Crazy Town: Butterfly singer Shifty Shellshock dies, aged 49

Shifty Shellshock, the lead singer of the rap-rock group Crazy Town, passed away at the age of 49.

The singer became famous for their song Butterfly in 2001. It topped the charts in the US and reached number three in the UK.

Seth Binzer, who originally went by the name "Shifty Shellshock," was the mastermind behind the formation of Crazy Town back in 1995. He later found success collaborating with DJ Paul Oakenfold on the popular club hit, Starry Eyed Surprise.

But, he faced challenges with substance abuse all his life, openly discussing his struggles on TV programs like Celebrity Rehab and its companion show, Sober House.

He was discovered deceased at his residence in Los Angeles on Monday 24 June. The reason for his death has not been revealed.

Born in 1974, Binzer was raised in an environment surrounded by the music industry.

His dad Rollin Binzer was in charge of the 1973 movie Ladies And Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones and created artwork for recordings by Chess Records. His mom, Leslie Brooks, worked as a model.

After listening to the Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill album, he felt motivated to start creating rap music. He joined forces with Bret “Epic” Mazur during a recording session in the early 1990s, which led to the formation of Crazy Town.

Originally planned as a rap group with a live band, they struggled to find success at the beginning.

The initial two songs from their first album, The Gift Of The Game, did not make it onto the charts. Additionally, the band decided to pull out of the Ozzfest festival in 2000, following Binzer's arrest for tossing a chair out of a window while under the influence of alcohol.

Nevertheless, the album also included Butterfly - a relaxed romantic tune that borrowed a riff from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers' instrumental track, Pretty Little Ditty.

Launched in 2001, it quickly gained popularity, mainly because of Binzer's infectious chorus: "Come my lady / Come, come my lady / You're my butterfly / Sugar, baby".

He explained that the song was created as a contrast to the more sexist lyrics he had written before.

"We were creating music like Lollipop Porn when I was single, and then out of nowhere I found myself in a romantic relationship," he remembered in Fred Bronson’s book featuring top-charting songs.

I was head over heels, and she questioned, 'What's the deal with all these song lyrics? Is this how you really are?'

This inspired me to write a song for her. Instead of creating a song that was male-dominated, I decided to write something affectionate and kind for a special girl in my life.

However, the band was hesitant to release the song as a standalone track because they were concerned that it would become their sole defining sound.

Binzer expressed that a song like Butterfly is a guaranteed hit. It seems to be a fan favorite regardless of their preferences.

The song is popular on the radio and has a strong following among female listeners. Despite its widespread appeal, I believe we have stayed true to our artistic vision.

His forecast was right on target. Crazy Town was unable to replicate the popularity of their most successful song. Their following single, Revolving Door, peaked at number 23 in the UK, and they never managed to make a mark on the charts again.

The band Crazy Town broke up in 2002 due to underwhelming sales of their second album, Darkhorse.

After leaving the band, Binzer decided to go solo and put out his own album called Happy Love Sick. The album did pretty well in Europe and gained some attention.

In that time, he also put out Starry Eyed Surprise, which made it to the sixth spot on the UK charts.

Binzer and Mazur came back together to make another Crazy Town album called The Brimstone Sluggers in August 2015. After that, Mazur left the band for good and Binzer changed the name to Crazy Town X.

The performer was honest about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, and talked about his time behind bars when he was younger. He mentioned getting into trouble for violent offenses, like using a gun, and also admitted to selling illegal substances.

In 2012, he was taken into custody for harming a family member and having cocaine in his possession. That same year, he had to be rushed to the hospital because he passed out and ended up in a coma before eventually waking up.

He was taken into custody for drunk driving in 2022; and was kicked off a Nu Metal tour the previous year following a violent altercation with his bandmate, Bobby Reeves, which was caught on camera after a show in South Carolina.

As reported by Stereogum, the duo reconciled and Crazy Town performed concerts alongside Binzer as recently as May 2024.

The musician's three children, named Halo, Gage, and Phoenix, are still living.