RIP

Robin Gibb, one-third of the legendary group the Bee Gees, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. He was 62.

His spokesperson released a statement that reads, "The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery. The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."

Gibb was diagnosed two years ago with colon and liver cancer. He had been hospitalized several times in the last few years, most recently last month with pneumonia.

Gibb was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994 and the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three years later.

The soundtrack album to "Saturday Night Fever" was the top-selling album until Michael Jackson's "Thriller" took the title.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was one of several family members and friends in attendance at the funeral of Mary Kennedy ... held today in Bedford, NY.

Kennedy, 52, was found dead in her Mount Kisco, New York home on Wednesday afternoon. The Westchester County medical examiner ruled she died as a result of asphyxiation by hanging.

Donna Summer's family has scheduled a memorial for the Disco Queen -- and TMZ has learned, it will take place next Wednesday in Nashville.

It is not a public memorial. The memorial will only be attended by close friends and family.

Donna and her family moved to Nashville in 1994 -- and sources tell TMZ, Donna's family chose the city specifically because it was her home and was always extremely close to her heart. Nashville's also a cultural epicenter in the music world, so it just makes sense.

TMZ broke the story ... Donna passed away today in Florida due to complications from lung cancer.

She was 63.

8:48 AM 5/18/12 -- Donna's memorial is scheduled for next Wednesday in Nashville.

9:27 AM PST- TMZ has learned ... Donna died from lung cancer. Several sources are telling us Donna believed she contracted it by inhaling toxic particles after the 9/11 attack in New York City.

9:35 AM PST- Donna's family just released a statement, claiming, they "are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy."

Donna Summer -- the Queen of Disco -- died this morning after a battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned.

We're told Summer was in Florida at the time of her death. She was 63 years old.

Sources close to Summer tell us ... the singer was trying to keep the extent of her illness under wraps. We spoke to someone who was with Summer a couple of weeks ago ... who says she didn't seem too bad.

In fact, we're told she was focused on trying to finish up an album she had been working on.

Summer was a 5-time Grammy winner who shot to superstardom in the '70s with iconic hits like "Last Dance," "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girls."

She continued her dominance in the '80s with "She Works Hard for the Money" and "This Time I Know It's for Real."

Summer and her producer Giorgio Moroder defined the dance music era of the '70s and influenced acts like Duran Duran and David Bowie to enter the genre.

Summer married Brooklyn Dreams singer Bruce Sudano back in 1980. They had two daughters together.

We had the pleasure of shooting Donna back in 2009 on her way out of Mr Chow ... and she couldn't have been nicer -- smiling, waving and signing for fans.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s estranged wife has died.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, 52-year-old Mary Kennedy was found dead in her Mount Kisco, New York home this afternoon.

The Bedford Police Department responded to the scene at approximately 1:36pm to investigate a possible "unattended death," meaning the death was not witnessed by anyone.

Mary and RFK Jr. were married in 1994. Robert filed for divorce in May 2010. Mary was Robert's second wife. The couple has four children together.

There are reports Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is currently dating actress Cheryl Hines.

Three days after Robert filed divorce papers in 2010, Mary was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

A spokesperson for Mary's family just released a statement, claiming, “We deeply regret the death of our beloved sister Mary, whose radiant and creative spirit will be sorely missed by those who loved her. Our heart goes out to her children who she loved without reservation."

"Swamp People" star Mitchell Guist was testing out a new houseboat he was building at the time of his death ... a dream project he had worked on for months ... and now one of his co-stars has vowed to finish the job as a last tribute to the fallen reality star.

The man behind the promise is Glenn Guist -- Mitchell's bearded brother and best friend -- who is often featured hunting critters with Mitchell on "Swamp People."

Glenn's manager tells TMZ ... he's pretty broken up about the sudden unexpected death of his brother ... but he's doing better then they all expected, considering how close they were.

We're told Glenn knew how passionate Mitchell was about the houseboat project ... and believes completing the project will be the best way to honor his brother's memory.

As we previously reported, Mitchell passed away Monday after apparently suffering a seizure while on the bayou in Louisiana.

A funeral service is set for this week at a local church -- and Glenn's rep say he will begin work on the boat "after everything is taken care of with Mitchell."

10:19 AM PDT -- Law enforcement sources tell us ... Mitchell was out in his boat along the Belle River ... when he "fell." Witnesses say he appeared to have been suffering from a seizure.

