour at the time in light of the incident, with Jared Gomes of headliners (hed)p.e. stating:
“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 sh*t.”
Shellshock was arrested for a DUI two days after the aforementioned altercation. While Crazy Town would return to the stage several weeks later with an altered lineup after the violent incident and arrest, only a handful of shows would be played in the months that followed.
In May of last year, Shellshock openly discussed his addiction issues in the track “Faded“, a collaboration with We Are Pigs. In light of his passing, Shellshock‘s former bandmate in the outfit, co-founder Bret “Epic” Mazur, issued the following statement yesterday, June 25th:
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we have learned the passing of our dear friend and brother, Seth Binzer. As the other half of Crazy Town, Seth‘s incredible talent and larger-than-life personality left an indelible mark on all who knew him and on the music we created together.
Seth struggled with the challenges of maintaining sobriety throughout his life, a battle that he continuously fought privately and publicly. Despite the hardships, he brought immense joy and energy into the lives of those around him. I wish with all my heart that his story could have ended differently, but we find solace in the hope that Seth has finally found the peace he was searching for so desperately all these years.
Our Crazy Town family and I treasure the core memories from our younger years, the highs and lows, the laughter and the lessons and each moment contributed to who we are today. Seth‘s journey, marked by struggle, was also filled with moments of incredible creativity and love.
I want to take a quick moment to stress the importance of sobriety. For nearly 18 years, I have walked a sober path, and I urge anyone struggling to seek help and support, from myself or someone you trust. There is always hope, and a chance for a better tomorrow.
We will miss Seth more than words can express. His spirit will live on in the music we made and in the hearts of those who loved him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this incredibly difficult time.
Rest in peace, Seth. You will always be remembered and cherished.
With love and sorrow….God speed…ya’ boy
Bret “Epic” Mazur“
