Crazy Town singer Shifty Shellshock dies, aged 49
The frontman, born Seth Binzer, was best known for his band's 2000 hit Butterfly.
Shifty Shellshock, the lead singer of American rap rock band Crazy Town, has died at the age of 49.
The frontman, born Seth Binzer, was best known for the group's 2000 hit Butterfly, which reached number three in the UK singles chart and was certified platinum.
His death was confirmed by the Los Angeles Medical Examiner, who noted that he was found dead at home. No further details have been revealed.
Binzer founded Crazy Town in 1995 with Bret 'Epic' Mazur, and the pair went on to release their first studio album The Gift of Game four years later.
They released their second album, Darkhorse, in 2002 but split the following year. They reunited and put out their third LP, The Brimstone Sluggers, in 2015, before Mazur departed the band in 2017.
Binzer had previously battled addiction and appeared on VH1 reality shows Celebrity Rehab and Sober House, speaking candidly about his personal struggles.
"I was amazed at how screwed up my life got, it was like an overnight disaster," he told NOVA FM in 2012. "I was this kid who just loved making music... and you can't ever predict or guess you're going to have a song that's that massive. All of a sudden I had really deep pockets, and I had a lot of money.
"A lot of my close friends passed away or disappeared and all of a sudden I had this crowd of people around me that were fake... and then I went through a break-up with my wife who I had my first baby with and I kind of had a mid-life crisis where I was mad at the world."
Fans and fellow music stars have paid tribute to Binzer, with LA photographer Mike Azria writing on Instagram: "RIP old friend… remember you best as a kid in a skateboard with the entire world in front of you… sending love to your family."