We're told another person on the boat returned the vessel to the dock and called 911. Emergency personnel responded to the scene and transported Mitchell to a nearby hospital ... but it was too late.

12:15 PM PDT -- A rep for the History Channel tells us, "We are extremely saddened to report that our friend and beloved member of the Swamp People family, Mitchell Guist, has passed away earlier today. Mitchell passed on the swamp, doing what he love."

4:11 PM PDT -- The 911 call, placed moments after Mitchell Guist fell, was just released to a local news station. According to the caller, Mitchell had a seizure then went into cardiac arrest.

Mitchell Guist -- one of the bearded alligator-hunting brothers featured on the reality show "Swamp People" -- has died.

According to WBRZ.com, Mitchell was discovered at 9 AM in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... someone tried to perform CPR on Guist ... but attempts to resuscitate the reality star were unsuccessful.

Sources close to Mitchell tell us ... Guist had recently fallen ill ... but the nature of his illness is still unclear.

Story developing ...

The late Carroll Shelby didn't just invent one of the coolest sports cars ever ... he also INVENTED THE WORLD CHILI COOKOFF ... and TMZ has learned the chili community is planning a memorial to honor their spicy savory king.

TMZ spoke with Ed Blair -- President of the Chili Appreciation Society International -- who tells us Shelby will be honored at the Terlingua International Chili Championship (think Super Bowl of chili).

According to Blair, Shelby's image will be featured on a memorial board ... along with other chili legends who died in the past year.

Legendary car designer and racing driver Carroll Shelby has died.

Shelby is known for introducing the Shelby AC Cobra to the United States in the 1960s -- combining an English sports car chassis with an American Mustang engine.

A rep for Shelby's company Carroll Shelby International says Shelby died today at a Dallas hospital. He had received a heart transplant in 1990 and a kidney transplant in 1996.

As a driver -- Shelby first gained fame by winning France's arduous 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959.

World-renowned hair stylist and fashion icon Vidal Sassoon has died.

According to reports, Sassoon passed away today from an unspecified illness at his home on Mulholland Drive in Hollywood. His family was by his side.

Vidal is credited with creating the famous haircut called the "bob."

Vidal was reportedly diagnosed with leukemia in 2009. It's unclear what role the cancer played in his death.

The hair icon was married four times -- most recently to Rhonda Sassoon in 1992, who stayed with him until his death. He is also survived by three children. Vidal was 84.

Vidal seemed pretty healthy right up until the end -- in fact, we spoke to him just last week ... and he gave us some pretty useful hair tips.

It's a terrible day for terrible creatures ... 'cause the man who wrote the children's classic, "Where the Wild Things Are" has died.

Maurice Sendak -- who not only wrote the book but ALSO drew the iconic "Wild Things" images -- passed away early this morning at a hospital in Connecticut after suffering a stroke on Friday.

"Where the Wild Things Are" was first published in 1963 ... and was adapted into a major motion picture in 2009 ... the same year President Obama read the book to children at the White House Easter Egg Roll.

Junior Seau was honored today when more than 1,000 people "paddled out" in the ocean to pay their respects to the NFL legend.

The water-based memorial took place in Oceanside, CA this afternoon -- directly in front of his beachfront home -- and allowed friends, neighbors and locals to mourn the superstar together. Surfers were heard chanting his name and jersey number as they gathered in the ocean.

Seau was known to be an avid surfer.

Seau died Wednesday from a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the chest. He was 43.

George Lindsey -- who appeared on such classic TV shows as "The Andy Griffith Show," "Gunsmoke" and "Hee Haw" -- died Sunday morning after an extended illness. He was 83.

Lindsey -- who grew up in Jasper, Alabama -- will be buried there, reports WSFA in Tennessee ... but no plans have been made yet.

Lindsey was probably best known for playing Goober on "The Andy Griffith Show." He got the part after originally auditioning for the role of Gomer Pyle, but lost out to Jim Nabors.

11:30 AM PT -- MCA's publicist just released a statement, writing, "It is with great sadness that we confirm that musician, rapper, activist and director Adam 'MCA' Yauch ... passed away in his native New York City this morning after a near-three-year battle with cancer. He was 47 years old."

1:00 PM PT -- A rep for the Dalai Lama -- of whom MCA was a huge supporter -- tells TMZ, "Adam had helped us raise awareness on the plight of the Tibetan people by organizing various freedom Tibet concerts and he will be remembered by his holiness and the Tibetan people."

Adam met several times with the Dalai Lama while he was sick -- most recently last July, when the Dalai Lama blessed him.

