Shifty Shellshock
Shifty Shellshock |
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Shifty Shellshock is the pseudonym for Seth Brooks Binzer (born August 23, 1974)[1], a co-founder/front man of Crazy Town and solo music artist.
Music career
Binzer met fellow Crazy Town front-man Bret Mazur in 1992, they started collaborating under the name "The Brimstone Sluggers". By early 1999, they formed the group Crazy Town.[2] In 2000 Crazy Town was signed to tour with Ozzfest; however they were forced to withdraw after only two weeks when Binzer was arrested after he threw a chair through a window while he was drunk.[2][3]
The band's single Butterfly reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[4] prompting sales of their debut album, The Gift of Game, to exceed 1.5 million.[5]
Their 2002 follow-up album, Darkhorse,[6] was a commercial failure by comparison, and the band broke up shortly after its release. During Crazy Town's hiatus, Binzer released his first solo album, Happy Love Sick, in 2004. Crazy Town announced they had reformed in 2007,[7] and performed live for the first time in five years in August 2009.[8] They are currently working on a third album.
Personal life
In a 2001 interview with Rolling Stone Binzer admitted to spending three months in the California Institution for Men following an attempted break and entry, to selling and using recreational drugs over a period of several years, as well as to struggling with drug addiction.[2]
He has one son named Halo.
Addiction problems and Reality shows
Celebrity Rehab 1
Following his struggle with substance abuse, Binzer was one of nine celebrities featured in the first season of VH1's Celebrity Rehab, which premiered on January 10, 2008. Upon arrival at the Pasadena Recovery Center (which was filmed as part of Celebrity Rehab's first episode) Binzer was in a sober state, but brought along a couple of Red Stripe beers, which were quickly confiscated and given to his close friend and Dark Carnival recording artist Anthony Sorge, who was denied treatment at the facility for his "belligerent attitude." Binzer told Dr. Drew Pinsky that he is motivated to achieve sobriety and admitted that cocaine will be the toughest drug for him to avoid.[9]
Celebrity Rehab 2
He graduated from treatment with the other cast members in the summer of 2007, but subsequently appeared towards the end of Celebrity Rehab 2, following a relapse. Dr. Drew and Binzer's sponsor retrieved him from his hotel room where he had been using and brought him to the Pasadena Recovery Center where they, along with Bob Forrest, pleaded with him to reenter treatment immediately. Binzer agreed to reenter treatment but said he needed "an hour or two" to "chill" and "get a cup of coffee", so he can ready himself for treatment. Realizing that his subterfuge was not fooling anyone (he wanted the time to have another fix), he admitted his intentions saying "even though I don't like the drugs, I like 'em". As Binzer got up to leave Dr. Drew said to Binzer's sponsor "If he stops breathing call the paramedics." Under the supervision of his sponsor, Binzer scored drugs and returned to the rehab facility that night in an intense state of crack cocaine induced intoxication and smoked the remainder of his crack on the roof. He eventually entered the facility and reentered treatment.
Sober House 1
Binzer also appeared on a follow-up show entitled Sober House. However, on July 25, 2008 while shooting scenes for the show, he was at a club and was insulted by someone- Seth reacted to the situation by walking out on production and embarking on a heavy relapse. To the annoyance of Dr. Drew, Bob Forrest and several of his housemates, he treated his relapse like a game and sent everyone coded videos on his MySpace about his current location. William Smith, an employee of Dr. Drew, eventually sought out Binzer at a motel and brought him back to the rehab facility.[10] An embarrassed Binzer pledged to Smith and Dr. Drew that the binge he embarked on was his last. On the show's final episode Binzer is shown in the preliminary stages of being signed to a record producer for a new song, and resolves to stay sober.
Sober House 2
On the August 30, 2009 episode of Loveline Dr. Drew eulogized Binzer's bandmate Adam Goldstein (aka DJ AM), who died two days previous of an accidental drug overdose shortly after breaking 11 years of sobriety. During the tribute Dr. Drew mentioned that Binzer's problems with addiction continued after Sober House 1, eventually leading Binzer to take part in Sober House 2. Dr. Drew said that after the filming of Sober House 2 Binzer finally appeared to be on the correct path and is doing "fantastically." Drew voiced his hope that Goldstein's death will inspire Binzer to remain sober.
Solo discography
Albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2004 | Happy Love Sick
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ITA [11] |
UK [12] |
SWE [13] |
SWI [14] |
FRA [15] |
AUS [16] |
NLD [17] |
GER [18] |
NZ [19] |
US Hot 100 [20] |
US Top 40 [20] | ||
| 2002 | Starry Eyed Surprise (featured with Paul Oakenfold) |
— | 6 | — | — | — | 37 | 53 | — | 19 | 41 | 13 |
| 2004 | Slide Along Side | 11 | 29 | 36 | 42 | 45 | 48 | 24 | 63 | — | — | 38 |
| Turning Me On | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes a single that didn't chart | ||||||||||||
Filmography
Binzer has appeared in two films. He had a minor role in the 1994 film Clifford, and played the lead role in the 2004 short film Willowbee.[1]
References
- ^ a b Seth Binzer profile BuddyTV.com
- ^ a b c 28/Feb/2001 Rollingstone.com - Shifty Shellshock Interview
- ^ Crazy Town leaves Ozzfest after arrest
- ^ MTV.com - Crazy Town Biography
- ^ 10/Jan/2002 Allbusiness.com - Billboard Bits: Crazy Town, Nelly, Ny Metropolis Fest
- ^ 23/Sep/2002 MTV.com - Crazy Town Take On All Comers With Darkhorse
- ^ 06/Dec/2007 MTV.com - Kris Kross, Crazy Town, EMF, Extreme And More Unmemorable Reunions, In Our Year-End Top 10s
- ^ 26/Aug/2009 Creative Mac - '...Crazytown Reunites As a Group for the First Time in Five Years...'
- ^ Celebrity Rehab Official site at VH1.com
- ^ TMZ.com Shifty Shellshock falls off sober living wagon
- ^ Italian Charts - Shifty
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 496. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Swedish Charts - Shifty
- ^ Swiss Charts - Shifty
- ^ French Charts - Shifty
- ^ Australian Charts Search for 'Shifty' and 'Paul Oakenfold'
- ^ Dutch Charts Search for 'Shifty' and 'Paul Oakenfold'
- ^ German Charts - Shifty
- ^ New Zealand Charts - Starry Eyed Surprise
- ^ a b Allmusic Search for 'Shifty' and 'Paul Oakenfold'