RIP

President Barack Obama sent a heartfelt, admiring letter to blues legend B.B. King just a month before he died, and the unique piece of history can be yours for ... for a pretty penny.

The personally signed piece of White House stationery -- equipped with the presidential seal on top -- was sent to an ailing King in April 2015 as he was dealing with multiple health issues caused by high blood pressure and diabetes.

Obama wrote he had heard of B.B.'s challenges and wanted to send him his "warmest wishes during this trying time."

44 went on to heap praise upon "The King of the Blues," saying, King had touched hearts, moved souls and lifted spirits for decades ... clearly, Barack was trying to do the same for B.B.

Obama ended the letter by saying he and Michelle were thinking of him and sending prayers.

This wasn't the first connection between the African-American icons ... the 2 shared the stage in 2010 at the National Christmas Tree Lighting.

The letter's up for grabs at Moments In Time via King's granddaughter Sylvia Williams, who says her mother gave it to her years ago. She says B.B. never imagined there would be a president of color in his lifetime ... let alone receive a personal letter from one.

King died in May 2015 -- just over a month after Obama sent this letter -- from vascular dementia caused by a series of small strokes as a consequence of his type 2 diabetes. Before he died, his daughters claimed he was a victim of elder abuse by his longtime manager -- and even alleged he may have died by poisoning -- but his autopsy showed no evidence of that.

Obama's get-well letter to King can be purchased for $17,500.

Country music legend Kenny Rogers died Friday evening at his home, surrounded by his family.

Kenny was under hospice care at the time of his passing ... according to a rep for the singer, who also says Kenny died of natural causes.

The Country Music Hall of Famer was known for his impressive string of hits that crossed over to top 40 pop hit radio. The biggest of his 60-year career include, "The Gambler," "Coward of the County," "Lucille," "Lady" and his #1 duet with Dolly Parton, "Islands in the Stream."

Kenny has had serious health issues in the past. Back in 2018, he had to cancel the remaining dates of his 'Gambler's Last Deal' farewell tour due to unspecified "health challenges." When he was forced to cancel, Kenny joked, "I didn't want to take forever to retire."

The iconic singer was born and raised in Houston, and was the 4th of 8 children. He has 5 kids of his own, and got married 5 different times.

Kenny was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013, and in 2017 he was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. He's also won 13 American Music Awards, 6 CMAs, and 3 Grammy awards ... 2 of them for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

In addition to his sterling career on the mic, Kenny also dabbled in acting, appearing in movies and on TV. Some of his notable acting credits include the title role in "Kenny Rogers as The Gambler" and an awesome guest-starring spot on "The Muppet Show."

Rogers was also a very successful businessman, who co-founded the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters. So, yes ... somewhere in the darkness, the Gambler broke way more than even.

Kenny was 81.

RIP

Vanessa Bryant is blown away by a man's new tribute tattoo to Kobe and Gianna ... calling the piece "beautiful" and praising the artist for the work.

"Just came across this," Vanessa said Thursday. "So amazing. What a BEAUTIFUL tribute to my Gigi and Kobe. Kobe would never want to outshine our baby girl. Thank you for honoring them together❤️"

The man who did the ink -- Steve Butcher -- is famous in the tattoo world ... he's put down art on everybody from Matt Barnes to Lonzo Ball -- and has been tattooing Kobe tributes weekly since the NBA legend's tragic helicopter crash in January.

Butcher's pieces are insanely real ... and the skin work he did on a Kobe fan's leg this month really touched Vanessa.

"This is really beautiful," she said.

The artwork features a picture of a smiling Kobe with his daughter, Gigi. It also has butterflies and a portrayal of the night the Lakers left Mamba and Mambacita jerseys on courtside seats at Staples just days after their deaths.

Of course, celebs and athletes all across the globe have gotten tattoos to honor the Lakers legend ... everyone from The Game to Odell Beckham, LeBron James and Kobe's sister have new artwork for the Mamba.

English soccer star Peter Whittingham has tragically passed away after suffering head injuries from an accidental fall, his former club announced. He was only 35.

The ex-Cardiff City and Aston Villa midfielder had reportedly been hospitalized following the accident on March 7 ... and succumbed to the injuries at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff on Thursday.

Cardiff released a statement on the tragedy, saying, "It is with an immeasurable amount of sorrow that we must inform supporters that Peter Whittingham has passed away at the age of 35."

