Celebrity Death

Dallas Cowboys legend Rayfield Wright -- one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history -- died on Thursday, his family announced. He was 76 years old.

In a statement, Wright's wife said America's Team's former left tackle passed away after he had been hospitalized following a severe seizure just days ago.

Wright was picked by the Cowboys in the 7th round of the 1967 NFL Draft ... and played 13 seasons for the team before retiring following the 1979 season. He was eventually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

"Rayfield Wright was the epitome of what it takes to be a Hall of Famer," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement following Wright's passing Thursday. "His grit, his agility, his passion, his charisma and his love for football, the community and his family always shined through."

"He remained an important part of the Cowboys family long after his playing days ended, and he will be deeply missed. Our love and support go out to his wife, Di, and the entire Wright family."

Wright earned three All-Pro honors in his career and made six Pro Bowls. He won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys ... and was named a member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2004.

"His gentle nature away from the game belied his commanding presence on the field," Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said in a statement.

"All fans, especially those of the Cowboys, will remember fondly his dominance on the offensive line in the 1970s and how he took protecting Dallas quarterbacks as his personal mission."

Drakeo the Ruler was overlooked in the Grammys' In Memoriam segment -- and his brother is fuming ... with some choice words for the Academy.

Ralfy the Plug -- DTR's sibling -- tells TMZ ... "On behalf of Drakeo The Ruler, Ketchy The Great and The Stinc Team, it comes off as a spit in the face disregarding the facts that we’ve created an entire movement that generated the momentum for underground emerging L.A. artists to have a platform."

Ketchy, another rapper who was affiliated with Drakeo, also died in 2021 -- and he too wasn't mentioned in the In Memoriam slideshow. Granted, he wasn't nearly as famous.

In any case, Ralfy continues with this barb about cops and free speech ... "Let alone the reality that we lost my Brother, Drakeo The Ruler, the poster child for systematic prejudices against rappers by law enforcement using lyrics against our culture and violating what they call our constitutional rights of freedom of speech- The First Amendment."

Ralfy also notes Drakeo was slain while doing what he loved most ... performing his music. He was stabbed in the neck when he was backstage at an L.A. music festival. The attacker is still on the loose.

He ends by saying, "Leaving Drakeo out of their tribute and by not giving him any acknowledgment of his existence sums up exactly what we feel the industry has been trying to do. Erase us."

Ralfy also says he and the fam appreciate all the love and support they've gotten from the rest of the community ... and promises to keep the truth alive. As you know, Ralfy actually sued the concert promoters for whom Drakeo was working the night he was stabbed.

The NFL world is mourning the loss of former Minnesota Vikings star defensive tackle Doug Sutherland ... who died Tuesday, the team announced. He was 73.

"Doug [Sutherland] was one of our proudest legends," Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf said in a statement. "His humble nature did not allow for him to talk much about his own playing career, but Doug was a key member of some of the best defenses in NFL history and three Super Bowl teams."

"Doug was also the consummate teammate after football. He was one of the most active members of Vikings Legends events and didn't miss a chance to help out at a community event or lend a hand where needed."

"Our thoughts are with Doug's friends and family."

Sutherland was drafted out of the University of Wisconsin-Superior by the New Orleans Saints in 1970 ... but he spent 10 of his 12 NFL seasons with the Vikings.

Over the course of his career, Sutherland played in 164 total games ... compiling 29 sacks and recovering 4 fumbles.

Sutherland was a part of the Vikings teams that won eight central division titles ... and 3 NFL championships. In 2010, Sutherland was named one of the franchise's 50 greatest players.

Music legend Bobby Rydell, one of the first teen idols back in the 1960s, is dead.

Bobby, whose famous songs include "Volare" and "Wild One," died Tuesday. A person close to Bobby tells us he had some health issues over the last few months and was recently diagnosed with pneumonia ... which is believed to be the cause of death. We're told it was not COVID-related.

