David Lynch, 'Blue Velvet' Director, Dead at 78

David Lynch -- the legendary of "Twin Peaks" has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

A family member tells TMZ ... Lynch passed away Wednesday at his daughter's house -- where he was staying during the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles.

While we don't know the cause of death yet, Lynch revealed just last year that he was diagnosed with emphysema after years of smoking and likely wouldn't be able to direct anymore or even leave his house.

Back in November, Lynch admitted he couldn't even walk without oxygen ... saying smoking had been an integral part of his life since he started at just eight years old.

Lynch started directing in the late 1960s -- gaining national recognition in 1977 when he wrote and directed the surrealist horror film "Eraserhead."

His career accelerated in the 1980s ... when Lynch released "The Elephant Man" and "Dune" before "Blue Velvet" -- the neo-noir thriller starring Isabella Rossellini and Kyle MacLachlan, the latter of whom would become a frequent collaborator with Lynch.

Lynch kicked off the 1990s by making the move to television in the early 1990s to direct the cult classic TV show "Twin Peaks" which spawned a movie and a 2017 reboot. He was nominated for his third and final Academy Award nomination for directing in 2002 for "Mulholland Drive." He was presented with an honorary Academy Award in 2019.

Lynch also appeared in movies from time to time ... and, he last showed his face onscreen in Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical movie "The Fabelmans" -- playing director John Ford.

The last time we saw Lynch was back in 2013, when he sang the praises of his coffee brand and the benefits of meditation.

Lynch was 78.