RIP

Judith Durham, the lead singer of The Seekers whose song "Georgy Girl" was an international hit, has died.

The Seekers were a huge hit in the '60s, racking up big hits like "I'll Never Find Another You," and "A World of Our Own." But, "Georgy Girl" was a monster ... the title song to the movie with the same name that also became a blockbuster.

Universal Music Australia announced her death, saying she had a brief stay in a hospital and ultimately died from a chronic lung disease.

The company said in tribute, “Our lives are changed forever losing our treasured lifelong friend and shining star. Her struggle was intense and heroic - never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion. Her magnificent musical legacy Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share.”

Judith's sister, Beverley Sheehan, added, "Judith's joy for life, her constant optimism, creativity and generosity of spirit were always an inspiration to me".

Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia, called Judith "a national treasure."

The Seekers were around in a big way from 1963 - 1968, aligning with The Beatles' run.

The group sold 50 million records which was a huge feat.

The group received the Australian of the Year award in '67. Although they broke up about a year later, they reunited from time to time ... as recently as 2014.

Judith was 79.

Yasiel Puig says he's heartbroken over Vin Scully's death -- telling TMZ Sports the legendary sportscaster was a father figure to him, and the former Dodgers star is crushed he's gone.

"I'm so sad because when I met him when I play in Los Angeles, he's a good person," the 31-year-old said.

"He's like a dad for me. I'm so sad that we lose a great person."

And, remember Puig's nickname, "The Wild Horse"? Scully is the one who gave it to the Cuban outfielder.

Yasiel told us three incredibly influential men from the Dodgers org. are now all gone ... and that's painful.

"Vin is like a father for me," Puig said, "Same to Tommy Lasorda and Mike Brito. We so sad to miss all these three amazing guys. Sad for myself and for all baseball, for Los Angeles."

Brito was a Cuban-American Dodgers scout who played a big part in bringing Puig to Los Angeles. Mike died in July at the age of 87.

We also talked to YP about a moment we captured back in 2017 ... when he ran into Vin on the streets in Beverly Hills in front of our cameras.

"I was so excited," Puig said about the moment.

"I get emotional, but that hit me in my heart like, 'Wow this amazing person is coming to say hit to me, talking to me.'"

And, Puig -- who currently plays for Kiwoom Heroes in the Korean Baseball Organization -- has been raking in honor of Vin.

"I had two homers yesterday and I hit a home run today, too."

"He's inside of me right now. I hit it and give God the thank you because he's next to God and next to his wife right now. I want to give it to him."

Ex-NBA player Mike Woodson agrees with Magic Johnson -- every team in the league should "absolutely" retire #6 in honor of Bill Russell ... telling TMZ Sports the Boston Celtics legend "was the s**t."

We spoke with Woodson -- the current head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers -- out at LAX this week ... and asked about Magic's call for the NBA to honor the Hall of Fame center in a unique way.

"Absolutely. Absolutely," Woodson said. "That man set the stage for a lot of the players today. For me, a lot of the players before me. Bill Russell was the s***. I don't care how you cut it."

"At the end of the day, you look what he’s done in his career, and ... it's unbelievable," he added. "That’s all you can say. So, Magic’s not far off. What he's pushing for, the league should want to do that for him."

"The players should want to do it because again, he set the stage."

Woodson knows not everyone will be on board with the idea ... especially since the #6 is still worn by active players like LeBron James, who switched back to his Miami Heat digit last season.

But, Mike recognizes the impact Russell had on the NBA and the Celtics -- with whom he won 11 championships -- including 8 straight in the '60s.

"Well, listen ... at the end of the day, the Celtics have been a dominant organization for many, many years, and Bill Russell put ‘em on top," Woodson said. "I think what he’s done for the NBA stands alone."

Ultimately, Woodson thinks Magic was right to suggest #6 be retired ... and he believes the game's biggest superstars will support the idea out of respect for Russell.

"I think the league will do that. These players respect him enough. LeBron, [Kevin] Durant, [Steph] Curry, they respect what he did for our league."

Tragic news for the Houston Cougars community -- the university's live mascot, Shasta VI, has passed away after suffering from an illness. He was 10 years old.

The school shared the devastating statement just minutes ago ... saying, "We are sad to announce that Shasta VI passed away on Thursday, August 4 after a brief and sudden illness."

"He represented the spirit and tenacity of UH's students and alumni, and personified the resilience and strength of the University."

