David Arquette pays tribute to ‘brother’ Shifty Shellshock after accidental overdose: We shared ‘the same struggles’
David Arquette is paying tribute to his good friend, Crazy Town vocalist Shifty Shellshock. The “Butterfly” singer — whose real name was Seth Binzer — died at his LA residence on Monday at age 49.
“I’m sending all my love to my brother Seth @therealcrazytown and his family. Shifty as I knew him when we first met during a graffiti battle in an LA yard,” Arquette captioned a montage of photos and videos via Instagram on Thursday.
“He was such an incredible man with a huge heart. We shared a lot of the same struggles and I want his family to find love and healing during this painful time,” he continued.
“Thank you for these beautiful photos @moonfrye Champions never die they only go on to fight somewhere else. Love you kid.”
Some of Arquette’s photos with Shellshock included hanging with actor Seth Green and “Punky Brewster” actress Soleil Moon Frye.
That same day, Shellshock’s band manager confirmed that the late musician died after taking a deadly “combination of prescription drugs and street purchased drugs,” he told People.
“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,” Howie Hubberman told the outlet. “We all tried, but ultimately we all failed, or Shifty would still be here.”
The “Scream” actor, 52, opened up about his own battles during an interview with IndieWire in March 2020.
“I’ve been sober for long periods of time. I’ve gone through programs. I’ve examined what works and what doesn’t for me. I’ve been smoking CBD with THC in it. Pot helps me with my moodiness. I get really moody and stressed. I’m really critical of myself sometimes,” he said at the time. “I don’t like doing all these psychopharmaceuticals that mess with my levels, because if I am acting, I want to be as crazy and sad as I can, or I want to be as happy and as full of love when I can. I never smoke pot or drink when I’m working.”
At the time, Arquette said he no longer drinks hard liquor and doesn’t “drink a lot of beer,” but “it’s always a slippery slope.”
“Addiction is different for everyone and a lot of people frown on what I’m saying. I’m just trying to be honest about it, so it’s not surprising to anybody,” he explained. “I understand if people will judge me for that, but I’m trying to live my life the best I can. I’ve just never been a full-on sober person.”
Shellshock, meanwhile, battled addiction for years and appeared on both VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab” and its follow-up show, “Sober House,” twice.
In 2012, he was reportedly arrested for battery and cocaine possession. Per Variety, that same year he was admitted to the hospital after losing consciousness and fell into a coma before recovering.
Years later, he was arrested for a DUI in Los Angeles in 2022, and charged with another DUI in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 2023.
The rapper’s group Crazy Town was formed in 1995 and are best known for their 2000 single “Butterfly,” which peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for two nonconsecutive weeks. The band disbanded in 2003 and was renamed Crazy Town X by Shellshock when they reconciled in 2017.
Shellshock is survived by his three children, Halo, Gage and Phoenix.
