Comer Cottrell Dead -- Jheri Curl Guru Dies

Comer Cottrell -- whose Curly Kit made the Jheri curl an insanely popular hairstyle among African-Americans in the '70s and '80s -- has died. He was 82.

Before Cottrell came along, the Jheri curl was a $200 process at a salon ... but his kit sold over-the-counter for about $8.00 ... and there was no turning back.

The hairstyle was famously parodied in "Coming to America" and the list of celebs who rocked it was epic: Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Eazy-E and Ice Cube ... and athletes like Deion Sanders, Eric Dickerson and Rickey Henderson.

He died last Friday.

Cottrell's soul is glowing in heaven now.