RIP

Music legend Bobby Rydell, one of the first teen idols back in the 1960s, is dead.

Bobby, whose famous songs include "Volare" and "Wild One," died Tuesday. A person close to Bobby tells us he had some health issues over the last few months and was recently diagnosed with pneumonia ... which is believed to be the cause of death. We're told it was not COVID-related.

Bobby was a central part of the Philadelphia dynasty in music ... so big, streets were named after him. Paul McCartney famously said Bobby's hit, "Swinging School," served as the inspiration behind The Beatles' early mega-hit, "She Loves You."

Bobby toured as part of The Golden Boys stage production with Frankie Avalon and Fabian, and he was easily the most talented singer among the trio of teen idols.

While Bobby's mostly known for his music, he was also a talented actor ... starring on TV, stage and film, most notably a role in the movie version of "Bye Bye Birdie" with Ann-Margret and Dick Van Dyke.

There's even a nod to Bobby in the Broadway and film version of "Grease" ... the high school, "Rydell High," was named after him.

Bobby sold over 25 million records ... and his other hits include "Kissin' Time, "Sway," "I've Got Bonnie," "The Cha-Cha-Cha" and "Forget Him."

He was 79.

YK Osiris is in talks with the family of the 14-year-old who fell to his death from an amusement park ride, saying he wants to do his part by covering funeral expenses.

We talked to YK Tuesday at LAX, where he told us he's already talking through the process with Tyre Sampson's family. The rapper says he'd also like to be in attendance for the funeral, if they'll have him.

YK says he decided to get involved when ICON Park in Orlando, FL wasn't acting fast enough, in his opinion, so he wanted to make something happen for the family.

As we reported, 14-year-old Tyre was visiting ICON Park a few weeks ago when he fell to his death from the "Orlando Free-Fall" ride. The attraction, which just opened in December, reportedly plummets at 75 mph.

Rapper Goonew was quite literally front and center at his own funeral ... with his body propped up and on display in a club.

The 24-year-old's funeral, named The Final Show, was held at Bliss Nightclub in Washington D.C. Sunday, and footage from inside the building appears to show the rapper's embalmed corpse overlooking the crowd, fully dressed up and wearing a crown.

The audience reaction is pretty mixed ... some are dancing along to the music, while others are stone-faced, staring at the dead body in front of them. Bliss Nightclub said they weren't made aware of the tribute ahead of time, according to TooFab, and have apologized to anyone offended.

The club is still investigating if the body was real or not, or if any legal ramifications are possible.

Goonew, real name Markelle Morrow, was found with fatal gunshot wounds a few weeks ago in a District Heights parking lot -- his family believes he was the victim of an armed robbery.

Here's Prince at age 11 doing his very first interview, but not about music -- just a kid sharing his opinion on a Minnesota teachers' strike ... an incredible piece of lost TV footage!

The clip is from way back in April 1970, and it shows a reporter from local TV outlet WCCO asking young Prince what he thinks of the picket lines outside schools. The kid was rocking a winter hat and that same sly smile the world would come to know 13 years later.

11-year-old Prince told the reporter, "I think they should get a better education too cause, um, and I think they should get some more money cause they work, they be working extra hours for us and all that stuff."

At first glance, the kid looks a lot like Prince, but the reporter never asked the kid's name ... so there was no proof on camera that it really was Prince Rogers Nelson.

WCCO did some digging, tracking down other kids from the archival footage who did share their names, but ran into some dead ends. That's when they turned to Prince historian Kristen Zschomler, who gasped when she first saw the clip.

Zschomler says it's definitely Prince in the video, standing outside his old Lincoln Junior High School stomping grounds ... and she says footage of Prince as a child is super rare.

The TV station got further confirmation it was Prince, getting in touch with an old classmate who recognized Prince and some of their other peers on tape.

Martha Stewart's cat, Princess Peony, is dead, and her ninth life ended violently at the paws of Martha's 4 dogs, who mistook her for a rogue threat and killed her.

Martha broke the news Sunday ... revealing Princess Peony died in a case of mistaken identity. Her social media caption read, "Burying the beautiful and unusual Princess Peony. the four dogs mistook her for an interloper and killed her defenseless little self. I will miss her very badly. RIP beauty"

Fans and friends, including Kris Jenner and Ellen Pompeo, commented on the post and wished Martha the best.

She later posted a pic of PP in remembrance ... Martha says her feline pal was a dominant calico Persian who celebrated her 12th birthday last year.

There were warning signs for Martha and Princess -- back in August, Martha talked about her cats being afraid of her dogs, posting ... "My cats feel liberated because the four dogs are away on vacation. Leaving the cats alone in the house to roam, relax, recover !!!"

Still, gotta wonder how her pups mistook a not-so-large house cat -- with which they'd lived for several years -- for a human intruder. 🤔

Martha has always been a lover of animals ... at one point, she had 25 dogs and 20 cats. She also hosted the Puppy Bowl with Snoop Dogg back in February and has spoken out often about her farm, home to a wide variety of animals, including horses, canaries, peacocks, and goats.

Estelle Harris, who brilliantly played George Costanza's mom, has died.

Estelle passed away Saturday at her home in Palm Desert, CA, just outside of Palm Springs.  Her son Glen says she died from natural causes, adding, "It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed on this evening at 6:25."

Glen went on to say, "Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy, and love were practically unrivaled, and she will be terribly missed by all those who knew her."

Estelle played a loud, opinionated and confrontational mom who was quick to take on her hubby and George at the drop of a hat. Short story ... she was hysterical!

And, speaking of story ... Estelle played Mrs. Potato Head in the 3 most recent 'Toy Story' flicks. There's a lot more to her CV ... "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody," "Tarzan II," "The Pinocchio Shop," and tons of other voiceover work.

Estelle was a New Yorker by birth and got her big break on "Night Court."

She was married to Sy Harris from 1953 to 2021, when he died. She's survived by 3 kids -- Eric, Glen and Taryn, as well as 3 grandsons and a great-grandson.

Estelle was 93.

RIP

Eli Cramer -- a Milligan University track star -- was tragically killed after he was struck by a car while running in Virginia on Thursday.

He was only 20 years old.

The Virginia State Police confirms to TMZ Sports that five members of the cross country team were running along Williamsburg Pottery Road around 6:02 PM when three of them were hit by a Scion.

The driver -- identified as Jose Efrain Hernandez Mancia -- allegedly tried to flee the scene, but ended up crashing into a median on Route 199.

The injured Milligan track team members were transported to the Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center ... with two of the athletes suffering minor to serious injuries. Cramer, however, passed away as a result of his injuries.

Alex Mortimer -- one of the injured victims -- released a video from his hospital bed after the horrific crash saying he had a broken leg and a dislocated shoulder.

"I wanna exhort and thank you all for praying for me, the Milligan team and the university and institution," Mortimer said.

"Moments like this make you realize what is and is not important in your life."

Cramer was a star on the track at Milligan ... just last month, he ran a sub 15 minute 5K (14:30.46) in the Rams College Invitational.

FYI, that's well under a 5-minute mile pace.

"He held a contagious energy that was integral to his team and our campus community," the university said in a statement.

"Please continue to pray for Cramer's family as they begin to make sense of yesterday's tragedy. Pray for our entire cross country/track & field team, their coaches and our entire community."

26-year-old Mancia was arrested and charged with DUI-1st offense, DUI-involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, one felony count of hit-and-run, DUI-maiming and refusing to submit a breath/blood sample.

Taylor Hawkins fans and childhood friends are remembering him in his SoCal hometown with a pretty fitting tribute on the same beach where he loved to surf.

Several dozen people formed a drum circle in the sand Thursday night in Laguna Beach, the scenic town where he grew up, and later bought a beachfront home.

