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Crazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock died from the effects of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, a coroner has ruled, confirming his death was an accidental overdose.
The results from the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office were disclosed three months after the singer died at a residence in Los Angeles, aged 49.
Born Seth Binzer, he was best known as the lead singer for the rap-rock band Crazy Town, who found fame with their 1999 hit “Butterfly”.
The third track on their debut album, The Gift of Game, “Butterfly” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and went onto feature in the opening scenes of the 2004 rom-com Something’s Gotta Give, starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton.
However, the band struggled to follow up with any similar success. They went on hiatus following the release of their second album, Darkhorse, in 2003, then reunited in 2007 and released their third album, The Brimstone Sluggers, in 2015.
“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,” the band’s manager Howie Hubberman said in a statement on 27 June.
“We all tried, but ultimately we all failed, or Shifty would still be here.”
He continued: “The cause of death was a combination of prescription drugs and street-purchased drugs. Shifty was a friend and really wanted to get himself fixed. Unfortunately no one had the exact tools to do this, myself included.”
Binzer was open about his struggles with substance abuse, having appeared on seasons of the VH1 shows Celebrity Rehab and spin-off Sober House in the late Noughties, which addressed his cocaine addiction and attempts at recovery.
In 2012, he was arrested and sentenced to a three-year probation after being caught in possession of cocaine, TMZ reported. Shortly after this incident, he checked in to a drug and alcohol treatment centre intending to “restructure his life”.
In an Instagram post shared just weeks before his death, Binzer wrote candidly about dealing with addiction: “I’m a lover than a fighter,” he wrote. “But the one I need to love more Instead of fight with is myself .. mr shifty true Love [sic] Sober.”
He is survived by his son Halo, whom he shared with his first wife, Melissa Clark. The couple married in 2002 before divorcing in 2011, after being separated for several years.
He is survived by two other sons, Gage and Pheonix, with different partners.
If you have been affected by this article, you can contact the following organisations for support: actiononaddiction.org.uk, mind.org.uk, nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth, mentalhealth.org.uk.