Bobby was a central part of the Philadelphia dynasty in music ... so big, streets were named after him. Paul McCartney famously said Bobby's hit, "Swinging School," served as the inspiration behind The Beatles' early mega-hit, "She Loves You."

Bobby toured as part of The Golden Boys stage production with Frankie Avalon and Fabian, and he was easily the most talented singer among the trio of teen idols.

While Bobby's mostly known for his music, he was also a talented actor ... starring on TV, stage and film, most notably a role in the movie version of "Bye Bye Birdie" with Ann-Margret and Dick Van Dyke.

There's even a nod to Bobby in the Broadway and film version of "Grease" ... the high school, "Rydell High," was named after him.

Bobby sold over 25 million records ... and his other hits include "Kissin' Time, "Sway," "I've Got Bonnie," "The Cha-Cha-Cha" and "Forget Him."

He was 79.

Rapper Goonew was quite literally front and center at his own funeral ... with his body propped up and on display in a club.

The 24-year-old's funeral, named The Final Show, was held at Bliss Nightclub in Washington D.C. Sunday, and footage from inside the building appears to show the rapper's embalmed corpse overlooking the crowd, fully dressed up and wearing a crown.

The audience reaction is pretty mixed ... some are dancing along to the music, while others are stone-faced, staring at the dead body in front of them. Bliss Nightclub said they weren't made aware of the tribute ahead of time, according to TooFab, and have apologized to anyone offended.

The club is still investigating if the body was real or not, or if any legal ramifications are possible.

Goonew, real name Markelle Morrow, was found with fatal gunshot wounds a few weeks ago in a District Heights parking lot -- his family believes he was the victim of an armed robbery.

Estelle Harris, who brilliantly played George Costanza's mom, has died.

Estelle passed away Saturday at her home in Palm Desert, CA, just outside of Palm Springs.  Her son Glen says she died from natural causes, adding, "It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed on this evening at 6:25."

Glen went on to say, "Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy, and love were practically unrivaled, and she will be terribly missed by all those who knew her."

Estelle played a loud, opinionated and confrontational mom who was quick to take on her hubby and George at the drop of a hat. Short story ... she was hysterical!

And, speaking of story ... Estelle played Mrs. Potato Head in the 3 most recent 'Toy Story' flicks. There's a lot more to her CV ... "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody," "Tarzan II," "The Pinocchio Shop," and tons of other voiceover work.

Estelle was a New Yorker by birth and got her big break on "Night Court."

She was married to Sy Harris from 1953 to 2021, when he died. She's survived by 3 kids -- Eric, Glen and Taryn, as well as 3 grandsons and a great-grandson.

Estelle was 93.

RIP

Taylor Hawkins fans and childhood friends are remembering him in his SoCal hometown with a pretty fitting tribute on the same beach where he loved to surf.

Several dozen people formed a drum circle in the sand Thursday night in Laguna Beach, the scenic town where he grew up, and later bought a beachfront home.

The drummers, with some acoustic guitarists sprinkled in too, all gathered on Aliso Beach Park ... which locals noted was one of Taylor's fave spots to catch waves.

The Foo Fighters drummer had reconnected with some of his high school pals when he moved back into the area. Although he'd gained worldwide fame, and even been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year ... his friends say Taylor never gave off rock star energy when he was there.

As we reported, Taylor was found dead last Friday in his hotel room in Bogota, Colombia ... where Foo was scheduled to play. They'd been headlining festival shows across South America.

Paul Walker's sunglasses from his fatal car crash are changing hands ... and Zak Bagans wants to get them back to the late actor's family.

The "Ghost Adventures" star tells TMZ ... earlier this year he bought the infamous pair of Maui Jim sunglasses recovered from Paul's crash site, but he doesn't feel comfortable displaying them at his Haunted Museum in Las Vegas.

Instead, Zak tells us he'd like to return the shades, worn by Paul at the time of the crash, to the Walker family for free ... and he's planning to reach out to the family directly.

