RIP

Eddie Money -- the '70s and '80s hitmaker known for "Take Me Home Tonight" and "Baby Hold On" -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

The singer died Friday in Los Angeles. His family said, "The Money Family regrets to announce that Eddie passed away peacefully early this morning. It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to our loving husband and father. We cannot imagine our world without him. We are grateful that he will live on forever through his music."

Eddie made the stunning revelation about his diagnosis during season 2 of his reality show, "Real Money." As we reported ... Eddie got the heartbreaking news late last year during a routine checkup with doctors.

It didn't look good at that point ... the cancer started in Eddie's esophagus but spread to other parts of his body. He'd been battling health scares for some time now. You'll recall he was forced to take a break from the road for other health issues -- a minor heart valve procedure in May and he also caught pneumonia in July, but neither issue was related to the cancer.

Eddie -- born Edward Joseph Mahoney -- was born in Brooklyn. He came from a long line of family members who served with the NYPD. He himself was on the force for 2 years ... before ditching NYC in 1968 for California to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a rock star.

Money worked the local clubs in Berkeley before he was signed to Columbia Records in 1976. His self-titled debut album earned double-platinum success. The album also included some of his classic hits ... including "Two Tickets to Paradise." His career spanned more than 4 decades and he sold over 28 million records.

Eddie also made a guest appearance on the CBS sitcom 'King of Queens' back in 2002.

He's survived by his wife of more than 30 years, Laurie, and 5 children ... Zachary, Jessica, Joseph, Julian and Desmond.

Last time we got Eddie out, he talked to us about his favorite era of music, and even tolerated a couple bars sung to him by our camera guy.

Eddie was 70.

RIP

T. Boone Pickens -- the super charismatic billionaire known as the "Oracle of Oil" -- has died at age 91, a spokesperson confirms.

Pickens reportedly died peacefully Wednesday of natural causes at his home in Texas.

You may know T. Boone for being one of the successful oil tycoons in history. You may know him for the BILLIONS he donated to charity.

And, if you're a college football fan, you might know him because the stadium at Oklahoma State University is NAMED after him! In fact, over the years, T. Boone raved about OSU to TMZ Sports!

He told us back in the day the best part of having a stadium named after him is "I'll always have a seat!"

Pickens made his fortune in energy -- he started working in oil after graduating from OSU in 1951 (with a degree in geology) and ultimately built Mesa Petroleum, which he grew into one of the largest gas and oil companies in the U.S. He became a BILLIONAIRE in the '80s.

He later honed his talents as a corporate raider -- and made TONS of money buying out companies. In 1996, he started BP Capital Management, which was also wildly successful.

As for his philanthropic work, he reportedly donated more $1 BILLION to various causes during his lifetime.

Pickens famously donated more than $500 MIL to Oklahoma State -- and the funds were almost evenly divided between OSU's athletics and academics.

Another interesting note ... Pickens had pledged to donate 90% of his net worth to charity upon his death.

Nobody knows exactly how much Pickens was worth -- or where the funds will go -- but should be VERY interesting to see how that shakes out.

He's survived by 5 children, 11 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. Pickens had been married 5 times during his lifetime ... but was not married when he died. He had reportedly been rekindling his relationship with wife #3 Nelda toward the end of his life.

Pickens was also famous for being a host to the most powerful people in the world at his 65,000-acre ranch in Texas ... including George W. Bush, Nancy Reagan, Dick Cheney, Ted Turner and more.

Pickens also penned his 1987 biography, "Boone," and 2008's "The First Billion is the Hardest."

Jeff Fenholt -- best known for playing the title character in the original Broadway theater production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" -- has died.

Law enforcement sources tell us Jeff died Tuesday, only 5 days before his 69th birthday. We're told Fenholt had recently been battling some health issues and was found dead at his home. Jeff's death is not being investigated under suspicious circumstances.

Jeff famously played Jesus in Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera, "Jesus Christ Superstar," which opened on Broadway in October 1971 and played at the Mark Hellinger Theatre for a widely successful run of more than 700 performances.

Right after the play debuted, Jeff was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in full costume, complete with a thorn crown on his head.