Shasta VI was the school's first live mascot since 1989 ... and was rescued and adopted as a cub back in 2011 after his mother was shot and killed in Washington.

Shasta lived at the Houston Zoo ... and was a fan favorite among Cougars fans.

Shasta -- the school's first male live mascot -- attended many important university events via webcam.

The 3 men found guilty of Ahmaud Arbery's murder are getting rejected by a federal judge ... who's affirmed their convictions for federal hate crimes.

Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William "Roddy" Bryan had filed motions to set aside the jury's guilty verdict, but on Thursday a federal judge told them there was "more than sufficient evidence" to nail them for the 2020 murder of Ahmaud.

Their federal convictions -- which came down in February -- were for killing Ahmaud based on his race and kidnapping. In denying their motion the judge relied on social media posts from the defendants that negatively compared Black people to white people, generally.

Specifically, the judge pointed out Gregory McMichael had posted, "all these blacks are nothing but trouble; I wish they would all die."  ... and made disparaging comments about a Black tenant.

The U.S. Department of Justice just made a significant move in the investigation into the police raid that resulted in the killing of Breonna Taylor ... charging several officers involved that day and in the events leading up.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced charges Thursday against four former and current Lousiville cops. Charges include unconstitutional use of force, unlawful conspiracies, civil rights offenses and others.

Brett Hankison, a former detective is said to have "willfully used unconstitutionally excessive force ... when he fired his service weapon into Taylor's apartment through a covered window and covered glass door."

Ex-Detective Joshua Jaynes, and Detective Kelly Goodlett and Sergeant Kyle Meany were charged with submitting a false affidavit to search Breonna's apartment and then allegedly put together a "false cover story in an attempt to escape responsibility for their roles in preparing the warrant affidavit that contained false information."

It was back in March 2020 when officers stormed Breonna's apartment in a forced-entry, shooting and killing the emergency room technician.

The pilot who mysteriously died just before a plane made an emergency landing last week -- allegedly "jumping" out of the aircraft -- may have actually fallen after trying to examine the damaged landing gear.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... one of the operating theories is that co-pilot Charlie Crooks went to the back of the cargo plane and opened the back cargo door to inspect the landing gear that was damaged and accidentally fell out as the plane headed for the airport.

As reported first by WRAL, the pilot radioed air traffic control that Charlie had "jumped" out of the plane. A close friend of Charlie's who has flown with him tells TMZ, the notion of Charlie jumping is absurd. The friend tells us, Charlie was excited a few days before the fatal flight at the prospect of being promoted to captain. The friend says he was in a great head space.

The 23-year-old told his friend, the day before he died, the chief pilot from the company that owned the plane was coming out from Colorado Springs to fly with him for 2 days last week ... to evaluate Charlie with an eye toward making him a captain.

As for Charlie jumping out of panic, the close friend scoffs at that notion as well, saying Charlie was cool as a cucumber in the air, recalling that there was a mechanical mishap in one of the planes a while back and Charlie landed it so well -- although the landing was rough -- the company he was working for at the time actually gave him a piece of the plane as a thank you.

The photo (above) shows Charlie at the back of the plane ... sitting on the very door that is being looked at as the one he possibly opened to look underneath at the landing gear.

He posted the pic on social media with a joke "If there's anything we can do to make your journey more comfortable, there is an exit ramp at the rear of the airplane that we will gladly open for you."

The NTSB and other federal agencies are currently investigating the fall and the plane.

Gabby Petito's mother says the organization formed in her daughter's name is making a huge donation to fight domestic violence, and adds ... she's not buying the story Brian Laundrie told in his journal.

Nicole Schmidt announced The Gabby Petito Foundation's $100K gift to the National Domestic Violence Hotline -- part of the org's "Hope Can't Wait" initiative -- while talking to Kate Snow Thursday on 'Today.'

She says she's certain domestic violence was the cause of her daughter's untimely death ... and wants to do good by Gabby and everyone else who might also be in her situation.

She was joined by the National Domestic Violence Hotline CEO Katie Ray-Jones ... who says their call center has been flooded with calls this summer -- nearly twice as many conversations compared to last year.

The huge donation comes in just under a year after Gabby was found dead near a Wyoming campground. As you know, a manhunt ensued for Brian, and a month later his remains were found along with his notebook.

Bob Saget is still helping to raise funds for a cause near and dear to his heart even in death ... an annual fundraiser he hosted is coming back, with an assist from his famous friends.