"Beastie Boys" rapper MCA -- real name Adam Yauch -- has died.

In 2009, MCA announced he was being treated for a cancerous parotid gland and a lymph node (below). He has since undergone surgery and radiation therapy.

Russell Simmons' website GlobalGrind.com first reported the death. We have spoken to people independently connected to the rapper who also say he is dead.

MCA co-founded Beastie Boys in 1979 with Mike D, and Ad Rock ... and went on to churn out some of the most iconic albums in hip-hop ... including License to Ill, Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head and Ill Communication.

The group has won multiple Grammys and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year.

The Beastie Boys haven't performed live since summer 2009 -- and during one of their last ever performances at Bonnaroo that June, MCA appeared noticeably less energetic than his group mates.

MCA recently became a vegan at the recommendation of his Tibetan doctors.

The Beastie Boys' most recent music video was released last year for the song "Make Some Noise" -- and it stars a laundry list of A-listers, including Rashida Jones, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson, Amy Poehler, Steve Buscemi, Kirsten Dunst, Zach Galifianakis, Orlando Bloom, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, and Jack Black.

Yauch is survived by his wife and daughter. He was 47.

Junior Seau's former teammate broke down in tears, live on the radio, moments after hearing about his death -- and wished he could have done something to save his friend.

Marcellus Wiley played with Seau as a San Diego Charger in 2001 and 2002 -- and now co-hosts the Max and Marcellus show on 710 ESPN in LA.

Marcellus was on the air today when TMZ broke the news about Seau's death -- and immediately got emotional sharing memories of his teammate.

4:09 PM PDT -- Law enforcement tells us ... investigators discovered a revolver at the scene. It's unclear who the gun belongs to.

1:52 PM PDT -- The Oceanside PD tells us ... Seau's girlfriend was at the home this morning and saw Seau alive ... before she left to the gym at 7:45 AM.

We're told when she returned ... she claims she discovered Seau bleeding from his chest and immediately called 911.

NFL legend Junior Seau was found dead at his Oceanside, CA home this morning from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest -- law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

Oceanside Police Chief Frank McCoy just spoke outside Seau's San Diego house, claiming Seau's body was initially discovered by Seau's girlfriend.

A 911 call was placed around 10AM this morning -- authorities responded to the scene, and found Seau's unconscious body inside a bedroom with a gunshot wound to the chest.

Paramedics attempted to revive Seau, but life-saving efforts were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead on the scene. His body has just been removed from the house and is currently being transported to the Medical Examiner's office in a white van.

McCoy says investigators recovered a handgun in the bedroom -- and the case is currently being investigated as a suicide.

A law enforcement official tells TMZ ... no suicide note has been discovered at the scene.

Seau's mother also spoke briefly -- and she was hysterical, crying to God, "Take me. Leave my son alone!"

Seau was 43-years-old. He is survived by 4 children and an ex-wife.

We're told Seau sent text messages to his ex-wife and kids yesterday saying, "Love you." They all responded, but didn't suspect anything was wrong. We're told he last saw his kids 3 weeks ago.

Sources close to Seau tell us family members didn't notice any signs of depression in recent weeks.

The fact Seau chose to shoot himself in the chest seems like a premeditated decision -- considering several NFL players have recently killed themselves in a similar fashion in order to preserve their brains for research purposes ... in the wake of new studies which appear to connect football-related concussions to suicidal behavior.

Seau was a beast in the NFL -- skyrocketing to fame thanks to his explosive play with the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. The USC standout was selected in the first round of the NFL draft in 1990 and played in the league for 20 years.

Seau was involved in a car accident back in 2010 when he drove his SUV off a cliff in Carlsbad, CA hours after he was arrested for allegedly attacking his girlfriend. Seau later said he was not trying to kill himself ... insisting he had fallen asleep at the wheel.

The San Diego Chargers released a statement, claiming, "Everyone at the Chargers is in complete shock and disbelief right now...We ask everyone to stop what they're doing and send their prayers to Junior and his family."

The New England Patriots also released a statement, claiming, "This is a sad day for the entire Patriots organization, our coaches and his many Patriots teammates. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to his family and his many friends who will mourn this loss.”

Seau is the 8th member of the 1994 San Diego Chargers team to die before the age of 45 ... joining linebacker David Griggs, running back Rodney Culver, linebacker Doug Miller, center Curtis Whitley, defensive end Chris Mims, defensive tackle Shawn Lee and linebacker Lew Bush.