Shifty Shellshock - Biography

Seth Brooks Binzer (born August 23, 1974), better known by his stage name Shifty Shellshock is an American music artist, best known as founder and front man of Crazy Town. He has also had a solo music career after the breakup of the band and has had many appearances in various reality television series Celebrity Rehab 1 & 2 and Sober House 1 & 2.

Music career

Beginnings

A native to California, Binzer was a music fan from his childhood. His Jewish father, Rollin Binzer was a well-known artist and filmmaker. He had directed the Rolling Stones’ live movie Ladies and Gentlemen. Binzer had a love for a wide genre of bands (such as The Cure, Cypress Hill, LL Cool J, Beastie Boys and others. He began to discover his own personal style of music and started to record albums of his own with the Beastie Boys serving as his big inspiration.

He also spent part of his childhood in Marblehead, Massachusetts .

Crazy Town

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. 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.

The band's single, Butterfly, reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, prompting sales of their debut album, The Gift of Game, to exceed 1.5 million.

Their 2002 follow-up album, Darkhorse, was a commercial failure by comparison, and the band broke up shortly after its release.

Solo career

During Crazy Town's hiatus, Binzer collaborated with producer and musician Paul Oakenfold, contributing vocals to Oakenfold's hit single "Starry Eyed Surprise" . The track was for Oakenfold first solo studio album Bunkka. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in the US, Binzer said that the track known as "Starry Eyed Surprise" was created after the pair met at a Crazy Town show.

The single was a great success in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, reaching #6 on the UK Singles Chart and #41 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Binzer released his own first solo album, Happy Love Sick in 2004. He released two singles from the album: "Slide Along Side" a pan-European hit for Shifty that reached #29 in the UK with chart success in Italy, France, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. He followed it up with another release form the album, "Turning Me On", but it did not chart.

Crazy Town announced they had reformed in 2007, and performed live for the first time in five years in August 2009. Shifty and Crazy Town are currently working on a third album.

Shifty and the Big Shots

In 2010, Binzer fronted the group, Shifty and The Big Shots. They released their first single, "Save Me", on July 6, 2010. and followed it up with "City of Angels".

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.

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. Upon arrival at the Pasadena Recovery Centre (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. Binzer told Dr. Drew Pinsky that he was motivated to achieve sobriety and admitted that cocaine would be the toughest drug for him to avoid.

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 Centre 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 could 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, 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 titled Sober House. However, on July 25, 2008 while shooting scenes for the show, Binzer was insulted at a club and responded 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. 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 gave an emotional eulogy to his good friend (and Binzer's bandmate) Adam Goldstein (better known as DJ AM), who had died two days previously from 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. When filming for Sober House 2 began, Dr. Drew got a "distress call" from Seth (filmed as part of the season's second episode) and the two met, with Seth revealing to Drew that his thirst for drugs was still very much active, and that he needed more help. Dr. Drew reluctantly allowed him to take part in the show and firmly stated that it would be the last time Drew gave him treatment. Dr. Drew voiced his hope that Goldstein's death would inspire Binzer to remain sober. Binzer later thanked Dr. Drew for his tough love.

On March 27, 2011, police responded to a report of a domestic disturbance between Binzer and his girlfriend. Binzer was arrested for outstanding warrants and released later that day.

Discography

Albums

In Crazy Town

• 1999: The Gift of Game
• 2002: Darkhorse

Singles

In Crazy Town

• 1999: "Toxic"
• 2000: "Darkside"
• 2001: "Butterfly"
• 2001: "Revolving Door"
• 2002: "Drowning"
• 2003: "Hurt You So Bad"

Solo

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.

In 1995, he took part in Shark Hunters: Ultimate Tournament Series TV series.

Made a small appearance in the film Hustle & Flow starring Terence Howard as an employee in a liquor store

External links

• Shifty Binzer Official website
• Shifty and the Big Shots Official website
• Seth Binzer Videos