The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed that the musician died at his home on Monday, June 24
Shifty Shellshock, known to his friends and family as Seth Binzer, has sadly passed away at the age of 49.
It was confirmed by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner that Seth died at his Los Angeles home on Monday, June 24. While the cause of his passing is yet to be determined, the artist’s influence in the music world remains undeniable.
Seth Binzer, widely recognized by his stage name Shifty Shellshock, was one of the founding members of the band Crazy Town. Alongside his partner Bret “Epic” Mazur, they launched their musical journey back in 1992 with a group known as the Brimstone Sluggers. Later, they rebranded to Crazy Town in 1995, assembling a band that included Rust Epique, James Bradley Jr., Doug Miller, Adam Goldstein, and Antonio Lorenzo “Trouble” Valli.
The band’s debut album, The Gift of Game, released in 1999, featured the hit song “Butterfly.” The track, a favorite of many during the early 2000s, earned a place in the soundtrack of the film Something’s Gotta Give, starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton.
Although their second album, Darkhorse, released in 2002, didn’t replicate the success of their debut, the bond among the band members persisted. After some years apart, they reunited under the original Brimstone Sluggers name in 2015, and later rebranded as Crazy Town X in 2017 after Bret Mazur’s departure.
During their hiatus, Shifty pursued a solo career and in 2004, he released an album titled Happy Love Sick. Additionally, he collaborated with English music producer Paul Oakenfold on the track “Starry Eyed Surprise,” which achieved notable recognition, peaking at No. 6 on the U.K. charts.
Seth battled with substance abuse over the years, which led him to appear on VH1’s reality shows Celebrity Rehab and Sober House in an effort to address his struggles. In 2012, Seth was hospitalized after losing consciousness and falling into a coma, a challenging period he fortunately survived.
However, Seth’s life also came with legal troubles. In 2012, he faced charges for battery and drug possession, and in 2022, he was arrested for DUI. More recently, he was involved in a dispute with bandmate Bobby Reeves in 2023, showing the ongoing tumult in his personal life.
Following the news of Seth’s passing, fans flooded his Instagram posts with heartfelt tributes. “RIP old friend… remember you best as a kid on a skateboard with the entire world in front of you… sending love to your family ❤️👏,” one follower wrote on an April 27th post. Another expressed, “Speechless… Rest in Peace, my Childhood Hero. Gonna miss you 💔.”
