RIP

Eazy-E doesn’t get the hip-hop cred he's due because he died of AIDS -- so say members of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

“Some people seem like they are afraid to commemorate him due to how he died,” Bizzy Bone tells TMZ. “But Bone never once has -- nor will stop -- commemorating him.”

Eazy -- a founding member of N.W.A who discovered and mentored Bone Thugs -- died in 1995 at age 31. He left behind 7 kids with 6 different women.

But the guys from BT&H don't believe Eazy is getting the posthumous respect he deserves because of various stigmas attached to people who contract AIDS.

This sounds like a throwback to the dark ages ... the 1980s -- when people scoffed at the poor souls who died of AIDS because it was considered a "gay disease" ... and the guys from Bone Thugs are implying that Eazy is being unfairly painted with that brush.

In fact, Krayzie Bone tells us he thinks some people in the hip-hop community believe an AIDS death is an inferior, or less-manly way to die than say ... a shooting death -- like Biggie Smalls and Tupac.

"They died being known as gangsta heroes," Krayzie says ... "Eazy died from a disease ... so many look at that differently."

Flesh-n-Bone tells TMZ … the group plans to honor Eazy by performing “Foe Tha Love of $” with Eazy's hologram at the “Rock the Bells” festival in September and October.

“The success Eazy left to the rap game is enormous and can't be topped by anyone," Layzie Bone told TMZ. "We are going to make sure we have the stage full of Eazy love."

2:44 PM PT -- NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France just commented on Trickle's death ... saying, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Dick Trickle on his passing today."

"Dick was a legend in the short-track racing community, particularly in his home state of Wisconsin, and he was a true fan favorite. Personalities like Dick Trickle helped shape our sport. He will be missed."

2:28 PM PT -- We're told ... Trickle's body was removed from the cemetery and has been transported to a nearby hospital.

2:17 PM PT -- Multiple sources who knew Trickle tell us he had been sick for a while and depressed. We're not sure what kind of illness Trickle had been suffering from.

1:51 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Trickle did leave a suicide note at the death scene. The contents of the note are unclear at this time.

Former NASCAR driver Dick Trickle is dead ... apparently having taken his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 71 years old.

Cops in North Carolina say Trickle shot himself at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Lincoln County at 12:02 PM today.

Officials say they received a phone call before the shooting in which the caller said there would be a dead body at the cemetery and it would be his.

Operators scrambled, trying to place a return call, but there was no answer.

When emergency responders arrived, they found Trickle's body near his pickup truck.

Trickle was a fan favorite in NASCAR -- often smoking cigarettes while he raced.

Dick won the NASCAR "Rookie of the Year" award in the Winston Cup in 1989, when he was 48 years old.

Trickle was also beloved by the gang on "SportsCenter" -- Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick used to almost always report his race results -- no matter how poorly he finished -- just because they were amused by his name.

Olbermann just tweeted ... "No sports figure Dan + I had fun with took it more graciously. In fact, gratefully."

He added, "Trickle helped mainstream NASCAR coverage on @SportsCenter We gave prominent attention to him, then his races, then ALL races."

Dr. Joyce Brothers -- once considered the most famous psychologist on the planet -- has died in NYC at the age of 85.

Brothers became famous after winning "The $64,000 Question" game show in 1955 -- the show that triggered the game show scandal in the '50s.

Brothers won by answering a series of questions on the subject of boxing -- and although there was a lot of talk that producers slipped her the answers, it was never proven and Brothers emerged unscathed.

The good doc went on to do countless television and radio appearances. She was always the go-to person for reporters when a criminal did something that defied logic.

She also did cameo appearances in movies -- including "Naked Gun" ... and also appeared on TV shows like "C.H.i.P.s" and "The Love Boat."

Brothers was married to internist Milton Brothers since 1949 ... he died in 1989 ... and the couple had a daughter, Lisa.

She had her own relationships advice TV show in New York by 1958 ... and her books have been translated into 26 different languages.

A rep for Brothers tells us she died after a long illness.

Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman died of alcohol-related cirrhosis -- scarring of the liver from years of heavy drinking ... this according to the band's official website.

The band posted a statement on its website ... saying, "While he had his health struggles over the years, including the recent Necrotizing fasciitis infection (AKA flesh-eating disease) that devastated his well-being, Jeff and those close to him were not aware of the true extent of his liver condition until the last days of his life."

"Contrary to some reports, Jeff was not on a transplant list at the time of his passing, or at any time prior to that. In fact, by all accounts, it appeared that he had been improving – he was excited and looking forward to working on a new record."

FYI -- Hanneman had several operations last year to remove dead tissue from his arm ... he believed he contracted the freaky, flesh-eating bacteria from a spider bite he suffered in a friend's hot tub.

