Frankie Banali Quiet Riot Drummer Dead at 68
You might say God is feeling the 'Noize' now ... Quiet Riot's drummer, Frankie Banali, has died following his battle with pancreatic cancer.
Frankie died Thursday night in Los Angeles surrounded by loved ones, according to his wife, Regina, who said he lost his 16-month battle with cancer. Frankie's wife says chemotherapy stopped working and Frankie suffered a series of strokes, making it impossible to continue a clinical trial.
The rocker was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer on April 17, 2019 and Regina says doctors had given him 6 months to live.
While Frankie was not a founding member of the popular 80's metal band, he debuted with Quiet Riot way back in 1983 on their third album, "Metal Health," and played drums on 12 of the band's records.
Quiet Riot was the first metal band to top the Billboard charts with their mega-hit cover of "Cum on Feel the Noize" ... which opens with Frankie's signature LOUD sound on the drums.
This is the band's second loss ... lead singer Kevin Dubrow died back in 2007, and Frankie remembered him as his "dearest friend."
Frankie also played drums for W.A.S.P, performing on 7 albums. He's survived by his wife and daughter, Ashley.
Frankie was 68.
RIP
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Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Brave the Heat to Help Kids in Need ... Volunteering in L.A.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spent a hot summer day outside with a charity to provide food, supplies and smiles to children who could use all of the above.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex teamed up with L.A. nonprofit Baby2Baby this week to deliver the goods at a drive-through distribution at an elementary school in South L.A.
The org says Harry and Meghan helped its team hand out basic essentials, school supplies, hygiene products, clothing and meals to families with kids in desperate need during this unprecedented back-to-school season amid the pandemic.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
As you can see ... the former royals took proper COVID precautions by wearing masks and gloves, but didn't shy away from interacting with the families through their car windows, and made one lucky schoolboy's day.
The couple wore matching white shirts and shorts as L.A. is dealing with a major heatwave ... but they still managed to look pretty cool.
As we've reported ... Harry and Meghan moved to L.A. earlier this year and had been staying at Tyler Perry's massive mansion, but they recently dropped at least $14 million on a lavish estate in Montecito to call home.
BTW -- Baby2Baby has distributed more than 30 million items during the coronavirus pandemic thanks to its devoted staff and helpful volunteers ... like the Duke and Duchess.
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Golden State Killer Gets Life Sentence Pled Guilty to 13 Murders
The man known as the Golden State Killer will be spending the rest of his days behind bars.
Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. learned his fate Friday when Judge Michael Bowman sentenced him to life without parole for murdering 13 people and raping 50 in a series of horrific crimes in the '70s and '80s that terrified California.
And, get this ... the judge sentenced DeAngelo in the ballroom at Sacramento State University, where the 74-year-old former police officer graduated almost half a century ago after earning a degree in criminal justice.
DeAngelo, wearing a long-sleeve white shirt over his orange jumpsuit, rose and removed his face mask to briefly speak before being sentenced, saying ... "I'm truly sorry to everyone I've hurt."
As we reported ... DeAngelo pled guilty in June to 13 first-degree murder charges and 13 counts of kidnapping for purposes of robbery. He also admitted guilt to rapes and abductions.
The Golden State Killer, whose trail of terror also spawned monikers like the "Original Night Stalker," "Visalia Ransacker" and "East Area Rapist," was arrested April 24, 2018 after being identified by crime-scene DNA ... ending a more than 40-year hunt.
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'Bachelorette' Tayshia Adams Back to Work!!! Showing Off Bikini Bod
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Tayshia Adams is back shooting a new, very unique, season of "The Bachelorette" and it's a good bet her suitors will be very pleased with her wardrobe.
The fan-favorite wore the hell out of a bikini Thursday in Palm Springs on her first day back as the new 'Bachelorette.' Tayshia looked pretty relaxed ... as most people tend to be in the desert resort city.
It's unclear how many dudes showed up for this first day of taping ... but it's safe to say one guy wasn't there -- John Paul Jones. 'Bach' fans will recall these two love birds had a huge spark while filming 'Bachelor in Paradise' and things looked promising when the cameras disappeared.
But, alas, that spark fizzled even though millions of fans were definitely rooting for them. JPJ's already said he'll be watching Tayshia's season ... so that'll be interesting.
As we reported, Tayshia replaced Clare Crawley mid-season. Clare cut things short after finding her perfect man early in her season which forced producers to switch things up.
Then again, Bach Nation thought Tayshia found her perfect man in JPJ ... so who knows.
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Sen. Tom Carper 'F***, F***, F***!!!' He's Got Zoom Issues Too
Sen. Tom Carper ain't afraid to drop an f-bomb or 3 when he can't get into Zoom -- like the rest of us -- but his technical issues happened on live TV. As he might put it ... f**king oops!!!