Jeff was also embroiled in controversy over his involvement with the English heavy metal band, Black Sabbath. Jeff claimed he was a singer in the band for a few months in 1985, and says the band used several of his melodies for their album, "Seventh Star," though he was not credited.

However, original Sabbath member Tony Iommi never confirmed Jeff was in the band ... and the official line from Black Sabbath is that Jeff merely "tried out" for a spot in the group.

Jeff also gained notoriety as a Christian evangelist, and he says he made the conversion after becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol after the end of 'JCS' on Broadway.

Jeff was 68.

Neiron Ball -- a beloved ex-Florida Gators football star -- has died at 27 after a long battle with a rare brain disorder, his family announced.

Ball was a stud at UF from 2011 to 2014 despite being diagnosed with Brain AVM (arteriovenous malformation) ... a condition characterized by tangled blood vessels in the brain. It reportedly affects less than 1% of the population.

Ball was hospitalized in 2011 after collapsing during football practice. Doctors determined he was suffering from a brain bleed and required surgery.

Despite the crippling condition, Ball recovered and GOT BACK ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD -- and he played so well, the Oakland Raiders selected the pass rusher in the 5th round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Ball racked up 9 tackles, a fumble recovery and a sack his rookie year.

But, he suffered an injury and was released the next season.

In 2018, Ball reportedly suffered a brain aneurysm and was placed in a medically induced coma. His sister said Ball's health suffered tremendously -- describing him as a quadriplegic who could only communicate using his eyes.

The family announced Ball passed away Monday morning -- saying, "Neiron was a very special and loving father, brother, and teammate. Neiron has transitioned to a place of peace."

The Florida Gators football team posted a tribute on social media -- "Rest in Peace, Neiron. You'll be forever remembered and always missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family during this difficult time."

Beloved Cleveland Cavaliers play-by-play announcer Fred McLeod died suddenly Monday night ... after reportedly suffering a heart attack. He was 67 years old.

McLeod had been calling Cavs games since 2006 alongside Austin Carr ... and was a fan favorite in Cleveland.

The team released a statement Tuesday morning, saying, "The entire Cavaliers organization mourns the loss of their great friend and teammate."

"Fred’s deep love for Cleveland and the Cavaliers was clearly evident in everything he did in and around the community and on-air during his more than 1,000 Cavalier game broadcasts."

One of Fred's most legendary calls came in 2016 when the Cavs won the NBA title against the Golden State Warriors to end the city's championship drought ... screaming, "Goodnight, Oakland. It's over! The 52-year drought is over!!"

"He was a true, heart-felt ambassador for the team, fans and entire greater Cleveland community," the team said.

McLeod was preparing for his 14th straight year as the Cavs announcer on Fox Sports Ohio.

LeBron James -- who is currently vacationing in Portofino with his family -- took a moment to share his condolences ... saying "Man WHAT!!!!??? OMG this is extremely sad. @CavsFredMcLeod May you rest in Paradise my friend! @BethHMcLeod my prayers sent up above to you and your family!! #RIPFred"

Kevin Love added ... "Shocked and saddened to hear about the loss of Fred McLeod. He was a student of the game."

"He loved the CAVS but even more so the fans...Fred worked his ass off for the city of Cleveland and the NBA. Praying and sending my best to his wife Beth and kids."

"The Cavaliers extend our deepest condolences to Fred’s entire family, including his wife Beth, mother Marilyn, sister Lynn, and his three children, Sean, Jenna, Molly and each of their families."

Jarzinho Pieter -- a goalkeeper for the Curacao national soccer team -- died Monday night after suffering an apparent heart attack 24 hours before playing Haiti, officials say.

He was only 31.

Pieter was in Port-au-Prince with his Curacao teammates -- prepping to take on Haiti in Tuesday's CONCACAF Nations League game -- when officials say he became ill at the Marriott Hotel where the team was staying.

FYI -- CONCACAF stands for Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football.

Haitian sports minister Edwin Charles issued a statement on social media -- saying Pieter was the "victim of a heart attack."

Pieter was 2nd string goalie for Curacao -- but the guy was a stud in the net and began his international career with Team Curacao back in 2013.

As for Curacao's scheduled match, the players had a meeting and decided to take the pitch to honor their teammate.

“The Confederation has been informed by the Curacao Football Federation that following consultation with the players, it has decided to play tomorrow’s match against Haiti in tribute to their team-mate," ... CONCACAF said.

There's a $20k education fund to help the children of the woman killed in the fatal Kevin O'Leary boat crash, and the campaign was set up by the son of the other victim killed in the incident.

Alex Poltash, whose father Gary died in the tragedy, is the man behind the GoFundMe for Suzana Brito's three children -- 12-year-old Liam, 11-year-old Ruby and 9-year-old Cash. Alex says the money is going into an education fund for the kids, and it's a way to carry on his dad's legacy.

The way Alex sees it ... his father was a true believer in the power of education, and the crowdfunding effort is an appropriate way to honor his pops, who was friends with Suzana.

We broke the story ... Kevin's boat was involved in a fatal crash last month on Lake Joseph in Ontario, Canada. Two people were killed and 3 others were injured.

Multiple sources with knowledge tell us, police are looking at whether the boat that was hit had its navigation lights on. Kevin insists they were not on, but we're told people on the other boat insist the lights were on, Kevin's boat was going too fast and the driver -- Kevin's wife -- wasn't paying proper attention.

Suzana, a 48-year-old single mother, died in the hospital after suffering horrific injuries in the wreck.

The doctor who was responsible for Britney Spears' medical treatment died suddenly, just weeks before the judge in her conservatorship case will receive a report focusing on whether she was receiving appropriate treatment.

Dr. Timothy Benson died in Santa Monica, CA on August 24. The cause of death has not been disclosed, but sources tell us the 48-year-old psychiatrist died from an aneurysm.

The timing is significant. Sources connected to Britney tell TMZ the judge will receive a report within the next 10 days from a court-appointed evaluator who has spent more than 3 months determining if her medical and other care was appropriate.

Our sources say, during a hearing last spring, questions were raised about Britney's medical care. It's no secret ... Britney's mom, Lynne, has been critical of Jamie Spears handling of the conservatorship and the medical care her daughter has been getting. The questions revolved around the medications Britney was receiving for her serious mental health issues.

The evaluation was ordered after questions were raised over Britney entering a mental health facility earlier this year. Sources connected to Jamie claim the medicine she was taking had lost its efficacy, and doctors were struggling to find a new combination. But, others say they were baffled by what they felt was a sudden turn -- they say Britney was going full steam ahead with a new show, and then suddenly became all but incapacitated.

Some have questioned Dr. Benson's expertise in treating serious mental health issues. He developed a name for himself working with NBA and NFL teams, inspiring athletes to achieve success. He's a board-certified psychiatrist, but we're told some people in Britney's life felt she needed someone who worked full-time on serious mental health issues.

The evaluator's report is just one issue facing the judge. As we reported, Jamie has filed papers and will appear in court Monday asking a judge to temporarily relieve him of conservatorship duties until January, and put her case manager, Jodi Montgomery, in the conservator's role during the interim.

Jamie says he's ill and can't perform the duties, but there's a bigger issue. He's prohibited from having any contact with Britney's kids after allegedly putting his hands on 13-year-old Sean. Kevin Federline filed a police report and cops are investigating.

It seems improbable Jamie could be Britney's conservator until the case is resolved, since the conservator is ultimately responsible for the welfare of the children and that's hard to do when you can't interact with them.

Our sources say Monday's hearing should be non-eventful. We're told there's no real objection to Montgomery stepping in for the short term. But, depending on the evaluator's report and the way the assault investigation goes ... Jamie's long-term prospect for staying conservator is up in the air.

Mac Miller's alleged drug dealer richly deserves time behind bars for contributing to the death of the rapper ... at least according to Ariana Grande.

Sources close to Ariana tell TMZ ... she believes Cameron James Pettit -- the 28-year-old feds believe supplied Miller with counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl -- took advantage of someone suffering from addiction and should face harsh consequences for his role in Mac's death.

We're told Grande feels ANYONE who was involved in supplying Miller drugs should be charged and convicted for contributing to his death from an accidental overdose.