You'll recall ... Paul died in a fiery car crash back in November 2013 and there was a ton of outrage when the sunglasses went up for auction in 2014 for $15,000. A man who was at the crash site allegedly found them in the bushes once the wreckage was cleared.

The man who found the glasses says shortly after the crash he tried getting in touch with Paul's family but never heard back. He then put the sunglasses up for auction, but after lots of backlash ... they never sold. The owner of the auction reached out to Zak earlier this year and Zak bought them from him.

If for some reason the Walkers don't want the sunglasses, Zak says he would seek the family's permission to display them in a new memorial exhibit at his museum.

Zak's already displaying different artifacts connected to dead celebs ... including a piece of the James Dean death car, Sharon Tate's wedding dress and a Patrick Swayze tooth ... but he says he would create a special display just for Paul, if it gets to that point.

Tom Parker from The Wanted is dead after a battle with brain cancer.

Tom, who was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma back in October 2020, died Wednesday with his family by his side ... according to his wife, Kelsey.

Kelsey says Tom fought to the end, sharing, "Our hearts are broken, Tom was the centre of our world and we can't imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence. We are truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we all unite to ensure Tom's light continues to shine for his beautiful children."

As we reported ... Tom was recently confined to a wheelchair while undergoing cancer treatments at a clinic in Spain, which specializes in his particular type of brain cancer.

Tom got treatments for 3 weeks and was able to rejoin the band in February for an emotional reunion, also appearing on stage at a U.K. concert and performing from a gold throne.

Born and raised in Bolton, England, Tom learned to play the guitar when he was 16 years old ... eventually dropping out of school to pursue his singing career before joining The Wanted way back in 2009.

Tom is survived by Kelsey and their two children, 2-year-old Aurelia and 1-year-old Bodhi.

He was only 33.

Kareem Jackson is honoring his friend Demaryius Thomas in a awesome way -- by getting a portrait tattoo of the former Broncos star.

The Broncos safety and Thomas go way back ... the two NFL players grew up in the same area in Georgia and played for the same team at different times.

So, when Thomas unexpectedly passed away last December, Jackson was devastated ... saying at the time, "I'm still having a hard time accepting this one."

Now, Jackson is keeping Thomas' memory permanently alive with some new ink earlier this week.

The 33-year-old shared the tat on his leg (we think) via Instagram ... a detailed image of Thomas smiling with the words "One Love" above it.

"Your legacy will forever live on through all the lives of those you touched over the years on and off the field," Jackson said after Thomas' death.

"We love you and will miss you brother! Till we meet again Rest easy King!!"

As we previously reported, Thomas was found dead in a shower at his Roswell, GA residence after police responded to 911 calls for a cardiac arrest. Demaryius was only 33-years-old.

The remains of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins have arrived in L.A. on the bands private plane, and the emotions from the group are palpable.

The plain-black casket was loaded onto the chartered 757 jet Tuesday at the El Dorado Airport in Bogota, Colombia ... he arrived at LAX later the same day.

Officials in Colombia released the body Sunday after an autopsy was completed. As we reported, authorities said just a day after Hawkins' death he had 10 substances in his system ... including opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, and benzodiazepines.

Hawkins was found dead in his hotel room in Bogota Friday, the same day the Foo Fighters were supposed to headline Stereo Picnic Festival in Colombia.

The band broke the news to fans, saying, "The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever."

"The Sopranos" actor Paul Herman has died ... and on his 76th birthday, no less.

Paul's former "Sopranos" castmate, Michael Imperioli, confirmed his death in an Instagram post calling Paul a great dude and "one hell of an actor".

He continued ... “Paulie lived around the corner from me the last few years and I am glad we got to spend some time together before he left us. I’ll miss him. Lots of love to his family, friends and community of actors and filmmakers.”

No cause of death has been disclosed yet.

Paul was well-known for his role as Peter "Beansie" Gaeta, who was a drug dealer turned Pizza shop owner on the HBO hit drama.