The Senator from Delaware was invited to take the virtual floor during Friday's USPS hearing. It was his turn to grill embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, but he apparently had connectivity issues when Sen. Ron Johnson called on him.
Tom's response was direct and to the point -- "F***, f***, f***," he screamed while trying to get an aide to help. Seems the Senator didn't realize his audio was fully intact, even if his video wasn't at first.
The Senators ended up having a good laugh about it. Sen. Johnson joked they didn't want to be on TV again before Carper was finally able to join.
Those who know me know that there are few things that get me more fired up than protecting the Postal Service!#DontMessWithUSPS
— Senator Tom Carper (@SenatorCarper) August 21, 2020 @SenatorCarper
Sen. F-bomb's a good sport about his four-letter flubs. He tweeted a few things get him more fired up than protecting the USPS.
No apologies necessary, Senator. We've all been there -- for nearly SIX months now!!!
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The Rock XFL Deal Has Closed ... I've Got the Keys Now
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It's The People's XFL now!
Dwayne Johnson -- AKA The Rock -- says the deal to buy the XFL is officially DONE ... and he can't wait to get to work.
As we previously reported, Rock and his partners -- Dany Garcia (Rock's business partner and ex-wife) and RedBird Capital (led by Gerry Cardinale) -- made a $15 million deal to take over Vince McMahon's beloved pro football league after it filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.
The deal was approved in bankruptcy court earlier this month -- and Rock says all of the I's have finally been dotted and the T's have been crossed.
"The deal is official closed and 'the keys' to the XFL have been handed over," Rock says.
"I humbly accept and promise to put my callouses to hard work building our new brand. Congrats to my partners @DanyGarciaCo & #GerryCardinale and our sharp, hungry team."
Rock included a graphic of the "key" -- which says the word "Mana" ... a Polynesian word for spiritual power.
No word on Rock's timeline to bring back the league -- but his good friend, Dana White, advised the WWE legend to get moving ASAP because there's a hungry market for live sports.
White even offered to council the XFL on how to properly navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, as he has done himself with the UFC.
Congrats!
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Michael Bloomberg Call in SWAT!!! Housefly Attacks at DNC
Former Presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg knows how to generate buzz ... just ask the fly that swooped in on his big moment at the DNC, and stole the spotlight.
Bloomberg scored a prime spot at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night -- a 5-minute speech designed to go on the attack at President Trump, but someone forgot to tell the pesky housefly that landed on him.
Damn shame too ... 'cause just as MB was hitting his stride, calling out Trump for being a horrible businessman ... the Musca domestica (yeah, we know science) started buzzing around.
We'll say this ... the multi-billionaire kept his cool, lightly swatting at his podium partner while making it look like he was just gesturing with his hands. Smooth, Mike.
Considering most houseflies only live about a month ... this one made his time on Earth count. It's right up there in the fly rankings -- after Jeff Goldblum, of course.
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Joe Biden The Choice is Light vs. Darkness ... Blistering Attack on Trump
Joe Biden accepted the Democratic nomination for President Thursday night, and he framed the election this way ... "I'll be an ally of the light and not the darkness."
Biden's speech was surprising ... the conventional wisdom was that he'd let others go after Trump and he'd get more philosophical, but instead he went issue by issue, condemning Trump for a lack of leadership, an obsession with self-interest, and an utter lack of planning.
Biden went through the 4 crises in America -- coronavirus, the economy, racial justice and climate change.
Forgetting about who you support, one thing surfaced this week that seems undeniable ... Joe Biden is a good, decent man with lots of empathy.
There were lots of testimonials about Biden's caring and empathy, but there was no greater testimonial than 13-year-old Brayden Harrington, whom Biden befriended after a campaign event where the young man told the former Veep they had something in common -- trying to overcome a speech impediment. Biden and Brayden became friends, and the way he described their friendship was maybe the most touching moments of the convention.
'Tiger King' Star Jeff Lowe Feds Claim Failure to Care for Animals Led to Zoo Suspension
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Jeff Lowe's animals at the 'Tiger King' zoo have not been getting proper veterinary care for years ... according to the feds who've suspended his license to run the zoo.
As we reported ... the U.S. Department of Agriculture yanked Jeff's exhibitor's license for Joe Exotic's old GW Exotic Animal Park for 21 days, and now we know why the USDA finally made the call to punish him.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the USDA cites Lowe for numerous failures in providing vet care for his animals dating back to November 2017.
