Shifty Shellshock’s loved ones are planning a ‘grand’ celebration of life service in his honor at Academy LA following his tragic passing, at age 49, on June 24.
Nearly two months after his accidental overdose, the singer’s friends and family are coming together to pay tribute to his legacy and say their final goodbyes.
Epic Mazur, who formed the band Crazy Town with Shellshock, will reportedly ‘be speaking at the ceremony and is still deciding if he wants to do a musical tribute to his late bandmate.’
TMZ also confirmed that there will be DJ sets by Graham Funke, Lady Sinclair, Edski and Trixter at the event, which is being organized by Pasquale Rotella.
Other artists that worked with Shellshock are also expected to perform as well as some of his graffiti artist friends, who will be ‘creating murals from scratch.’
Shifty Shellshock’s loved ones are planning a ‘grand’ celebration of life service in his honor at Academy LA, located on Hollywood Boulevard, a month after his death; seen in 2013
The event flyer reads: ‘Please join us to support one another, share favorite memories, eat & drink and celebrate the beautiful and amazing life that brought light into ours.’
Due to the size of the venue, there is a cap on attendance.
Per TMZ, the event ‘was shared with close family members and friends first and not posted wide publicly.’
In June, Shellshock’s manager, Howie Hubberman, confirmed his client died as result of ‘a combination of prescription drugs and street purchased drugs’ to People.
The Butterfly hitmaker – whose birth name was Seth Binzer – died in his home in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Hubberman told the outlet that ‘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.
‘We all tried, but ultimately we all failed, or Shifty would still be here.’
Hubberman described Binzer as ‘a friend’ and said the singer ‘really wanted to get himself fixed’ but ‘unfortunately no one had the exact tools to do this.’
Nearly two months after his accidental overdose , the singer’s friends and family are coming together to pay tribute to his legacy and say their final goodbyes (pictured in 2023)
Officials with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner have not formally released Binzer’s cause of death, citing pending toxicology reports, according to the outlet.
Back in 2012, Binzer – who battled with substance abuse over the years – was admitted to a hospital after losing consciousness and had been in a coma before being released.
The musician recently opened up about getting sober and his battle ‘with himself’.
He wrote on Instagram eight weeks ago: ‘I’m a lover than a fighter… but the one I need to love more, instead of fight with, is myself… Mr shifty true love #Sober, alive and grateful.’
Binzer struggled with drug addiction for many years and appeared on the reality television series Celebrity Rehab 1 and 2 and Sober House 1 and 2.
He is survived by three sons from three relationships.
Binzer shares one son Halo, with ex-wife Melissa Clark. The pair married in 2002, but Melissa filed for divorce in 2011 after the couple had been separated for six years. He later dated a woman named Tracy with whom he welcomed son Gage.
Binzer began a relationship with Jasmine Lennard in 2010 and the pair share son Phoenix. Their relationship ended after his arrest in 2012.
Epic Mazur, who formed the band Crazy Town with Shellshock, will reportedly ‘be speaking at the ceremony and is still deciding if he wants to do a musical tribute to his late bandmate’
TMZ also confirmed that there will be DJ sets by Graham Funke, Lady Sinclair, Edski and Trixter at the event, which is being organized by Pasquale Rotella; seen in 2003
His band’s noughties classic, Butterfly, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and was number one in several other countries including Austria, Denmark, and Norway.
It samples Pretty Little Ditty from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 1989 album Mother’s Milk, so the group are credited as songwriters.
Their debut album, The Gift of Game, sold more than 1.5 million copies. However, after their 2002 follow-up Darkhorse was a flop, they parted ways.
They reformed in 2007 and were back on stage in 2009. Their third album, The Brimstone Sluggers, followed in 2015.
In January 2017, Mazur – who was nicknamed Epic – announced his departure from the band, with Rick Dixon, Nick Diiorio and Kevin Kapler also quitting that April.
Binzer then added an ‘X’ next to the band’s name, because it’s ‘used by gangs to symbolise a territory that has just been won’.
In November 2019, Crazy Town’s tour van crashed into a moose in Ontario, Canada, with members, including Binzer, treated for bruises and cuts at the hospital.
Crazy Town – Binzer, DJ Rick One and Mark White – last toured in 2023 with Hed PE.
Binzer struggled with drug addiction for many years and appeared on the reality television series Celebrity Rehab 1 and 2 and Sober House 1 and 2; seen with his band, Crazy Town, in 2000
Binzer also had a solo career and joined forces with British producer and musician Paul Oakenfold to supply the vocals for his 2002 hit Starry Eyed Surprise.
His debut solo album, Happy Love Sick, was released in 2004. He also formed Shifty and The Big Shots in 2010.
Binzer was often in trouble with the law, with crimes including attempted burglary; and selling and using recreational drugs.
Binzer was in a relationship with Jasmine Lennard in 2010, but police were called to a domestic disturbance between the pair the following year.
In 2022, he started romancing his childhood friend, Punky Brewster actress Soleil Moon Frye, 47, when he was arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles.
Tributes from fans poured in on X, formerly Twitter, after the announcement of his sudden passing.
They shared sentiments such as ‘Rip shifty shellshock;’ ‘RIP to Shifty Shellshock of Crazy Town. I hope he found peace;’ and ‘Slide Along Side by Shifty Shellshock was always on my playlist as a kid.’
Other memorials read: ‘RIP Shifty Shellshock from Crazy Town. There’s no denying Butterfly was an absolute banger’; and ‘deeply saddened by the news that Crazy Town’s Shifty Shellshock passed away. Butterfly is, unironically, one of my all-time favorite songs.’