"We are heartbroken. The news of Peter’s sudden and untimely passing has shaken us to our very foundation."

Whittingham is survived by his wife, Amanda, and their young son.

"They are at the forefront of our thoughts and, on their behalf, we ask for their privacy to be respected at this unfathomably cruel and difficult time," Cardiff said.

The club praised Whittingham for being a family man with a sense of humor ... as well as a true professional on the field.

"The loss of Peter will be painfully felt by our city, supporters and indeed all who ever had the pleasure of knowing him. We love you Pete and your memory will eternally stay with us."

Whittingham played for Villa from 2003-07 before spending his next 11 seasons with Cardiff ... where he became the 9th-leading scorer in the club's history.

Vanessa Bryant has filed legal docs to protect all of her children ...she's asking a judge to amend Kobe's trust so she can provide for their youngest daughter, Capri, who was born after the most recent trust document was drafted and signed.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Kobe created a trust to provide for Vanessa and his kids way back in 2003. The trust was amended several times, most recently in 2017. It seems every time one of their 4 children was born, they amended the trust to include them.

Problem is ... Capri was born 9 months ago and it didn't seem like there was a mad rush to amend the document again, since Kobe was healthy and young. Obviously, no one could have anticipated the tragedy that befell the family when both Kobe and Gigi were killed in a helicopter crash last January.

Vanessa is asking the judge to include Capri, and explains it was clearly Kobe's intent to provide for his children. He even says so generally in one on the documents.

It seems pretty certain a judge will allow the amendment.

According to the trust agreement, Vanessa, Natalia and Bianka can draw from the principal and income in the trust during Vanessa's lifetime, and then her kids get the remainder upon her death. Vanessa wants to include Capri in that distribution.

Floyd Mayweather's comeback is off ... at least for now ... with the boxer telling people he will likely NOT fight in 2020 in the wake of the multiple personal tragedies and the coronavirus.

As we previously reported, 43-year-old Floyd was planning on TWO fights in 2020 -- one event involving the UFC and another fight against an established, respected boxer.

But, sources close to Floyd tell us ... Mayweather is reeling after both his ex, Josie Harris, and his uncle, Roger Mayweather, died in the span of a week. And, the last thing on his mind is fighting.

Floyd has 3 children with Josie who died unexpectedly last week while in her car in front of her home in Valencia, CA. In fact, she was found by one of their children.

Uncle Roger -- who was also Floyd's trainer -- had been ill for a while, but we're told Floyd was extremely fond of him and is having a tough time accepting that he's gone.

On top of all that ... we're also told Floyd was crushed by the death of his friend, Kobe Bryant -- he took that one particularly hard.

In other words, he's dealing with A LOT right now -- and it would be extremely difficult for him to focus on boxing.

Plus, with the coronavirus pandemic still in full swing -- and so many events being canceled or postponed -- it's unclear when Floyd would be able to lock down a fight date in 2020 anyway.

Juice WRLD may have barely been old enough to buy beer but he was loaded ... worth MILLIONS before his tragic death.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the late rapper's estate was worth $3,278,867.49. This included a condo in Miami worth around $1,490,000 and several bank accounts ... including one with $1,001,515.68.

He was also a huuuuge watch and jewelry collector cause, according to docs, his watches and jewelry alone are worth $459,318.75. Remember, it's possible Juice WRLD is actually worth a lot more cause there could be assets in trusts outside of the probate estate.

Floyd Mayweather's uncle, Roger Mayweather -- one of the most famous boxing trainers ever -- has died, Floyd's camp confirms with TMZ Sports. He was 58.

Roger was a KEY member of Floyd's training team -- and sculpted him into becoming the global phenom he is today. Many considered Roger the best trainer in the world.

He was also a pretty good boxer and battled with some pretty big stars, including Julio César Chávez and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini.

He was also a 2-weight world champion -- holding the WBA and lineal super featherweight titles back in the day, along with the WBC light welterweight title (from '87 to '89).

Roger had been in declining health for years. In fact, Floyd opened up about Roger's health back in 2015 and blamed boxing for damaging his brain.

"My uncle Roger Mayweather has lost a lot of memory from the sport of boxing," Floyd said ... "He's only in his 50s, but it seems like he's an old man in his 80s."

A few years ago, Roger went missing -- and fortunately, he was located by law enforcement officials.

We're told Floyd was close with Roger and is deeply emotional about his passing.