Hanneman was the heart and soul of Slayer ... not only was he a HUGE guitar hero, but he also wrote several of their best-known songs, including "Raining Blood" and "Seasons in the Abyss."

The rumors were true ... Jermaine Dupri DID wear his pants backwards to Chris Kelly's funeral today as a tribute to the Kris Kross rapper, and TMZ has the pic.

Dupri discovered Kris Kross performing at a mall when Dupri was only 19 years old. Jermaine signed them to his label and helped grow the rap group into international superstars.

Dupri wasn't the only mourner to rock the backward pants look at the funeral -- Kelly's label mate Da Brat also went reverse trousers.

Dupri didn't speak at today's funeral ceremony -- but Kelly's rap mate Chris Smith delivered an emotional speech ... saying, "I know Chris is in heaven."

Kris Kross rapper Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith broke down in tears today during the funeral for his former KK partner Chris Kelly -- telling the congregation, "It's been like a struggle for me every day ... I know Chris is in heaven."

During the service, which took place at a Baptist church in Atlanta, Smith said, "He was a true friend ... I just wanna say I love you man ... and I'm gonna miss you dearly."

He added, "My life ... it ain't ever gonna be the same, but I just hope our legacy for hip-hop is never forgotten. I'm gonna do my part to make sure Chris' legacy will live on."

The funeral was filled with Chris Kelly's famous friends -- including R&B singer Keke Wyatt and the members of Xscape, all of whom performed songs.

Jermaine Dupri and rapper Da Brat were also present. Da Brat was wearing her pants backwards as a tribute to the dead rapper.

As we reported, Chris was pronounced dead last Wednesday after his body was found unresponsive in his Georgia home. His mother told police he'd been doing a mixture of cocaine and heroin the night before, and had an "extensive history of drug use."

Chris -- AKA "Mac Daddy" -- was 34.

Chris Kelly's public wake is under way at a funeral home in Atlanta, GA ... where mourners were greeted with an instrumental version of "Jump" ... TMZ has learned.

Friends and family members have been paying their respects to the Kris Kross rapper at the open-casket event all day long -- while final preparations are made for tomorrow's public funeral.

Although Chris kept faithful to his pants-backward style his entire adult life, his burial trousers were forward ... he was dressed in a black suit, white shirt and pink tie, sporting earrings and a goatee.

We're told Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith and Jermaine Dupri (who discovered Kris Kross) have not arrived to the wake ... yet. Sources tell us Smith is taking Kelly's death especially hard and is still trying to pull himself together.

Inside the casket, on a sign attached to the coffin lid, read the words: "Cause that's what I was born to do ..." lyrics from the Kris Kross hit "Warm It Up."

The casket was flanked by photos of Chris and Daddy Mac in their heyday.

No media were allowed inside, though the viewing was open to the public ... one vehicle rolled up with "Jump" blaring out the windows ... a few local news trucks were parked outside ... but otherwise it's been a quiet affair.

A small group of family and close friends planned to gather later on at Chris's house.

We broke the story ... Kelly died on May 1 after a suspected cocaine and heroin overdose. He was 34.

Jeanne Cooper, a huge soap opera star who played Katherine Chancellor on "The Young and the Restless" for decades, has died. She was 84.

"L.A. Law" star Corbin Bernsen -- Cooper's real-life son -- tweeted this morning that she had passed away. She had fallen ill with an infection earlier this year after helping promote "Y&R's" 40th anniversary.

Cooper joined the show soon after its 1973 debut and had been nominated for 10 Daytime Emmys going back to '89 ... she finally won for lead actress in 2008.

Cooper was married to TV producer Harry Bernsen, Jr. for 23 years before divorcing ... all three of their children -- Corbin, Collin and Caren -- are actors.

Her character Katherine was groundbreaking in daytime ... she went through bouts of alcoholism, lost four husbands and a child ... and even had lesbian flings. But her most famous thread was a bitter feud with Jill Foster Abbott ... including this epic catfight:

Sad news in Springfield ... "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening's mourning the loss of his beloved 94-year-old mother Margaret ... as in Marge ... as in Marge Simpson.

In fact, Margaret's obituary has surfaced online ... and it mentions several members of the Groening family -- including Homer, Lisa, Maggie and Patty.

FYI -- Margaret's maiden name was Wiggum.

It's not new "news" that Matt named several of his characters after family members ... just interesting to see it in print.

As for Matt's mom ... she died peacefully in her sleep on April 22. Mmmmmmm peace.

Hours before his death, a drugged out Chris Kelly attempted to rap ... and spit out lyrics about a room full of dead bodies ... and TMZ has the sad footage.

