RIP

Legendary Academy Awards producer Gilbert Cates has died ... TMZ has learned.

Cates was known as THE go-to producer for the Oscars -- putting together a record 14 shows over 18 years, between 1990 and 2008 ... more than any other Academy Awards producer in history.

He was the uncle of actress Phoebe Cates.

Sources tell TMZ, Gilbert's body was discovered last night in a parking lot at UCLA. Emergency teams responded to a call on the campus around 5:50PM, but were unable to revive Cates.

The L.A. County coroner is investigating the cause of death. Cates underwent heart surgery earlier this month.

He was 77.

Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis died from a broken heart ... this according to his death certificate obtained by TMZ.

The document reveals three primary causes of death:

A) Ventricular fibrillation -- a dangerously abnormal heart rhythm
B) Congestive heart failure
C) Cardiomyopathy -- heart muscle disease

According to the death certificate, Al died at the Oakland Airport Hilton at 2:45 AM on October 8th.

The document shows Al had been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy years ago ... and suffered a ventricular fibrillation just 15 minutes before his death. Davis also suffered from Merkel cell carcinoma -- an aggressive form of skin cancer.

According to the doc, Davis -- who was involved with the NFL for 60 years -- underwent throat surgery just three days before his death. Davis also had heart surgery in 1996.

A stuntman was killed on the Bulgaria set of "Expendables 2" yesterday ... during a big stunt involving an explosion in a rubber boat.

A second stuntman was also injured during the incident ... and is reportedly in stable condition.

It's unclear if any of the big stars in the film -- including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis and Jet Li -- were on set during the accident.

The production company behind the flick released a statement saying, "It is with great regret that we confirm this unfortunate accident."

Amy Winehouse's blood alcohol level was more than 4 times the legal limit at the time of her death ... this according to the coroner who says the singer died as a direct result of over-consumption.

Coroner Suzanne Greenaway described the situation as, "Death by misadventure" ... noting that Winehouse voluntarily pounded an extraordinary amount of liquor in the hours before she died on July 23.

Winehouse -- who battled substance abuse issues for years -- was 27 years old at the time of her death.

Amy's family released a statement ... saying, "It is some relief to finally find out what happened to Amy. We understand there was alcohol in her system when she passed away, it is likely a build up of alcohol in her system over a number of days."

The statement continues, "The court heard that Amy was battling hard to conquer her problems with alcohol and it is a source of great pain to us that she could not win in time. She had started drinking again that week after a period of abstinence."

"It underlines how important our work with the Amy Winehouse Foundation is to us, to help as many young people and children as we can in her name."

"It means a lot to us and from the overwhelming messages of support we have had since Amy died, we know she meant a great deal to people all over the world. We want to thank everyone for that and for their continuing enthusiasm for the Foundation."

IndyCar Driver Dan Wheldon died in Las Vegas today after his car crashed during a massive 15-car accident during the Las Vegas Indy 300.

Wheldon's car went airborne after hitting another car during Lap 12, then apparently caught part of the catch fence just outside of Turn 2.

IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard announced Wheldon's passing, saying, "IndyCar is very sad to announce that Dan Wheldon has passed away from unsurvivable injuries. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today."

Wheldon won the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2011.

He was 33.

The Charlie Daniels Band member who co-wrote "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" -- one of the greatest country songs EVER -- died yesterday ... when his SUV veered off the road and slammed into a tree ... this according to law enforcement.

Joel “Taz” DiGregorio was on his way to meet the band's tour bus in Tennessee -- when he crashed on Interstate 40 west of Nashville. Cops say Joel's car was the only vehicle involved in the crash.

"Taz" was a founding member of the band -- who spent the last 40 years playing keyboard and singing vocals ... in addition to writing songs.

Charlie Daniels released a statement -- saying, "I am in shock now, Taz was one of my best friends. We're going to miss you buddy. You were one of a kind and will never be forgotten."

The Charlie Daniels Band has cancelled their concerts tonight and Saturday in the wake of the tragedy.

Steve Jobs' biological father -- the man who put the former Apple CEO up for adoption as a baby -- can't let go of his son's memory ... gripping his iPhone 4 today outside a casino in Nevada.