Story developing ...

Lyle Waggoner -- known for his roles on hit TV shows in the '60s and '70s, and as the founder of Star Waggons -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to his family tell TMZ ... the former actor died peacefully at his home Tuesday morning after a battling an illness. He was surrounded by his wife and sons.

Lyle's career took off in the mid-'60s after landing a guest role on "Gunsmoke." He was in the running for the title role on the iconic "Batman" TV series ... but lost out to Adam West.

Waggoner didn't let it stop him, though, and soon afterward he began a 7-year stint on "The Carol Burnett Show," playing various characters on the legendary sketch comedy and variety show.

He'd go on to star in "Wonder Woman" starting in 1975, playing both Steve Trevor and Steve Trevor Jr. over 3 seasons of the show.

On top of acting, Lyle was also a major heartthrob and became the first male seminude centerfold for Playgirl magazine in 1973.

Waggoner appeared in several TV movies and small films in the '70s and '80s, often cast as the hunk.

Around the same time, Lyle was busy founding Star Waggons ... the company known for its customized trailers used in the entertainment biz.

He was 84.

RIP

Stuart Whitman, a staple of '60s, '70s and '80s is dead.

Whitman died Monday morning at his home in Montecito, CA. A longtime friend tells TMZ Whitman was in and out of the hospital recently due to skin cancer that seeped into his bloodstream. He was surrounded by family at the time of his death.

Whitman starred in a number of dramas, but he was most famous for his westerns ... especially with John Wayne. Their 1961 film, "The Comancheros," was a classic.

Stuart's son, Justin, tells us, "Old Hollywood lost another one of its true stars. Stuart Whitman was known for his rugged roles and handsome charm. We were proud of him for his tv, film roles and his Oscar nomination, but what we will really remember is his exuberant love of his family and friends."

In all Whitman has more than 150 credits to his name. He was retried for awhile ... his last credit is the TV movie, "The President's Man" which starred Chuck Norris back in 2000.

Whiteman was married 3 times.

He served in the Army during WWII and was a pretty accomplished boxer.

He received an Oscar nom for Best Actor for his work in "The Mark." He's been married to his third wife since 1993. He had 4 kids with his first wife, and 1 child with his second.

Stuart was 92.

Derrick Henry didn't get the contract he wanted from the Titans this month ... but he sure as hell got a dope chain regardless -- coppin' an $85K piece to honor his hero, Kobe Bryant.

TMZ Sports has learned Henry grew up a huge fan of the Mamba ... and shortly after the Lakers legend's death in January, Derrick hit up ZoFrost to have tribute drip made.

As you can see, the jeweler -- who's worked with NFL stars like Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson and Earl Thomas this past year -- created a SICK piece for the Tennessee RB.

The chain and pendant features a mamba snake wrapped around Kobe's famous logo ... and we're told it holds approximately 35 CTs of diamonds.

We're also told the bling weighs a stunning 120 grams ... and all told, is worth $85,000.

We know what you're thinking ... but don't worry, even though Henry hasn't gotten a long-term deal from the Titans yet, the franchise tag they put on him this week is still set to pay him around $12 MILLION this season.

By the way, Henry ain't the only NFL star to get sick ice from ZoFrost this month ... remember the insane Bruce Lee piece Kyler Murray had made for him last week?

"Modern Family" got some really sad news over the weekend -- Ed O'Neill's TV dog Stella has died.

The French bulldog -- real name Beatrice -- died about a week ago and just days after wrapping the show. It's unclear what led to Beatrice's death. "Modern Family" star Jesse Tyler Ferguson bid her goodbye Sunday ... posting a picture of Beatrice on the set with the caption, "Rest in peace sweet Beatrice. We love you so much," followed by a crying emoji.

Ed's character, Jay Pritchett, reluctantly got a dog in season 2. Beatrice took over the role season 4. Ed ultimately grew to love his Stella ... often showering her with gifts.

Beatrice's owners had said during a 2017 interview that Ed was obsessed with Beatrice in real-life ... often bringing her treats when she was on set and always looking out for her.

The pooch was also no stranger to being on TV. Beatrice also appeared in "Workaholics" and "The Kominsky Method." Beatrice also appeared in commercials for Dunkin' Donuts and Chase Bank.

The news comes just weeks before "Modern Family" -- after 11 glorious seasons -- airs its series finale in April. #RIP #AllDogsGoToHeaven