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Seth Binzer a.k.a. Shifty Shellshock’s struggle with addiction is what ultimately caused his death, according to his manager Howie Hubberman.
“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 told PEOPLE magazine. “We all tried, but ultimately we all failed, or Shifty would still be here.”
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Binzer was found dead at his home in his L.A. home on June 24. An official cause of death from the agency has not been released.
However, Hubberman revealed to the outlet what he says is the cause.
“The cause of death was a combination of prescription drugs and street-purchased drugs,” he explained. “Shifty was a friend and really wanted to get himself fixed — unfortunately no one had the exact tools to do this, myself included.”
In the ’90s, Binzer and Bret “Epic” Mazur formed the rap-rock band Crazy Town. Their early ’00s hit “Butterfly” made them a hit peaking at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2001. The group split up in 2003 shortly after their album “Darkhorse” was released.
The band reunited in 2007. In 2015 they released their third album “The Brimstone Sluggers.” Two years later Mazur left the band and Binzer renamed it to Crazy Town X.
Binzer was always very open about his addiction struggles.
He appeared on two seasons of the VH1 reality series “Celebrity Rehab.” He later appeared on the follow-up show “Sober House” for two seasons as well.
Following Binzer’s death, Mazur took to Facebook to pen a heartfelt note about his former bandmate.
“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,” he wrote.
Mazur also touched on Binzer’s “challenges of maintaining sobriety throughout his life,” he called it “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.”
“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,” Mazur said towards the end of his post.
Binzer is survived by his three children Halo, Gage and Phoenix.
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