Bassist Mikey Welsh -- who played for Weezer from 1998-2001 -- was found dead in a Chicago hotel room yesterday afternoon after a suspected drug overdose.

According to Chicago police, Welsh was found unresponsive on the floor of his room at the Rafaello hotel after failing to check out on time.

An autopsy is scheduled for later today -- but according to authorities, narcotics are suspected as the cause of death.

Apple stores across the country were not the only places people went to mourn the passing of the great Steve Jobs -- a Zen Center in San Francisco held a memorial service to honor the genius,

Jobs was a Buddhist and even had his 1991 wedding presided over by a Buddhist monk named Kobun Chino Otogawa. His passing was felt in the Buddhist community in Northern California, so the San Francisco Zen Center decided to hold a brief memorial on Friday night.

A rep for the center says the memorial service included chanting a traditional Zen chant for those who have died -- and it also included an English section with a dedication specifically to Jobs. It read:

Al Davis, the legendary owner of the Oakland Raiders, died today at the age of 82.

The team announced his death on their website, with no further details. They did released a statement saying, "Al Davis was unique, a maverick, a giant among giants, a true legend among legends, the brightest star among stars, a hero, a mentor, a friend."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Davis "defined the Raiders and contributed to pro football at every level. The respect he commanded was evident in the way that people listened carefully every time he spoke. He is a true legend of the game whose impact and legacy will forever be part of the NFL."

Davis has been involved with the NFL for 60 years, starting off as an assistant coach with the San Diego Chargers. He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1992.

Davis was famous for coining the phrases "commitment to excellence" and "Just win, baby."

The Raiders won Super Bowls XI, XV and XVIII ... but have struggled mightily the last several years.

Just a month ago, we asked broadcaster Al Michaels if the Raiders would ever win with Al Davis running things. His answer was very clear.

Snoop Dogg, a famously huge football fan, tweeted his thoughts today on the passing of Al Davis.

Oscar-nominated actress Diane Cilento -- famous for her 11-year marriage to Sean Connery -- died Thursday in Queensland, Australia ... according to a state official.

Cilento earned a best-supporting actress nomination for her role in the 1963 film "Tom Jones." She also starred in "Hombre" opposite Paul Newman and "The Agony and the Ecstasy" with Rex Harrison and Charlton Heston.

Diane was very involved in theater -- spending most of her later years running an open-air theater in the Queensland rainforest.

Ribeye the Fish -- once known as "The Snarkiest Fish in the Z" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the situation tell us ... one of the TMZ staffers found Ribeye floating in his tank ... unresponsive to various taps on the glass.

The fish -- only a few months old -- was given a burial at sea ... via the toilet in the men's bathroom.

Harvey Levin released a statement saying, "He was a good fish ... he will be missed."

Harvey's asst. Tyler adds, "Not much of a swimmer though." R.I.P.

Charles Napier -- who played bad ass Tucker McElroy in "The Blues Brothers" -- died yesterday ... one day after he collapsed at his California home.

Napier starred in a TON of Hollywood classics, including "Rambo: First Blood II" and "Philadelphia" ... also voiced Dr. Speltz on a recent episode of the F/X show "Archer."

It's unclear what caused Napier to collapse -- but he was reportedly hospitalized for blood clots just last year.

42-year-old "X-Factor" contestant and single mom Stacy Francis was rocked to the core two weeks ago -- after learning her father had died -- but after an agonizing inner struggle, she's decided to continue with the show.

Stacy made it to round two last month -- receiving unanimous approval from the judges for her blowout audition (below) -- but soon after launching into the "X-Factor" boot camp, she received news her father had unexpectedly passed.

Sources close to Stacy tell TMZ -- Stacy strongly considered quitting the show to be with her family -- but ultimately decided to stay ... believing that's what her father would have wanted.

One source tells us, “it has been such an emotional roller coaster for her.”

Steve Jobs "died peacefully today surrounded by his family" .... the Apple mogul's family said in a statement.

The family said, "In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family."

"We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve’s illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories."

The statement concludes, "We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief."