RIP

Ozzy Osbourne and Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake has died after a long battle with cancer.

One of Lee's bandmates from Uriah Heep broke the news Saturday, saying, "It's with the heaviest of hearts that I share with you that Lee Kerslake, my friend of 55 years and the best drummer I ever played with, lost his battle with cancer at 03:30 this morning."

Lee played with Ozzy's band in 1980 and '81. He played on Ozzy's first 2 solo albums -- "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman." He also appeared in the 1987 Tribute Live album.

Kerslake's struggle with illness was long and hard. He dropped out of Uriah Heep in 2018 ... 4 years after getting a prostate cancer diagnosis back. His last performance was in London, when he appeared to join the group for "Lady In Black."

After Kerslake revealed 2 years ago his prostate cancer was terminal and had spread to various organs, Ozzy sent him platinum records for "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman." Kerslake had said he wanted them, and Ozzy fulfilled his wish.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the backbone and soul of the liberal wing of the Supreme Court and an iconic American figure has died.

Ruth died Friday from complications from cancer ... according to multiple reports.

RBG was known for her fiery dissents and intense work ethic. Ruth didn't miss a single day of work until this January, a striking fact considering she's battled 3 kinds of cancer since being appointed to SCOTUS by President Clinton in 1993.

Ruth was the first female Jewish Justice, and the second of four women to ever sit on our nation's highest court. She filled the seat vacated by retiring Justice Byron White.

A pop culture icon, RBG is the subject of the biopic, "On The Basis of Sex," which stars Felicity Jones as a young Ginsburg and Armie Hammer as her husband. Ruth has a cameo in the film.

Before she became the Notorious RBG ... Ruth was a high school twirler who also played for her school orchestra at James Madison HS in southeast Brooklyn, graduating in 1950.

Ruth earned her bachelor's degree from Cornell University. She got married and became a mother before starting law school at Harvard. RBG transferred to Columbia Law School, where she graduated at the top of her class.

RBG turned to academia after law school. She was a professor at Rutgers and Columbia, teaching civil procedure as one of the few women in her field.

She became one of the leaders of the women's equality movement ... arguing many landmark cases before the Supreme Court and winning almost all of them. When she began practicing, SCOTUS never rejected a sex-based law, but that all changed when Ginsburg mounted challenge after challenge.

She famously represented a female soldier who was denied housing, medical and dental benefits because the law required if a woman was applying for benefits her husband had to be substantially financially dependent on her. The Court saw it Ruth's way, ruling the law unconstitutional by an 8 - 1 margin.

In one gripping moment during oral argument, she quoted famed abolitionist Sarah Grimke telling the justices, "I ask no favor for my sex: All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks."

President Jimmy Carter appointed Ruth to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1980, where she served until her appointment to SCOTUS.

She was adored by all ... from her fellow Justices, to her law clerks to her staff. One of her closes friends was her intellectual rival -- Justice Antonin Scalia.

Ruth did not get one wish. She dictated a statement to her granddaughter a few days back ... "My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed."

Trump could nominate someone to fill Ginsburg's seat before the election. It's unclear if he could push it through, although he does have a slim majority in the Senate, which must confirm the nomination.

Ruth is survived by her daughter, Jane, and her son, James. Her husband of 56 years, Martin, died in 2010.

Ruth was 87.

Awesome Chadwick Boseman tribute from NFL star Jarvis Landry ... the Cleveland Browns receiver rocked a pair of custom "Black Panther" cleats with the late actor's face on them.

Landry donned the pieces for the Browns' game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday ... and they were clearly good luck, 'cause Landry's squad earned a much-needed win.

The cleats were pretty amazing ... they were all-black Nikes with no laces that featured spikes and an image of Boseman in his Black Panther costume.

"Chadwick Boseman 1976-2020" was also inscribed on the left shoe near Boseman's face.

Landry commented on the footwear just before he took the field in them Thursday night ... writing, "Rest easy" and adding an emoji of the "Wakanda Forever" arm sign.

Jarvis is just the latest sports star to pay tribute to the actor -- who died last month at 43 years old after a battle with colon cancer.

Patriots QB Cam Newton threw up the "Wakanda Forever" sign after a TD last week ... and in the MLB, several players -- including Braves star Marcell Ozuna -- did the same after home runs.

Sad news ... Bill Belichick's mother, Jeannette, died Tuesday of natural causes -- multiple media outlets confirmed. She was 98 years old.

The Patriots legend was close with his mom ... and in an NFL Films documentary back in 2017, she famously said she knew Bill would get into coaching when he was just 2 years old.

Jeannette met Bill's father, Steve Belichick, in the 1940s when the two worked together at Hiram College in Ohio. They married in 1950 ... and had Bill in 1952.

The New England coach, who was raised by Jeannette and Steve in Annapolis, MD, has often credited his parents for his success -- which includes 6 Super Bowl titles with the Pats.

Bill has helped carry on his parents' legacy over the years ... he made a donation to Hiram College in 2015, 10 years after his father's passing -- which led to the school renaming parts of the campus after Jeannette and Steve.

Two of the couple's grandkids, Bill's sons Steve and Brian, now work with Bill on his New England staff.

RIP

Christopher Scott Ellis -- a fan favorite on Discovery's "Street Outlaws" known by his nickname "Kentucky" -- has died in Oklahoma City ... TMZ has learned.

The OKC Medical Examiner tells us Chris died on September 9 and the initial autopsy was inconclusive. We're told a toxicology report is pending. According to his obituary, he passed away at his home.

Chris, who hails from -- you guessed it -- Kentucky, was a cast member on the inaugural season of "Street Outlaws" in 2013 but continued to make appearances as a mechanic over the years. He last appeared on a 2018 episode.

"Kentucky" was featured as part of the team at the Midwest Street Cars Automotive in Oklahoma City and coworkers remember him for his hard work and sense of humor.

His family says, "Chris was a dearly-loved brother, son, and friend who will be deeply missed by all who knew him."

Chris is survived by his mother, 3 brothers and 3 sisters.

He was 39.

The Notorious B.I.G.'s famed King of NY crown just got passed on to another for an absurd price -- over half a million bucks, which is juuust a bit north of the OG street value.

It's true, the headpiece Biggie wore in his iconic final photoshoot from 1997 -- that's been duplicated in prints thousands of times over -- just got sold off in a Sotheby's auction ... ultimately going to a bidder who was willing to spend a whopping $594,750 for the thing.

Pretty badass, right?!? Well, maybe ... keep in mind, the crown is actually made of plastic -- and ended up costing the photog who first used it with Biggie a mere $6 off the street.

Do the math ... and that's just about a 10,000,000% markup in value. And, all because the crown was worn by B.I.G. -- plus, the fact it's gone on to become a fixture in pop culture.

And, get this -- the photog, Barron Claiborne, says the crown concept almost didn't happen ... and it's apparently because Diddy wasn't feeling it at the time, allegedly saying it was gonna make Biggie look like "Burger King." Big Poppa didn't care though ... he wore it anyway.

As they say, heavy is the head that wears the crown. And, even heavier is the price tag.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren is not letting retiring Police Chief La'Ron Singletary stick around for the rest of the month ... she just gave him the boot as the fallout from Daniel Prude's death in custody continues.

Warren announced Monday she fired Singletary, getting ahead of his plan to retire at the end of September, and suspended her communications director and top lawyer.

As we reported ... Chief Singletary announced his retirement last week in the wake of his department's deadly arrest of Prude, but planned to stick around a few more weeks.

Singletary won't get the chance to retire ... instead, Warren announced she axed him and suspended communication director Justin Roy and corporation counsel Tim Curtin for 30 days without pay after reviewing the city's role in Prude's death.

Warren says her initial review shows a "pervasive problem" in the Rochester Police Department, which she described as "one that views everything through the eyes of the badge and not the citizens we serve."

The Mayor says her review shows Prude's death "was not taken as seriously as it should have been by those who reviewed the case throughout city government at every level."

As you know ... graphic video of Prude's March 23 arrest shows the 41-year-old with a hood placed over his head by police. Cops are then seen pressing his face into the ground for 2 minutes until he stops breathing ... leading to his death a week later.

Two men suspected of murdering Floyd Mayweather boxing prodigy Danny Gonzalez have been arrested, TMZ Sports has confirmed ... and cops say they're still on the hunt for a 3rd suspect.

Both 27-year-old Andre Richee and 32-year-old Lee Mooring were arrested Thursday for 1st-degree murder stemming from the Sept. 7 incident.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Office also says it's issued an arrest warrant for 28-year-old Joseph Goldsmith over his alleged involvement in the shooting as well.

As we previously reported ... 22-year-old Gonzalez -- who signed with Mayweather's The Money Team in 2016 -- was shot on Labor Day in Moreno Valley, Calif., just before 9 PM.

Cops say when they responded to the scene ... Gonzalez succumbed to his bullet wound injuries. They say two other men were also injured by gunfire in the incident.

What's still unclear ... why Gonzalez was killed? Officials have not revealed a possible motive.

Investigators say they not only spoke with multiple witnesses but also have evidence and surveillance footage pointing to Richee and Mooring as the killers.

If convicted of 1st-degree murder, both could face the death penalty.

The RCSO is now asking for help in finding Goldsmith.

Floyd was convinced Gonzalez was going to be a star after he signed with TMT Promotions when he was only 18 years old ... with Mayweather saying, "There are certain times when you know you've just struck gold and this is one of them."

Danny took 3 pro fights after signing with Floyd ... but eventually left the sport in 2017.

Wild bears are still VERY dangerous ... don't be fooled by recent cute videos of the furry beasts, because they still have an appetite for human flesh!!!