The drummers, with some acoustic guitarists sprinkled in too, all gathered on Aliso Beach Park ... which locals noted was one of Taylor's fave spots to catch waves.

The Foo Fighters drummer had reconnected with some of his high school pals when he moved back into the area. Although he'd gained worldwide fame, and even been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year ... his friends say Taylor never gave off rock star energy when he was there.

As we reported, Taylor was found dead last Friday in his hotel room in Bogota, Colombia ... where Foo was scheduled to play. They'd been headlining festival shows across South America.

A man has been arrested for the murder of the mother of Young Thug's child after a dispute at a bowling alley turned deadly.

The Atlanta Police Department announced Joshua Fleetwood was taken into custody Thursday after they'd secured warrants charging him with felony murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Fleetwood is currently being held in the Fulton County Jail.

As we reported, LaKevia Jackson was shot and killed March 17 in Atlanta after cops say she got into it with a man inside the bowling alley after a dispute over a bowling ball.

A friend who was with Jackson says her alleged killer waited outside in the parking lot for her to leave before opening fire ... killing her.

Tom Parker from The Wanted is dead after a battle with brain cancer.

Tom, who was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma back in October 2020, died Wednesday with his family by his side ... according to his wife, Kelsey.

Kelsey says Tom fought to the end, sharing, "Our hearts are broken, Tom was the centre of our world and we can't imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence. We are truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we all unite to ensure Tom's light continues to shine for his beautiful children."

As we reported ... Tom was recently confined to a wheelchair while undergoing cancer treatments at a clinic in Spain, which specializes in his particular type of brain cancer.

Tom got treatments for 3 weeks and was able to rejoin the band in February for an emotional reunion, also appearing on stage at a U.K. concert and performing from a gold throne.

Born and raised in Bolton, England, Tom learned to play the guitar when he was 16 years old ... eventually dropping out of school to pursue his singing career before joining The Wanted way back in 2009.

Tom is survived by Kelsey and their two children, 2-year-old Aurelia and 1-year-old Bodhi.

He was only 33.

Kareem Jackson is honoring his friend Demaryius Thomas in a awesome way -- by getting a portrait tattoo of the former Broncos star.

The Broncos safety and Thomas go way back ... the two NFL players grew up in the same area in Georgia and played for the same team at different times.

So, when Thomas unexpectedly passed away last December, Jackson was devastated ... saying at the time, "I'm still having a hard time accepting this one."

Now, Jackson is keeping Thomas' memory permanently alive with some new ink earlier this week.

The 33-year-old shared the tat on his leg (we think) via Instagram ... a detailed image of Thomas smiling with the words "One Love" above it.

"Your legacy will forever live on through all the lives of those you touched over the years on and off the field," Jackson said after Thomas' death.

"We love you and will miss you brother! Till we meet again Rest easy King!!"

As we previously reported, Thomas was found dead in a shower at his Roswell, GA residence after police responded to 911 calls for a cardiac arrest. Demaryius was only 33-years-old.

The remains of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins have arrived in L.A. on the bands private plane, and the emotions from the group are palpable.

The plain-black casket was loaded onto the chartered 757 jet Tuesday at the El Dorado Airport in Bogota, Colombia ... he arrived at LAX later the same day.

Officials in Colombia released the body Sunday after an autopsy was completed. As we reported, authorities said just a day after Hawkins' death he had 10 substances in his system ... including opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, and benzodiazepines.

Hawkins was found dead in his hotel room in Bogota Friday, the same day the Foo Fighters were supposed to headline Stereo Picnic Festival in Colombia.

The band broke the news to fans, saying, "The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever."

"The Sopranos" actor Paul Herman has died ... and on his 76th birthday, no less.

Paul's former "Sopranos" castmate, Michael Imperioli, confirmed his death in an Instagram post calling Paul a great dude and "one hell of an actor".

He continued ... “Paulie lived around the corner from me the last few years and I am glad we got to spend some time together before he left us. I’ll miss him. Lots of love to his family, friends and community of actors and filmmakers.”

