RIP

Oprah Winfrey is mourning the loss of her mentor, Maya Angelou, saying the legendary poet "guided [her] through some of the most important years of [her] life."

Angelou passed away on Wednesday at her home in North Carolina at the age of 86.

Angelou had a close relationship with Winfrey, who said ... "What stands out to me most about Maya Angelou is not what she has done or written or spoken, it’s how she lived her life. She moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence and a fierce grace."

Oprah continued, "I loved her and I know she loved me. I will profoundly miss her. She will always be the rainbow in my clouds.”

8:10 AM PT -- Angelou's family just posted on her Facebook page, "Dr. Maya Angelou passed quietly in her home before 8:00 a.m. EST. Her family is extremely grateful that her ascension was not belabored by a loss of acuity or comprehension. She lived a life as a teacher, activist, artist and human being. She was a warrior for equality, tolerance and peace. The family is extremely appreciative of the time we had with her and we know that she is looking down upon us with love."

9:50 AM PT -- President Obama calls Angelou "one of the brightest lights of our time" ... in a statement he just released. He added, "Michelle and I will always cherish the time we were privileged to spend with Maya."

Maya Angelou -- one of America's most famous poets -- has died in Winston-Salem, North Carolina while recovering from a mystery sickness.

Angelou had been recovering from an "unexpected ailment." We're told paramedics got a 911 call at 7:39 A.M. from someone reporting a death at her home. She died with family by her side.

In a Facebook post yesterday, she said doctors had advised her not to travel ... forcing her to cancel a planned trip to Houston ... where Maya was to be honored Friday with the Beacon of Life Award at Major League Baseball's Civil Rights Game.

The famed author has received more than 30 honorary degrees from universities around the world. She was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.

Her most famous book -- "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" -- was also her most controversial ... for its depiction of lesbians, premarital sex, and porn.

Oprah Winfrey has called Angelou her mentor -- they met while Oprah was working in local news in Baltimore in the 80s.

Angelou famously spoke at Bill Clinton's 1993 Inauguration ... reciting her poem "On the Pulse of Morning."

Angelou was one of the most inspiring poets of our time -- most famously saying, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Scrappy was so ornery ... we're told he would try to attack staff even when they tried to give him food and water.

The family of Michael Jace's dead wife April say they can't afford her funeral, and the future cost of caring for her kids -- and they're turning to the public for help ... TMZ has learned.

April's family set up a GoFundMe account on Thursday ... with a message thanking the public: "Many of you have generously asked how you can help the family as we grieve and navigate the aftermath of this tragedy."

They've received nearly $13K from 187 people already. We're told they're trying to raise at least $20K -- for funeral expenses and to care for April's sons ... ages 5, 8 and 18.

Jace was charged Thursday with April's murder.

Tupac's last words before he died were "F*** YOU" ... and he said them to a cop -- at least that's what the cop is now saying.

Former Las Vegas Metropolitan PD officer Chris Carroll says Tupac uttered the words to him as the wounded rapper lay dying in the officer's arms, that fateful day in 1996, moments before he slipped out of consciousness forever.

In an interview for VegasSeven.com, Carroll says he had pulled Pac from the passenger seat of the car where he'd just been shot multiple times in a drive-by ... he was bleeding everywhere.

Carroll says he tried to get Tupac to tell him who the shooter was -- asking over and over, "Who shot you? Who shot you?" -- but Tupac refused to snitch and replied ... "F*** you."

After that, Carroll says Tupac lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital, where he was eventually placed on life support. Carroll says Tupac never said another word.

George W. Bush's Scottish terrier Miss Beazley was put to sleep Saturday ... after doctors said the cancer she had been fighting finally got the best of her.

Bush's office announced the death this afternoon ... saying the dog was a "source of joy" for the family during the ex-Prez's time in Washington and Dallas.

Bush gave the dog to his wife Laura as a birthday present while he was in office ... and M.B. was featured in a video the White House made in '05 called, "A Very Beazley Christmas."

Miss Beazley was almost 10.

The Porsche Paul Walker and Roger Rodas died in was basically death on wheels ... and faulty mechanics caused the tragic crash ... at least that's what Rodas' widow is claiming in a new lawsuit filed against Porsche.

Kristine Rodas filed the lawsuit today ... claiming the Porsche Carrera GT Paul and Roger were driving had a faulty part in the suspension which caused the car to careen out of control. In the papers, she claims Roger tried to keep the car on the road, but could not regain control before hitting a light pole.

In the docs, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court ... Kristine also blames Porsche for the car exploding on impact -- claiming the vehicle lacked a proper "crash cage" and a "racing fuel cell."

According to the docs, the "fuel cell" is common in race cars ... and prevents the fuel from igniting if there's an impact.

Kristine quotes Porsche ... "Carrera GT is as close to a racecar as we will ever get."

She also alleges Porsche ignored multiple fatal crashes that had occurred in the Carrera GT ... and never took steps to warn customers.

Here's the problem ... Kristine never acknowledges Roger was speeding in the car -- in fact, she claims he was only doing 55 mph. Back in March the CHP released its investigation results ... which put the car at somewhere between 80 and 93 MPH.