The late "Full House" star was a tireless advocate and fundraiser for the Scleroderma Research Foundation, hosting their signature event for 30 years ... but now that he's gone, the comedy show is turning into a special tribute to Bob.

The SRF tells TMZ a trio of Bob's celebrity pals are the new hosts for "Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisine" ... with Jeff Ross, John Mayer and Jimmy Kimmel picking up the baton for Bob.

The fundraiser, which costs at least $500 to attend, will pay tribute to Bob and also feature comedy sets from Nikki Glaser, Regina Hall, Howie Mandel, Joel McHale, Kevin Nealon and John Stamos, just to name a few.

Under Bob's stewardship, the annual show raised over $25 million to find vital research to find a cure for scleroderma, a group of rare diseases that involve the hardening of the skin and connective tissues.

Bob's sister, Gay, died from the disease back in 1994 when she was only 47, and he's been involved in SRF through "Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisine" since 1991, as an attendee, performer, organizer and producer.

Remember ... Jeff and John were really close to Bob, even braving Los Angeles traffic to pick up Saget's car from the airport, their way of remembering their late friend.

In addition to headlining SRF's big event, Bob also took time over the years to reach out to families suffering from the illness to offer comfort and support.

Rep. Jackie Walorski was killed in a car crash in her home state that claimed the lives of 3 others ... according to police.

The fatal, two-car wreck happened Wednesday afternoon near an intersection in Nappanee, Indiana, and it killed all 3 people riding in the Republican Congresswoman's SUV.

The Elkhart County Sheriff says Walorski was traveling with her district director, Zachery Potts, and her communications director, Emma Thomson, when another car crashed head-on into their vehicle.

The driver of the other car, a 56-year-old woman, was also pronounced dead at the scene. She was the only one in her car.

Rep. Walorski was elected to Congress back in 2012 and her death is already sending shockwaves through Capitol Hill.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he's "shocked and saddened" to hear of Rep. Walorski's tragic death ... remembering her as someone who was "always prepared to work together where there was common ground, always decent and straightforward, and she cared deeply about her work and her constituents."

Rep. Walorski was 58.

The driver who killed Nicki Minaj's father, Robert Maraj, in a hit-and-run was just sentenced to time behind bars.

Charles Polevich was ordered to serve 1 year in jail Wednesday after pleading guilty to two felony charges -- leaving the scene of an incident without reporting and tampering with physical evidence. On top of that, his driver's license will be suspended for 6 months and he'll pay a $5,000 fine.

Polevich was facing up to 7 years behind bars, but Judge Howard Sturim followed through with a commitment to sentence him to no more than one year in jail.

TMZ broke the story ... Nicki's dad died at the age of 64 after being struck in a hit-and-run accident back in February 2021 while he was walking on Long Island.

At the time, cops said the driver fled the scene and tried to hide the car in a detached garage at his place. Robert was rushed to a hospital in critical condition and died from his injuries.

The tributes for the late Vin Scully will continue on all day Wednesday -- TMZ Sports has learned the MLB is asking all of its teams to participate in league-wide moments of silence throughout its afternoon and evening slate of games.

Our MLB sources say the moments of remembrance for Vin -- who sadly died on Tuesday at 94 years old -- will take place prior to every contest played on Wednesday.

The first is expected to happen in just a few minutes, before the Blue Jays take on the Rays in Florida. The last, fittingly, is scheduled to go down just prior to when the Dodgers play the Giants at around 6:45 PM PT in San Francisco.

Of course, the tributes almost certainly won't stop there -- because people have been paying homage to the legendary sports broadcaster since news of his death broke on Tuesday evening.

Dodgers fans made a makeshift memorial for Scully at Dodger Stadium -- and athletes and celebs all over have remembered the iconic storyteller on their social media pages.

Scully began calling games in 1950 -- and didn't stop until he retired in 2016. He's regarded as perhaps the greatest baseball broadcaster ever.

Droves of baseball fans eschewed early bedtimes Tuesday night to head out to Dodger Stadium to pay homage to Vin Scully hours after the legend died -- building a makeshift memorial for the former broadcaster while mourning his passing.

Several people lit candles and dropped off trinkets at L.A.'s ballpark -- which, fittingly, sits on Vin Scully Ave. -- well into the early morning hours of Wednesday.

Fans wrote notes, hugged each other ... and even cried -- as they remembered Scully, who passed away at 94 years old at his Hidden Hills home earlier Tuesday.

