Crazy Town frontman Seth “Shifty Shellshock” Binzer wanted to get help for his drug addiction before he died this week, according to his manager, who on Thursday revealed the musician’s cause of death.
Howie Hubberman, who represented the Los Angeles native, confirmed that the Crazy Town co-founder and former reality star died of an accidental drug overdose, People reported. Binzer died Monday, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. He was 49.
Binzer “never was able to reach out on a more successful level to deal with his addictions,” Hubberman told People in a statement published Thursday.
He added: “We all tried, but ultimately, we all failed, or Shifty would still be here.”
Binzer formed Crazy Town, the rap-rock band behind the 2000 hit “Butterfly,” with Bret “Epic” Mazur in Los Angeles in 1995. The group split in 2003 but reunited in 2007.
Binzer was also a reality star who was open about his struggle with addiction on television shows from 2008 to 2010, including “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew” and “Sober House.”
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Binzer died at his home but did not disclose a cause of death amid the ongoing investigation. Hubberman, however, revealed that Binzer’s cause of death “was a combination of prescription drugs and street-purchased drugs.”
“Shifty was a friend and really wanted to get himself fixed,” Hubberman told People. “Unfortunately no one had the exact tools to do this, myself included.”
Mazur, in a statement posted Tuesday to Facebook, also reflected on his late collaborator’s addiction battle, one Binzer “continuously fought privately and publicly.”
“Despite the hardships, he brought immense joy and energy into the lives of those around him,” Mazur said. “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.”
The Crazy Town co-founder added: “His spirit will live on in the music we made and in the hearts of those who loved him.”
Mazur departed Crazy Town in 2017, and Binzer continued recording under the name Crazy Town X. In February, Crazy Town X released the four-track EP “Flirting With Disaster.”