The USDA points out that the number of animals at Lowe's zoo has exploded from 29 in 2017 up to 212 in 2020, and alleges he's simply incapable of taking care of all the lions, tigers, lemurs, monkeys and other animals he's accumulated.
Jeff's also accused of submitting false documents related to veterinary care and records. Specifically, the USDA claims he submitted reports from its attending vet in 2019 and 2020 ... even though that vet claims she resigned from the zoo in June 2018.
According to the docs ... Jeff and his wife, Lauren, have also violated regulations in exhibiting animals without sufficient distance and barriers between them and the public.
And of course, the USDA cites countless examples of allegedly mistreated animals from its recent investigation -- as we first told you -- like the 16-week-old lion cub that was too weak to stand, geriatric wolves in pain and a 17-year-old dead tigon that was not properly cared for or disposed of.
Finally, the USDA claims Lowe does not possess the required paperwork -- acquisition records and disposition records -- for a bunch of the zoo animals.
Lowe tells us the allegations of improper veterinary care have never been an issue until the most recent USDA inspection, which he previously dismissed as the government being "overzealous."
Jeff also claims the zoo has had problems keeping an attending veterinarian, as required, due to alleged harassment by PETA -- but he says they have one now, and adds ... they always had vets take care of animals when needed.
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Megan Thee Stallion 'Tory Shot Me' ... Accuses Him by Name
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Megan Thee Stallion isn't dancing around it anymore ... she just came flat out and accused Tory Lanez, by name, of shooting her.
It's the first time she's actually used his name and she blasted him late Thursday, saying ... "Yes, this n***a Tory shot me. You shot me, and you got your publicist and your people to these blogs lying and s**t, stop lying!"
Megan also denied rumors she had hit Tory during an argument inside the SUV last month in the Hollywood Hills -- but admits there was an argument between everyone in the vehicle, and that's why she tried to walk away. She alleges that's when Tory opened fire.
As you know, up to this point, she'd insisted she was shot -- and certainly hinted Tory pulled the trigger -- but never said his name. During the IG Live post, she said she was afraid to call out Tory to the LAPD because she "didn't want to die" -- clearly insinuating she feared the police during the heated interaction.
She also addressed rumors the argument had something to do with Kylie Jenner. They'd all been partying together a home in the Hills prior to the shooting.
TMZ broke the story ... Tory, Megan and one of her friends left the party after 4 AM in a chauffeur-driven SUV, and police responded to calls of shots fired.
When they pulled over the vehicle, Megan was bleeding from her feet as police instructed her to slowly walk backward. Tory got arrested for possession of a concealed weapon -- a handgun was under his seat -- and Megan was taken to a hospital for treatment.
As we reported, the L.A. County D.A. is now considering charging Tory with felony assault with a firearm.
Megan's bold move to publicly accuse Tory comes the day after she posted pics of her injuries, and continued to insist she'd been shot ... no matter what haters were saying online. However, she still refused to say Tory's name, and even went so far as to say her back was turned when she got shot ... hinting she never saw who did it.
Since then, something definitely pissed her off, because shortly before she went live on IG ... she went tweeted a thinly-veiled threat to call out Tory if he kept lying.
We've reached out to Tory's camp, but no word back yet.
Story developing ...
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'RuPaul's Drag Race' Star Season 2 Winner Tyra Sanchez Arrested for Vandalism
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Tyra Sanchez -- the retired drag queen who won season 2 of "RuPaul's Drag Race" -- got busted for spray-painting graffiti in ATL.
Tyra was arrested Thursday and is facing one count of criminal damage to property. According to Atlanta PD ... officers responded to a vandalism call around 10:30 AM at an apartment complex.
The security guard there told cops someone spray-painted "Don't Move Here Ever" on the side of the building, and another witness said they saw the suspect in the act of tagging the wall.
The cops were able to locate and ID the suspect -- who turned out to be Sanchez -- and hauled him off to the Fulton County Jail.
Sources close to the situation tell us ... Tyra, whose government name is James William Ross, lives at the complex he allegedly tagged. We're told he hasn't paid rent in months and is considered a squatter at this point.
Along with winning season 2 of 'Drag Race,' Tyra was well-known for being a drag impersonator of Beyonce ... but retired from the game back in March.
We've reached out to Tyra, but so far no word back.
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Maluma, CNCO Calling All Super Fans for the VMAs ... But Prepare to Isolate!!!
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Maluma and CNCO will attempt to pull off what few entertainers have been able to do this year -- perform for a live audience -- but to do so, they're setting some strict rules for the fans who want to risk it.
We've learned the pair is currently casting "super fans" to be a part of a special outdoor performance at next week's MTV VMA's ... with some very specific requirements.