The video -- shot in Kelly's Atlanta home around 7:00 AM on May 1 -- is a window into the life of a drug addict. There's crap strewn all over the house ... and several seemingly drugged out people just hanging out.

One of Kelly's guests -- who also seems inebriated -- pulls out a camera and begins to record as a discombobulated Kelly struggles to rap along with music pumping through the speakers.

We're told the song is a track Kelly had been working on recently -- and includes the lyric, "We don’t stop, for nothing or nobody … look around you it's full of dead bodies."

Hours after the video was shot, someone in Kelly's home called 911 and told officials the Kris Kross rapper passed out and wouldn't wake up. He was pronounced dead around 5:00 PM.

According to the police report obtained by TMZ, Kelly's mother told cops Kelly had been mixing cocaine and heroin the night before he died.

George Jones is being honored with sausage ... lots and lots of sausage ... TMZ has learned.

Turns out, Jones wasn't just a country music legend -- he was also a huge fan of breakfast meat -- and even owned a sausage company sold locally through restaurants in Tennessee.

After he passed away, one of the restaurants that serves Jones' sausage decided to honor the singer's memory ... with a humongous meat event in George's honor.

The result? Brooks Shaw's Old Country Store in Jackson, TN whipped up more than 1,000 sausage balls -- George's own creation and favorite breakfast snack.

The store even put together a batch for his widow Nancy.

The recipe is really quite simple -- mix together Jones' sausage, Bisquick, cheese, and milk ... then cook 'em for about 10 minutes.

TMZ has obtained the 911 call placed moments after Kris Kross rapper Chris Kelly's unresponsive body was found Wednesday at his Georgia home.

The caller appears to be Chris' mother, but it's not entirely clear.

During the 911 call, the caller tells the dispatcher that Chris is not breathing. The dispatcher then walks her through instructions on how to resuscitate him.

Kris Kross' recent comeback ... and the money that came with it ... put Mac Daddy on a drug-fueled road to self-destruction, sources close to the deceased rapper tell TMZ.

Sources tell us, Mac Daddy -- real name Chris Kelly -- has been on and off drugs (including cocaine and heroin) for the last ten years, but had recently cleaned up his act.

We're told that changed dramatically in recent weeks, following Kris Kross' big comeback concert in Atlanta back in February.

According to sources, Kelly's ego blew up ... along with his wallet ... and he started hanging out in clubs again, chumming up with big name Atlanta rappers. We're told the drugs came back in full force as a result.

As we reported, Kelly's mother told police the rapper had been taking speedballs (coke and heroin mixed together) Tuesday night ... the night before he died ... and cops believe drugs contributed to his death.

Monstrous thrash-metal guitar hero and founding member of Slayer Jeff Hanneman has died of liver failure ... TMZ has confirmed. He was 49.

Reps for the legendary axeman said Hanneman was in a hospital near his SoCal home when his liver failed around 11 a.m.

The punk-influenced thrasher was a major part of Slayer's songwriting ... contributing lyrics and music on each of their albums ... including songs "Raining Blood," "War Ensemble" and "Seasons in the Abyss."

Hanneman and fellow Slayer guitarist Kerry King formed Slayer when both were auditioning for the same band in 1981 ... and decided to start their own.

Hanneman is survived by wife Kathy, sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry.

RIP.

Turns out ... the Deftones were big Kris Kross fans -- and last night, the hard rock band paid tribute to the memory of Chris Kelly with a hardcore tribute at their concert in St. Louis.

The band fused their hit, "Engine No.9" with "Jump" ... and the crowd went nuts.

"Kris Kross" rapper Chris Kelly had been using a combination of cocaine and heroin the night before his death, this according to the police report obtained by TMZ.

According to the report, paramedics initially responded to Kelly's Atlanta home around 3 PM EST -- after his mother called 911 asking for medical assistance.

When help arrived, paramedics found 34-year-old Kelly lying on the living room couch -- unresponsive and with "no life signs." The medics attempted to revive Kelly, to no avail.

Kelly was immediately transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead a few hours later.

After the death, cops spoke with Donna Kelly Pratte -- Chris' mother -- who told police ... the night before Kelly's medical emergency, he had taken a mixture of heroin and cocaine -- commonly known as "speedballs."

Donna told police she had personally taken Kelly home to recover from the drug use ... just as she had done several times before. Donna told cops Kelly had felt nauseous all morning before passing out.

According to the report, Kelly's mother and Kelly's uncle both told investigators the rapper had an "extensive history of drug use."

Hours before Kelly passed out, he had a phone interview with The Streetz Morning Grind radio show in ATL ... and sounded like he was in bad shape.

In fact, Kelly made reference to his hard-partying ways, which seemed to upset the DJ, who was personal friends with the rapper.