Jermaine Jackson does not like the idea of new Michael Jackson music being released, but says it would have been cool if the Jackson 5 had worked on it.

JJ went from guarded to bitter when we asked him about the new MJ music Saturday afternoon in Calabasas. He says he's only heard one of the songs so far ... and thought it was good.

But overall, he's against the idea of MJ's music being released without MJ around ... noting the estate passed over the Jackson 5 to work with producers like Timbaland.

There is nothing grrrrrrrreat about this news ... the guy who voiced Tony the Tiger has passed away.

Lee Marshall died of esophageal cancer on April 26 at the age of 64 at a hospital in Santa Monica, his son told the LA Times.

Marshall first got the Kellog's gig in 1999, filling in for the original Tony, Thurl Ravenscroft. He took over the gig full time in 2005 when Ravenscroft passed away at the age of 91.

Marshall got his first job in radio at the age of 14. He was said to have had such an unusually deep voice as a child, that he lied about his age in order to get work.

He also had several news radio gigs and worked as an announcer for professional wrestling.

Marshall is survived by his wife, son, stepdaughter and granddaughter.

Whitney Houston's personal belongings are being held hostage by the company that sold her New Jersey home ... so claims her estate in a new lawsuit.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the Houston estate contracted CPMG Mendham, LLC to sell Houston's New Jersey home in December 2013, with the sale being completed in February 2014. They claim the deal was for the house only and not any of the belongings inside.

But according to the estate, CPMG has repeatedly denied them access to the home to remove Houston's things ... which they say includes a baby grand piano, a jukebox, valuable paintings, home furnishings, and other items.

The estate says CPMG has gone so far as to have the locks on the house changed and the gates chained shut.

The estate is asking to get Houston's stuff immediately, plus receive damages.

Attempts to reach CPMG were unsuccessful.

6:18 A.M. PDT -- The inquest into Geldof's death just ended in Kent. Coroner Roger Hatch says the post mortem shows Geldof used heroin shortly before she died ... and that the drug is "likely to have played a role in her death." Hatch also said Peaches' body was found on her bed by her husband.

Peaches Geldof died as the result of a heroin overdose ... according to a London newspaper that says the cause of death will be officially revealed tomorrow at an inquest.

Geldof -- daughter of rocker Bob Geldof -- was found dead in her Kent home April 7. Authorities called it a "non-suspicious, unexplained sudden death" ... but an autopsy proved inconclusive because the coroner didn't have the results of the toxicology tests.

The Times of London reports the tox report will show she died from an overdose of heroin. Geldof's mother, Paula Yates, died from an accidental heroin overdose in 2000.

The Times' report angered a Kent city official ... who told TMZ the toxicology results were supposed to be confidential until tomorrow's inquest, saying "if I find out who leaked it I will cut their balls off."

Bob Hoskins -- perhaps best known for his role opposite a bunch of cartoons in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" -- died on Wednesday. He was 71.

His agent told the BBC he passed away following a bout with pneumonia. Hoskins retired from acting in 2012 after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Hoskins' breakout role was in "The Long Good Friday" and he was nominated for an Oscar for "Mona Lisa." He also appeared in "Mermaids," "Hook," "Nixon" and many other films. His final role was in "Snow White and the Huntsman."

All dogs go to Heaven ... and now one more rambunctious canine has checked into the big puppy bowl in the sky -- Tyler the Swamp dog.

Tyler's owner Janet Mitchell -- "Swamp People" star Bruce Mitchell's wife -- says the dog's heart gave out around 1 am Monday morning after a 3-year battle with congestive heart failure.

Bruce buried the swamp dog in his yard not long after ... alongside other deceased pets.

Hug your loved ones for Tyler and eat a zebra cake.

DJ E-Z Rock, who partnered with Rob Base to form one of the most popular rap duos of the 1980s, died over the weekend, Rob Base's rep told TMZ.

E-Z Rock, real name Rodney Bryce, was 46-years-old. No other details were available.

"It Takes Two" was the duo's biggest hit, becoming a hip-hop classic and a requisite song at every Bar Mitzvah that took place in the late 80s and early 90s. Both the song, and the album it came from, hit platinum.

Family and friends gathered at a small church in Kent, England today to pay their final respects at the funeral of Peaches Geldof.

The 25-year-old socialite was found dead at her home two weeks ago. Police have found no evidence of foul play and consider it a "non-suspicious, unexplained sudden death."

Among the celebrities in attendance today at St. Mary Magdalene and St. Lawrence Church were the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, Bill Wyman, Jo Wood and Pete Briquette (a bandmate of Peaches' father, Bob Geldof).

Her casket was painted sky blue and appeared to have drawings of Geldof's family on the outside.

Roger Rodas -- who died with Paul Walker in a fiery car crash -- left his children lots of financial security ... in the form of a $1 million life insurance policy.

Rodas' kids are 10 and 12. Their mom, Kristine Rodas, has petitioned for a guardianship ... presumably so she can manage the money on behalf of her children.

There are tinges of sadness in the legal docs. Kristine says she's the children's closest adult relative and their relationship is "loving."