According to the casting call, fans who want to attend must live near NYC, bring a guest (but only if they live together), get a COVID-19 test on August 23 and then self-isolate with the guest until the August 30 show.
It certainly sounds like a lot of work, but considering Maluma's got 52 million followers on Instagram and boy band CNCO has 3.5 million ... they should be able to wrangle up enough willing participants.
Maluma's nominated this year for Best Latin video with "Que Pena" and CNCO's up for a brand new category dubbed Best Quarantine Performance, as well as Best Choreography.
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UFC's Tyron Woodley On Donald Trump ... 'I Don't Think He's Racist'
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"Some black people are going to be upset with me ..."
UFC star Tyron Woodley does NOT believe Donald Trump is a racist -- insisting the only color he REALLY cares about is green.
Tyron -- who's been EXTREMELY critical of Trump in the past -- explained his position on 'The Hollywood Beatdown' ... saying he's convinced cash matters more than color to POTUS.
"If you have green on your face to him, he's gonna f**k with you. I think it's about green to him."
Trump came up during a conversation about Tyron's highly anticipated clash with Colby Covington on Sept. 19 ... a fight that's taken years to come together.
Colby is a hardcore Trump guy who was invited to meet the President at the White House in August 2018 following a victory over Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225 earlier that year.
Trump's sons have also supported Colby -- they were both in attendance when Covington defeated Robbie Lawler in 2019. POTUS called Colby to personally congratulate him after the fight.
So, we asked Tyron how he felt knowing the Trump family will likely be watching when he takes on MAGA Covington ... and that's when Tyron told us how he really feels about the Commander in Chief.
Woodley also says he's focused and training his ass off for the Covington fight -- and predicts a violent finish.
He also weighs in on Jon Jones -- explaining why he thinks Bones should get an immediate shot at the UFC heavyweight title ... and why he's more than capable of beating monsters like Francis Ngannou and Stipe Miocic.
Don't miss "The Hollywood Beatdown" on the TMZ Sports YouTube channel.
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Guess Who This Brunette Boy Turned Into!
Before this posing pipsqueak was heating up the music charts with his charm and talent, he was just another cute kid growing up in Harlan, Kentucky.
This little lad is best known for being the lead singer of a hot boy band in the late '90s which launched his career and eventually led to a famous reality show that deep dove into the relationship with his now ex-wife.
Now, you can find this smiling sweetie as a beloved and humorous television personality hosting many shows such as Netflix's new dating program, "Love Is Blind."
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Kanye West Booted Off Wisconsin Ballot ... Missed it by That Much!!!
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Kanye West will not be playing Presidential spoiler in Wisconsin ... election officials just booted him off the ballot in that crucial swing state.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission gave Kanye the heave-ho Thursday, voting by a 5-to-1 margin to exclude him from the state's ballot because he did not file signatures and paperwork before the state's August 5 deadline for independent candidates.
We'd say it's another crushing blow for Kanye's campaign if he really had a shot at winning ... which he doesn't. However, Wisconsin, and its 10 electoral votes, is a crucial battleground state in the Presidential race.
TMZ broke the story ... Kanye accused the Wisconsin Democratic Party of spying on his presidential campaign after an official complaint was filed asking the Elections Commission to check his paperwork for fake signatures.
You'll recall, Badger State Democratic officials came right out and accused Trump operatives of supporting Ye's campaign in Wisconsin purely to draw votes from Joe Biden.
This is the second such setback for Kayne -- he was also removed from the ballot in his home state of Illinois where election officials said more than half his submitted signatures were invalid.
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John Legend & Chrissy Teigen Unloading Bev Hills Pad for $23.95M ... Need Room for the Baby!!!
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are about to become a family of 5 ... so they need a new and possibly bigger house to reflect that.
The famous couple just listed their Beverly Hills crib -- once featured in Architectural Digest, btw -- for a cool $23.95 million. The entrance to this house is stunning ... as you're immediately greeted by 33-foot ceilings and a sculptural staircase.
The 7 bedroom, 8 bathroom crib sits on an almost 38,000-square-foot lot size. It's got all the bells and whistles -- hey, it's freakin' John Legend and Chrissy Teigen -- that features a state-of-the-art chef's kitchen and incredible detail ... like the mandala-patterned ceilings from Thailand. There's a balcony and en-suite baths in all 7 bedrooms ... but there's only one "Glam Room," and that's in the master bedroom.
Once outside, there are sweeping canyon views, a pool, jacuzzi and a wood-burning oven and chef's grill. Wanna really get away for a quick minute? The Beverly Hills Hotel and Rodeo Drive are just minutes away.
As we reported ... John and Chrissy are expecting their third child, so maybe it's time for more crawling space.
Marshall Peck of Douglas Elliman has the listing.