As we reported ... prosecutors arrested Pettit and allege he was one of three people who supplied Mac with the fentanyl-laced drugs. The other 2 are possibly a madam and a prostitute also associated with Pettit and Miller.

Our Ariana sources also say the recent arrest has brought some sense of closure to her, though she knows this isn't the end of the story until justice is served.

As for what that justice might entail ... law enforcement sources tell us Pettit could be hit with an enhanced drug trafficking charge resulting in death. This charge requires more investigation, which we're told is currently underway.

Robert Axelrod, the voice of Lord Zedd and Finister in the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," has died.

Robert's agent said, "It is with a heavy heart that we write that client, Robert “Bob” Axelrod passed away yesterday in Los Angeles at the age of 70."

Axelrod played Lord Zedd in the flesh in "Mighty Mophins Power Ranger: Live" in 1996.

His career was layered with characters ... he played more than 150 over the years. He was featured in "Digimon" and "Samurai Pizza Cats." He wrote more than 50 episodes of 'Pizza Cats.'

Robert was a well-known guitarist in the early '70s ... playing folk rock and soul. He was also a singer before becoming a famous voice-over actor.

His agent said, "Robert enjoyed meeting his fans and inspiring them to follow their passions. His beautiful and kindred soul will never be forgotten and we take comfort in knowing his memory will live on in all those he inspired, met and knew."

Rober was born and raised in New York City. He appeared in commercials as a kid, he also did off-Broadway plays at the Soho Avant-Garde Theater as a teen.

Robert starred in Michael Jackson's 1995 music video, "Stranger in Moscow," from the album 'HIStory.' The video's been watched on YouTube over 46 million times.

His most recent credit was the 2019 comedy thriller, "Induced Effect," which was released in April.

Robert was 70.

Eazy-E would've been happy about this -- his family just put in a new tombstone over his grave that's worthy of his excellence ... and that's properly fact-checked too.

The unveiling of E's new headstone went down Saturday at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Whittier, CA -- where his kids, friends, fam and die-hard fans came out to show the world a newly commissioned engraving that was way more decked out than his OG slab.

It also included his correct date of birth, with the right year ... 1964, not 1963 as his tombstone had indicated for years since he was buried in the '90s.

Besides that, the headstone is truly a work of art -- with photos of Eazy from his NWA days, and a new title that reads, "The Godfather of Gangsta Rap." It includes the same line from his old tombstone -- "We loved him, but God loved him more" -- but has an additional remembrance as well ... "He Put Compton On The Map." Yep, he sure did.

Eazy's kids have told the media that this is something they've wanted to do for a long time for their dad, as the old grave site was, frankly, not up to par ... not to mention misleading.

What makes the day so special in addition to the new headstone itself is the fact that it was put on display on what would've been Eazy's 55th birthday. People were certainly in a celebratory mood too, as the crowd rapped his lyrics and released doves to boot.

We talked to Cemetery Tim, the creator of the new tombstone, and he told us about the pressure he felt in creating this new one in the ground. Looks like he did a job well done, 'cause his daughter was pretty ecstatic with how it all played out.

The rapper died in 1995 from complications due to HIV/AIDS. He was only 30 years old.

Chester Bennington's widow is moving forward with her life because we've learned she's now engaged ... and at the same time she's honoring her late husband with some pretty noble work in the field of mental health.

Our sources tell us Talinda Bennington got engaged in April to a Los Angeles County firefighter. She says, "I can find love after tragedy." She adds, "To all suicide loss survivors, you CAN be happy again. You CAN have space in your heart for grief, joy, happiness, sadness and love."

We're told Chester's relatives are super supportive of Talinda's new relationship. They think her fiance's a good guy and they're especially pleased he's involved with Chester and Talinda's kids. The family thinks Talinda's fiance will help provide stability for the children. We're told the kids are happy, especially because it makes their mom happy.

TMZ broke the story ... Chester took his own life in his Palos Verdes home back in 2017, while Talinda and their children were out of town.

Talinda has now made mental heath her life's work to honor her late husband. She's the executive director and co-founder of 320 Changes Direction, a mental health awareness org created in honor of Chester.

