The RIP Thread

[Frothy Afterbirth]

Shifty Shellshock, Frontman of Crazy Town, Dead at 49

The musician, born Seth Binzer, co-founded the rap rock band in the Nineties that scored the Number One single "Butterfly" in 2001
By LARISHA PAUL June 25, 2024



Christopher Polk/WireImage

Crazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock has died at the age of 49. The musician, born Seth Binzer, was discovered at his home on Monday, according to ABC7, which cites the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. No additional details regarding the circumstances of his death have been revealed.

Binzer co-founded Crazy Town with Bret Mazur in 1999 after making music together under different monikers for a few years. The rap-rock group received success relatively quickly, releasing their debut album, The Gift of the Game, in November 1999 and scoring their first Number One single in March 2001 with “Butterfly,” which features a sample of the band’s one-time tour mates, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

“The Peppers are a huge inspiration to us,” Binzer told Rolling Stone in 2001, detailing the support Anthony Kiedis offered when he turned to substance abuse during a particularly rough breakup. “Anthony found me and took me to lunch — where I tried to borrow money from him so I could get high. I didn’t finish my rampage for a couple of days, but he showed me that I had people who were worried and cared about me. Anthony’s this angel who appeared in my life.”

Crazy Town briefly disbanded in 2003 following their second album, Darkhorse, and Binzer released his debut solo album, Happy Love Sick, in 2004. The record featured “Starry Eyed Surprise,” his collaboration with British producer and musician Paul Oakenfold. He also acted for a brief period in the Nineties after being street-cast in a Levi’s commercial.

Shellshock had been open about his struggles with addiction and appeared on two seasons of VH1’s Celebrity Rehab and two seasons of its follow-up show Sober House, during which he discussed his journey with sobriety.

Binzer is survived by three children: Halo, Gage, and Phoenix.

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[Frothy Afterbirth]

Martin Mull, comic and actor known for 'Clue,' 'Roseanne' and more, dead at 80
His TV roles also included "Fernwood 2 Night" and "Arrested Development."

By Christopher Watson via GMA
June 28, 2024, 7:57 PM


Harmony Gerber/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Martin Mull, the comic, actor and musician best known for roles in "Roseanne," "Clue," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and many others, has died at age 80, according to his daughter.

"I am heartbroken to share that my father passed away at home on June 27th, after a valiant fight against a long illness," Maggie Mull wrote on her Instagram. "He was never not funny. My dad will be deeply missed by his wife and daughter, by his friends and coworkers, by fellow artists and comedians and musicians, and—the sign of a truly exceptional person—by many, many dogs. I loved him tremendously."

His rep, Jennifer Craig, confirmed to ABC News Mull's death, "Yes this is sadly true."

In a career that spanned six decades, Mull was a familiar face in a wide variety of roles but specialized in playing egotistical or otherwise insufferable characters unaware of their own shortcomings. His pretentious talk show host Barth Gimble in the short-lived but cult favorite 1977 talk show satire "Fernwood 2 Night," with Fred Willard playing his sidekick, introduced Mull and his comedic sensibility to America.

Mull worked steadily from that point forward, appearing in nearly 40 films and more than 50 TV series. He had a seven-season recurring role on "Roseanne" as Roseanne's business partner, Leon Carp, and played the overbearing Principal Kraft for three seasons of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." Mull also made notable appearances on shows including "Arrested Development," "Two and a Half Men," "Community" and many others, and was Emmy nominated for his role as political aide Bob Bradley on HBO's "Veep."

In film, Mull's memorable roles included "Mr. Mom," as the supercilious boss of Terri Garr's character, and is credited with coming up with the movie's oft-quoted "220, 221, whatever it takes" line. He also played Colonel Mustard in the fan-favorite 1985 comedy "Clue," and Justin Gregory in the Robin Williams 1993 movie smash "Mrs. Doubtfire."

Mull was also a singer, songwriter and musician, and was known for performing humorous songs during his stand-up sets. He also released eleven albums of mostly humorous music, all but one of them in the 1970s. He was popular enough to open for mainstream music acts of the day, including Randy Newman, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and others.

Off-screen, Mull was a lifelong painter, having earned a master's degree in painting in the late 1960s, prior to embarking on his performance career. His work was exhibited and sold in galleries around the country throughout his life.

Mull was married twice and had one child, a daughter.

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