RIP

Sawyer Sweeten -- one of the twins from "Everybody Loves Raymond" -- committed suicide Thursday morning, according to his sister.

19-year-old Sawyer reportedly shot himself while visiting family members in Texas. His older sister Madylin Sweeten -- who was also on 'Raymond' -- confirmed the death to TMZ, saying ... "This morning a terrible family tragedy occurred. We are devastated to report that our beloved brother, son, and friend took his own life."

Sawyer played Geoffrey Barone -- one of Ray Romano's twin boys -- on the series from 1996 to 2005. He not only co-starred with Madylin, but also his real life twin brother Sullivan.

His 20th birthday was just a few weeks away.

Madylin posted on Facebook on Thursday afternoon ... "At this time I would like to encourage everyone to reach out to the ones you love. Let them have no doubt of what they mean to you.”

Paris Hilton’s O.G., and most famous dog, Tinkerbell died after 14 years of ridiculous luxury -- leaving us with memories of all the amazing things she got to do ... that we never will.

Sleep well, sweet princess.

The woman who became Norman Rockwell's Rosie the Riveter -- the symbol of American women working on the home front during World War II -- has died at the age of 92.

Mary Doyle Keefe died Tuesday in Connecticut after a brief illness ... according to her daughter.

Keefe met Rockwell when she was 19-years-old and working as a telephone operator. She was paid $10 to pose for Rockwell's iconic painting ... which showed a woman with her sleeves rolled up, rivet gun on her lap, and eating a sandwich during a break.

The image debuted on the Saturday Evening Post in May 1943.

In real life, Keefe wasn't anywhere near as beefy and muscular as Rockwell's Rosie. He later apologized to Keefe for the image, saying he needed to make her "sort of a giant."

The painting was eventually used to sell war bonds -- and Beyonce even struck her own version of Rosie last summer on Instagram.

Paris Hilton's beloved pooch has gone to the big Barbie doghouse in the sky -- Tinkerbell passed away at the age of 14 human years ... roughly 72 small dog years.

Paris purchased Tink -- her first dog -- from an online breeding company in 2002. She was reportedly inspired to get the chihuahua after seeing the movie "Legally Blonde."

Tinkerbell's led a charmed, yet difficult life. Growing up in the Hilton lap of luxury (and Paris' purse) has sometimes made her a target. In 2004, Tink went missing after burglars hit Paris' home.

Paris offered a $5,000 reward, but 6 days later Tinkerbell mysteriously reappeared. Paris never offered any details of how she got the dog back.

Tinkerbell's also had to fend for Paris' affection ... since mommy now owns nearly 2 dozen other dogs.

Paris announced the loss on Instagram, saying ... "My heart is broken. I am so sad & devastated. I feel like I've lost a member of my family."

She added, "I love you Tinky, you are a Legend & will never be forgotten." #RIP

FOX Sports announcer Steve Byrnes died Tuesday of cancer ... just 2 days after NASCAR fans, drivers and crew members paid him an emotional track side tribute.

Byrnes -- one of FOX's leading reporters for its NASCAR coverage -- was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in August of 2013. He was forced to take an indefinite leave from the job last year in October.

FOX and NASCAR teamed with Stand Up to Cancer to dedicate Sunday's race at Bristol Motor Speedway to Steve. Before the race people in the stands ... and crew members on pit road held up signs with Steve's name.

Steve watched the race on TV, and afterward tweeted his thanks for the show of love and support.

Byrnes is survived by his wife Karen and their 12-year-old son Bryson. He was 56.

The WWE is cashing in on Eddie "Hot Stuff" Gilbert even though he's been dead for 20 years ... at least according to his family, which is dragging the league to court to get a cut of the action.

According to docs ... Eddie's dad, Tommy Gilbert, is in charge of the estate and says the WWE is plastering his son's image and likeness all over TV and other media platforms without permission -- and, more importantly, without paying them a dime.

Tommy says old wrestling footage of Eddie -- a pro from '79 until his death of a heart attack in '95 -- is being used to promote the WWE.

Interestingly, Eddie's fam isn't suing to block use of the footage -- they just want a judge to force the WWE to fork over a share of its profits, plus damages.

A WWE rep tells us, "Through the years, WWE has acquired the legal rights to library footage of various former wrestling organizations including Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Mid-Southern Wrestling among many others. WWE has made substantial investments to acquire these copyrighted works and has the legal right to use them."

Johnny Kemp -- the guy who sang the 80s party anthem "Just Got Paid" ... died Thursday at the age of 55.

Originally from the Bahamas, Kemp died while vacationing in Jamaica. He was reportedly found floating on a beach in Montego Bay. It's unclear at this point what caused his death.

Kemp released his biggest hit in 1988 -- it reached #10 on the Billboard charts and #1 on the dance charts. It also got a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song.

R.I.P. Johnny. It's Friday night ...

R&B legend Percy Sledge -- famous for his hit "When a Man Loves a Woman" -- died at home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Tuesday morning after a long battle with cancer.

Percy took his signature song to #1 in 1966. It was his debut single and went on to become an international hit. It was re-released in the U.K. in 1987 and still made it to #2 on the charts.

Michael Bolton's cover version also hit #1 in 1991 -- and it's one of Hollywood's favorite tunes ... appearing on the soundtracks of well over 20 movies.