Chris March, a costume designer who appeared on "Project Runway" -- and dressed huge stars like Beyonce and Meryl Streep -- is dead ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources close to Chris' family tell TMZ ... he died Thursday afternoon at 1:45 PM from a heart attack. We're told Chris had been in and out of the hospital for the last year, but the heart attack came as a surprise to doctors and relatives.

Despite his medical battles -- related to a nasty fall he suffered 2 years ago -- we're told Chris was still designing dresses until the end.

Chris was a finalist on season 4 of "Project Runway" ... he also appeared on "Project Runway All Stars" and had his own show on Bravo called "Mad Fashion." He also made cameos on "The Real Housewives of New York City" ... helping find elaborate costumes for Sonja Morgan.

Known for his avant-garde style, Chris had major A-list clients. He designed for Madonna, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Coolidge and, as we said, Bey and Streep. He was responsible for Meryl's 2010 Golden Globe and Oscars gowns.

Chris also designed costumes for Cirque du Soleil and a slew of Broadway performances.

He had struggled to fully recover from a June 2017 fall in his apartment where he'd hit his head. Chris laid there for 4 days, finally woke up and called 911 before being rushed to the hospital.

He had to be placed in a medically induced coma, and suffered organ failure ... including a collapsed lung.

Chris was 56.

'Bachelorette' star Tyler Cameron is so in with Gigi Hadid ... he scored an invite to a family event ... sadly it was grandma's funeral.

Tyler and Gigi winged it to Rotterdam, Netherlands ... where Yolanda Hadid's mother, Ans van den Herik, was laid to rest.

Remember ... Gigi and Tyler have only been dating for a month ... this after the superfan model sought him out after he came up short on the reality show.

Tyler has made the most of it, and now he's embedded in the fam ... we're guessing he didn't deliver the eulogy ... but nice he was there to support his girl.

Anwar's also there with his new girl, British singer Dua Lipa. They've also been moving fast after just 2 months of dating ... they're supposedly moving in together.

Bella, on the other hand, is still fresh off her breakup from The Weeknd and went solo.

Gigi and Anwar weren't the only ones with a little arm candy. Yolanda walked hand-in-hand with her new man, Joseph Jingoli.

Dog the Bounty Hunter is about to be a first-time viewer, just like Joe Q. Public, of his new reality show ... and he nearly broke down as he told us why.

We spoke to Duane "Dog" Chapman on "TMZ Live" about Wednesday night's debut of "Dog's Most Wanted" and he broke some interesting news. Dog says he has NOT seen the final edit of the of show -- which is not his normal process.

Dog said he usually weighs in on edits of the show, but after his wife, Beth Chapman, passed in June ... things changed for him.

Dog says it was too difficult to watch footage of Beth, and therefore ... he stayed out of how the show was cut. As far as what's documented though -- Dog tells us the show captures Beth's final days before she passed away in June, including one final ass-kicking moment in the field.

We also asked Dog for an update on the break-in at his Colorado storefront last month, in which crooks made off with some of Beth's personal belongings. The investigation is ongoing, but he opens up about what local police begged him to do ... or NOT do.

As we reported ... Dog had a hunch the crime was an inside job based on what a psychic told him, who claimed she'd spoken to Beth from the great beyond.

He admitted it wouldn't be pretty if he ends up getting a hold of the culprits.

The "Fastest Woman on Four Wheels" was traveling at a breathtakingly incredible speed for well over a minute -- with no signs of trouble -- just before her fatal jet-car crashed.

This video of Jessi Combs' final ride -- obtained by TMZ -- shows the professional racer absolutely flying across the Alvord Desert in Oregon last week as she attempted to break the land-speed record she'd previously set in 2016.

Shortly after this footage ends, the vehicle started to come apart. As we reported, Combs' jet-powered car crashed and killed her. Photos of the wreckage show the 56-foot-long jet-car -- called the North American Eagle -- was destroyed with only a few parts even recognizable after the horrific accident.

According to the Harney County Sheriff's Office ... the cause of the crash is still unknown and under investigation.

Along with setting land-speed records that earned Jessi her moniker -- she was a TV personality with notable appearances on "MythBusters" and "Overhaulin'."