Others around the globe took to social media to pay tribute to the longtime voice of the Dodgers -- LeBron James wrote a sweet note on his Twitter page, while Magic Johnson also tweeted out an emotional message about Scully as well.

"Vin was the nicest & sweetest man outside of the booth & was beloved by all of our Dodgers family," Johnson said.

"He was just as popular as any Dodger player. His legacy will live on throughout Major League Baseball & he will be remembered as the greatest announcer ever in MLB history. Cookie and I are praying for the entire Scully family and Dodgers fans all around the world."

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw also called Vin "the best there ever was" following L.A.'s win over the Giants in San Francisco.

Scully, who began broadcasting Dodgers games in 1950, called nearly every one of the franchise's greatest moments up until his retirement in 2016. He's widely considered to be one of the greatest broadcasters of all time.

A 911 call was placed by 2 FAA staffers after they got word a pilot of the cargo plane that was about to make an emergency landing had jumped from the plane.

One of the FAA employees is on the call telling the North Carolina 911 dispatcher, "This is from Raleigh Airport ... We have a pilot who was inbound to the field. His co-pilot jumped out of the aircraft. He made impact to the ground and here are the coordinates."

The employee went on to say the co-pilot, 23-year-old Charles Hew Crooks, "jumped out without the parachute, so he might have impact to the ground."

He went on ... "I am sure the pilot is going to be shaken up. I have no idea. He literally just said, 'My pilot just jumped out.'"

And, then there's this ... 'I guess at this point in time, all we can do is recovery. I don't know. I don't know. This is the craziest thing ever."

Presumably, the 911 call was placed so local authorities could recover the body, which they found in a backyard 30 miles from the airport.

The plane, which had landing gear issues, crash-landed ... the pilot suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital but released the same day.

There is something bizarre about this investigation ... It's been days, and the pilot who landed the plane still has not been identified and nobody -- the NTSB, FAA, FBI -- has said a word about interviewing him or what he said.

Vin Scully -- the longtime voice of the Dodgers and legendary MLB broadcaster -- has sadly died at 94 years old.

The team just confirmed the awful news in a statement on Tuesday night, saying he passed away at his home in Hidden Hills. No cause of death was revealed.

"We have lost an icon," Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said. "The Dodgers' Vin Scully was one of the greatest voices in all of sports. He was a giant of a man, not only as a broadcaster, but as a humanitarian."

Kasten continued, "He loved people. He loved life. He was loved baseball and the Dodgers. And he loved his family."

"His voice will always be heard and etched in all of our minds forever."

Scully initially began calling games for the Dodgers back in 1950, when the team was still located in Brooklyn. He continued to provide play-by-play for the Dodgers following their move to L.A. in 1957, calling nearly every one of the biggest moments in the franchise's history up until his retirement in 2016.

Some of Scully's most famous calls included Hank Aaron's 715th home run in 1974, and Kirk Gibson's epic World Series HR in 1988.

Scully also broadcasted national baseball, golf and football events -- including the 1982 Dallas vs. San Francisco NFC Championship Game. In that contest, Scully had one of his most memorable moments in the football both, calling Dwight Clark’s "The Catch" touchdown.

Scully -- who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame's broadcaster wing in 1982 -- ultimately broadcasted games for nearly seven decades, before he called his final contest in San Francisco on Oct. 2, 2016.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this very difficult time," Kasten said. "Vin will be truly missed.”

LeBron James just commented on Vin's death, saying, "Rest in Power. A City of Angels icon. Another great one who made sports so damn special."

Vin -- whose wife, Sandi, sadly died in 2021 -- leaves behind five children, 21 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Aviation investigators are scratching their heads over a 10-person plane that took off with 2 pilots, but returned with just one ... after one of them fell to his death while they were midair.

An emergency landing went down at Raleigh Durham International Airport after 23-year-old co-pilot Charles Hew Crooks either fell or jumped to his death Friday while they were in the skies, according to federal authorities.

They were trying to get back to the ground as safe as possible after the plane lost its right wheel ... when Crooks exited the small 10-seater.

His body was found roughly 30 miles away, stuck in the trees of someone's backyard -- he had no parachute on him and authorities believe he fell 3,500 feet.

Both the Federal Aviation Authority and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating whether or not he died before the fall.

The other pilot was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, and released the same day.

Crooks' father, Hew Crooks, told WRAL he's unable to process the news ... saying his son "wouldn’t trade places with anybody in the world. He loved where he was.”