Herman will also be remembered for his notable roles in many other films, including "The Irishman" and "Goodfellas" ... clearly he was in with Martin Scorsese.

He also starred in "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle" ... both directed by David O. Russell.

Aside from all his big acting gigs, Paul and his brother Charlie ran a popular cafe in Manhattan that was frequented by actors, gangsters, dancers and even FBI agents in the '90s.

Paul was 76.

The show will not go on for the Foo Fighters after Taylor Hawkins' death ... not for now, at least.

The band just announced it's pulling the plug on its current tour, saying ... "It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancellation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother Taylor Hawkins. We're sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won't be seeing one another as planned."

The band had more than 50 shows scheduled for the rest of 2022 -- with dates through The United States, Canada, France, The UK, Australia and others.

The announcement comes 5 days after Taylor was found dead in his Bogota, Colombia hotel room. Dave Grohl and co. had been touring South America, headlining several Lollapalooza festivals around the continent.

As we reported, they returned to L.A. over the weekend ... when they'd been scheduled to play Lollapalooza Brazil. We didn't know when, or if, they'd feel ready to return to the road, but they're putting an end to any speculation.

The band says this isn't the time to worry about their next concert ... "Instead, let's take this time to grieve, to heal, to pull our loved ones close, and to appreciate all the music and memories we've made together."

Dave Grohl and his band returned to L.A. from Bogota ... after the sudden death of their drummer and beloved friend, Taylor Hawkins.

Dave, along with Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Rami Jaffee, Samantha Sidley and crew were visibly emotional after touching down. Dave hugged a man who looks like their manager, John Silva.

As we reported, Taylor was found dead in a hotel room Friday ... the group was in San Paulo to play Lollapalooza Sunday. Based on preliminary findings, it appears Taylor may have OD'd on 10 different drugs, including opioids.

Among the drugs in his system .... Tricyclic, antidepressants and benzodiazepines. An official cause of death has not been determined.

Less than a week before he died, Grohl told a massive crowd at Lollapalooza Argentina in Buenos Aires how incredible Taylor was ... best drummer in the biz, Dave bragged. He then had Taylor come center stage to both sing and show off his fly outfit.

The death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins is a huge loss in the music industry, but it's personal for Dave Grohl and the other band members, and that was more than evident by this video shot less than a week before Taylor died.

The vid was shot March 20, at Lollapalooza Argentina in Buenos Aires. The scene is incredible ... thousands of fans -- as far as the eye can see -- packed into the Hipodromo de San Isidro to watch the Foo Fighters' 2-hour performance.

Dave spends some time telling the crowd how awesome Taylor is ... right down to his fancy pants.  He then invites his drummer -- whom Dave calls the best in the music biz -- front and center to sing. But, before he does, Taylor clearly shows his affection for Grohl.

As we reported, the Foo Fighters were supposed to wrap up the South American leg of their tour Sunday in Sao Paulo, but on Friday Taylor was found dead in a hotel room.

The early evidence, according to authorities in Colombia, is that Taylor may have OD'd ... they say 10 different substances were found in his system, including opioids, tricyclic, antidepressants and benzodiazepines.

The investigation is ongoing, but it appears drugs were a factor.

Some early clues have surfaced in the death investigation into what killed Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins ... investigators say tests show drugs were in his system.

In a release from the Attorney General's Office in Bogotá, Colombia, officials say a toxicology test taken from Hawkin's urine revealed 10 different substances -- including opioids, tricyclic antidepressants and benzodiazepines.

Investigators say they will continue to work on Hawkins' case ... but obviously, the drug test is telling.

As we reported, Hawkins -- who first found fame as the drummer for Alanis Morissette -- before joining Foo and even starting his own band, was found dead Friday in a hotel room.

A post from the Foo Fighters read, "The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever."

Hawkins, Dave Grohl and other members of the band were in Colombia for several shows at the time of his death.

Taylor was open about his previous struggles with substance abuse, surviving a heroin OD back in 2001.