Crazy Town frontman and 'Butterfly' singer, Shifty Shellshock, passes away at 49
Shifty Shellshock, the frontman of the American rap rock band Crazy Town, has passed away at the age of 49.
Shellshock, real name Seth Binzer, died at his Los Angeles home on Monday, June 24, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's website. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
Bret "Epic" Mazur, the co-founder of the band, took to social media to mourn the passing of Shellshock, who he called "the other half of Crazy Town."
"It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we have learned the passing of our dear friend and brother, Seth Binzer," wrote Mazur. "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."
Mazur shared that Shellshock had struggled with maintaining sobriety throughout the course of his life, a battle that he fought in private and in the public eye.
"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," he said.
Shellshock and Mazur met in 1992 and started making music under the name Brimstone Sluggers, according to a report by Variety on Tuesday. By the late '90s, their act was renamed Crazy Town and saw the addition of new members: Rust Epique, James Bradley Jr., Doug Miller, Adam Goldstein, and Antonio Lorenzo "Trouble" Valli.
Crazy Town is best known for the chart-topping 2000 hit "Butterfly" from the group's debut studio album "The Gift of Game," with the song rocketing to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Other popular tracks in the album include "Revolving Door," "Toxic," and more.
Shellshock also appeared in the reality TV shows "Celebrity Rehab" and "Sober House," where he shared about his struggles with addiction and his journey in getting treatment.
— CDC, GMA Integrated News