Percy had a few other hits -- "Warm and Tender Love" and "Take Time to Know Her" -- but nothing that matched his first blockbuster hit.

He continued performing until about a year ago -- and this Thursday marks the 49th anniversary of the release of "When a Man Loves a Woman."

Sledge was 73.

We got Percy out in NYC a couple years ago. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee was just awesome.

Lauren Hill is still having a major impact on the war on cancer ... even after her death -- TMZ Sports has learned her foundation received a major surge in donations in the hours after she passed away.

A rep for The Cure Starts Now Foundation tells us ... they received more than $42,000 in donations through Lauren's Club 22 fundraising organization since Friday from people wishing to honor Hill's memory.

So far, the foundation has received more than $1.5 million in donations through Club 22 -- named after Lauren's basketball jersey number.

A memorial for Hill will be held tonight at Xavier University -- where Lauren played her first college basketball game for Mt. Saint Joseph.

We're told event organizers are expecting a packed house ... and sadly, may have to turn some people away if they hit capacity.

A private funeral will take place on Wednesday -- but it's only for close friends and family.

The South Carolina cop charged with murdering Walter Scott had a very ironic song playing in his patrol car as he took off on foot to chase Scott ... and eventually shot him 5 times.

Police released Officer Michael Slagers' dash cam video from the traffic stop, and you can hear Everlast's "What It's Like" playing in the car. If you don't know the 1998 hit ... it's an extremely mellow anthem urging people to avoid pre-judging strangers.

Some of the lyrics:
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes'
Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues
Then you really might know what it's like

The song is interesting ... considering the allegations of gross racial profiling attached to the case.

As we previously reported ... Scott was pulled over by Slager for a broken taillight, but a scuffle broke out between them after Scott attempted to flee. Scott was unarmed when he was shot in the back.

Richard Dysart -- a veteran of stage and screen best known for his role on "L.A. Law" -- died Sunday after a long battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned. He was 86.

According to Dysart's daughter-in-law, he passed away at his home in Santa Monica. His wife tells us he'd been diagnosed with cancer a few years ago.

Dysart had a penchant for playing famous figures -- he portrayed Dwight D. Eisenhower (twice), J. Edgar Hoover (twice) and Harry Truman (twice). He also famously played the villain against Clint Eastwood in "Pale Rider."

But he became a household name as Leland McKenzie on "L.A. Law," which ran from 1986-1994. He was nominated for four Emmys, winning once in 1992.

Dee Snider just unleashed a bitter rant about Twisted Sister drummer A.J. Pero's death -- saying his heart attack was totally avoidable, but Pero did nothing to save himself or protect his family.

Dee came on TMZ Live to talk about the band's upcoming farewell tour, but ended up venting about Pero. Dee told us he's in the anger stage of grieving because ... he says Pero knew he had a history of heart disease in his family, but never got checked out.

A.J.'s autopsy results -- which Dee revealed -- are what really set him off about his friend's death.

James Best -- who famously played bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on "The Dukes of Hazzard" -- died Monday night at age 88.

Best passed in a hospice facility following a brief illness and complications from pneumonia, a close friend told the Charlotte Observer.

In addition to his role on "Hazzard," Best appeared on several classic shows, including, "Gunsmoke," "Mod Squad," "I Spy," "Bonanza," "Perry Mason" and "Rawhide."

Best formed an acting school in the '70s where he taught the likes of Burt Reynolds, Clint Eastwood, Lindsay Wagner, Farrah Fawcett and Quentin Tarantino.

RIP.

David “Devilfish” Ulliott -- a British poker player who got famous on "Late Night Poker" -- died Monday following a battle with colon cancer. He was 61.

Ulliott's son announced he "died peacefully surrounded by his loved ones."

Ulliott was just diagnosed in February, and doctors didn't give him great odds ... saying it was really just a matter of time.

He amassed $4,364,305 in tournament earnings and is survived by his wife Anpaktita and their eight children.

8:40 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us Brandt's death was a suicide. There are reports he killed himself by hanging, but our sources would not confirm that.

Dr. Fredric Brandt ... the dermatologist who smoothed out the skin of dozens of stars including Madonna, Stephanie Seymour and was the inspiration for Martin Short's character on Tina Fey's new show, was found dead over the weekend.

The Dade-County Medical Examiner confirms to TMZ -- the 65-year-old Botox pioneer -- was found in his Coral Gables home.

Dr. Brandt was the go-to person for the aging rich and famous, especially in NYC. The New York Times wrote his patient's skin "is smooth and yet not freakishly taut."

Dr. Brandt has a huge business selling high-end dermatology products called "Dr. Brandt."

Martin Short's character on Fey's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" which airs on Netflix mimics Brandt's look, and he's quite eccentric.

There are reports Brandt was extremely depressed over Short's seeming portrayal of him.

Robert Lewis Burns, Jr., the original Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer died in single vehicle car crash.

The Georgia State Patrol confirms Burns veered his 95' Buick Roadmaster off the road as he approached a curb and hit a tree and a mailbox. Cops say Burns was not wearing a seat belt.

We're told he was alive when paramedics arrived but died on scene. There is no indication that drugs or alcohol were involved.

Burns was in the group from it's inception in 1964 and stayed until 1974. Three members of the group -- the lead singer, guitarist, and backup vocalist -- died in a 1977 plane crash.

Burns was most recently in a group called Artimus Pyle, a tribute band to Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Burns was 64.