No cause of death has been disclosed yet.

Paul was well-known for his role as Peter "Beansie" Gaeta, who was a drug dealer turned Pizza shop owner on the HBO hit drama.

Herman will also be remembered for his notable roles in many other films, including "The Irishman" and "Goodfellas" ... clearly he was in with Martin Scorsese.

He also starred in "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle" ... both directed by David O. Russell.

Aside from all his big acting gigs, Paul and his brother Charlie ran a popular cafe in Manhattan that was frequented by actors, gangsters, dancers and even FBI agents in the '90s.

Paul was 76.

One of the first people on the scene of the Henry Ruggs crash is providing new, horrifying details of the wreck ... saying he thought the NFL star was dead after he saw the football player "dangling" from his car in the moments after the accident.

Tony Rodriguez -- who was driving on Rainbow Road with a friend in Las Vegas just moments after Ruggs slammed his Corvette into Tina Tintor's Rav4 there back in November 2021 -- recounted the terrifying specifics of the night recently to Sports Illustrated.

Rodriguez told SI reporter Jeff Pearlman that as he approached the two wrecked vehicles just seconds after the collision -- he stopped at Ruggs' car first ... and noticed the former Las Vegas Raider was halfway ejected from his sports car.

Rodriguez said Ruggs' lower body was still in the ride, but his torso was "dangling" outside of it. He said he was going to tell Ruggs' girlfriend, who was a passenger in the Corvette, to leave him be, but said she had already begun pulling the wide receiver out.

"She grabbed him and pulled him fully out," Rodriguez said. "I have no idea who he is. I don't care about football. Never heard of Henry Ruggs. But, I didn't see no life in his body."

"I thought he was dead."

Rodriguez said he and his friend then quickly turned to Tintor's vehicle -- and tried their hardest to get her and her dog, Max, out of the burning car.

Rodriguez said he got a hammer from his truck and tried to break her free -- and even though others arrived to help, none could get her out.

Officials later determined Tintor died inside the car from thermal injuries. She was just 23 years old.

Ruggs, meanwhile, suffered injuries in the crash, but is expected to make a full recovery. He's since been hit with five charges -- including four felonies -- for his alleged role in the crash.

The teenager who fell to his death in an Orlando amusement park was wearing a safety harness that was still locked after the tragedy ... according to Florida officials.

The new detail comes from an accident report that claims 14-year-old Tyre Sampson came out of his seat when "magnets engaged" during the free-fall ride's rapid descent. Here's the puzzling part ... Florida officials say Tyre was wearing his safety harness and it "was still in a down and locked position when the ride stopped."

The report, first obtained by People, says Tyre died from "multiple injuries and trauma."

As we previously reported, the terrifying incident happened last week when the Missouri teen fell from the "Orlando Free-Fall" ride, which stands 430 ft. tall.

The ride, which just opened in December, reportedly plummets at 75 mph.

Tyre's family has reportedly raised concerns he was too big for the ride ... or so they believe after checking the ride's safety manual.

The show will not go on for the Foo Fighters after Taylor Hawkins' death ... not for now, at least.

The band just announced it's pulling the plug on its current tour, saying ... "It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancellation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother Taylor Hawkins. We're sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won't be seeing one another as planned."

The band had more than 50 shows scheduled for the rest of 2022 -- with dates through The United States, Canada, France, The UK, Australia and others.

The announcement comes 5 days after Taylor was found dead in his Bogota, Colombia hotel room. Dave Grohl and co. had been touring South America, headlining several Lollapalooza festivals around the continent.

As we reported, they returned to L.A. over the weekend ... when they'd been scheduled to play Lollapalooza Brazil. We didn't know when, or if, they'd feel ready to return to the road, but they're putting an end to any speculation.

The band says this isn't the time to worry about their next concert ... "Instead, let's take this time to grieve, to heal, to pull our loved ones close, and to appreciate all the music and memories we've made together."