Here's the deal ... hikers in North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains National Park came upon a grizzly scene this weekend when they discovered a black bear chowing down on human remains.

The hikers say they were passing by what they thought was an abandoned campsite around 7 PM Friday when they found human body parts scattered around the area, with a bear scavenging on the remains. Yikes!

Park officials say rangers arrived at campsite 82 shortly after midnight and found a dead adult man ... and a bear, presumably the same one the hikers spotted, was "actively scavenging on the remains."

The bear is dead now too ... park rangers euthanized the wild animal, but officials say they haven't determined if the bear actually killed the man, or just stumbled upon his remains.

It's a stark contrast to the black bear in Massachusetts, which gently woke up a man sleeping in his back yard. Despite plenty of images of bears getting cozy with humans lately ... the danger of wild animals is still very real.

Funeral plans are underway for ex-Temptations lead singer Bruce Williamson Jr. ... and TMZ's learned the event will include the last surviving original member of the legendary group.

A source close to the family tells TMZ ... Bruce's family plans to hold the funeral in Las Vegas on September 26. We're told exact details are still in the works but here's what we do know -- Temptations founder Otis Williams will attend ... as will current member Ron Tyson and other former singers with the group.

Our sources say longtime friend Bubba Knight -- the brother of Gladys Knight and one of the Pips -- will also be there. The funeral will be small and have an exclusive invite-only list. It'll also largely be limited to family and close friends due to Nevada's COVID-19 restrictions.

Fans who want to watch the funeral will be able to do so because we're told it'll be live streamed. But, on September 25th, a day before the funeral, there will be a public viewing at Giddens Memorial Chapel where fans can pay their respects. The public viewing -- which will adhere to social distancing guidelines and a mask mandate -- begins at 4 PM PT.

Our source also says they're putting together a tribute concert gala in Vegas as well ... which will be announced once they nail down a date.

Kobe Bryant's former teammate, Pau Gasol, just paid perhaps the greatest tribute to him and his late daughter, Gianna Bryant, by bestowing her name onto his own flesh and blood.

The former Laker announced the birth of his and his wife's first child -- a girl that they've named after Gigi. He also made sure to reference what Kobe has become known as in the wake of his death ... an awesome girl dad.

Pau broke the news in both Spanish and English, writing ... "Our little one has finally arrived!! The delivery went really well and we couldn’t be happier!! Elisabet Gianna Gasol 😍, a very meaningful name for our super beautiful daughter!! ❤️👨‍👩‍👧 #girldad."

He also posted a shot of him and Catherine McDonnell holding Elisabet's little hand, with the kid getting a firm grip on her mom's forefinger.

It's a great way to honor Kobe, who was Pau's teammate through some crucial championship runs in the late 2000s. He remained on the Lakers through 2014, so he knew KB and his family well.

Kobe and Gianna died, along with 7 others, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas last January -- devastating the NBA community and the world.

A woman battling Leukemia says her 2 French bulldogs -- one of which was her emotional support animal -- are dead after they were placed in an Emirates flight's cargo hold.

The passenger's name is Hannah and we're told she was flying from Dubai to Washington, DC for a cancer treatment -- but upon landing at Dulles International Airport she got the devastating news her comfort dog Panda, and Panda's companion Beluga, had died.

The incident went down on August 21 aboard Flight EK 231. We're told Hannah paid $2,600 to ship her pooches when she was told she couldn't bring them into the cabin because they weighed more than 8 pounds.

That means the dogs should be transported below the cabin in a hold designed for live animals ... separate from the luggage. Apparently, Panda and Beluga ended up in the luggage hold, and a necropsy shows they died from oxygen deprivation. Panda was also bloody, for some reason.

Hannah's attorney, Evan Oshan, tells TMZ ... the family wants justice for the dogs. He says, "Dogs are not luggage they are living breathing family members and in this case, provided tremendous emotional support for a cancer patient."

We're told Hannah had a doctor's letter from June 2018 classifying Panda as an emotional support animal -- and therefore, Panda should have been allowed in the cabin with Hannah ... Oshan believes.

He adds, "Emirates charged for the dogs' passage even though medical documentation was provided by this cancer patient. This is wrong!"

Oshan says other animals aboard the flight, presumably placed in the proper cargo hold, all survived the journey unscathed.

Toots Hibbert, the singer who helped popularize the name "reggae" with his 1968 hit song, "Do the Reggay," has died.

Toots was a pioneer of the music back in the '60s and beyond. He was a founding member of the band, the Maytals.

Hibbert was very close to Bob Marley. There was a time when the Maytals would perform on the same bill with Marley's group, The Wailers. They would alternate who would open and who would headline.

Hibbert and Marley were so close, they would record the same songs and both have great success. In particular, they both recorded "Redemption Song."

Toots also had a presence in film. He appeared in "The Harder They Come" back in '72. One of his songs, "Pressure Drop" was part of the film's soundtrack. When the song was covered by The Clash in '78 and became a hit, Toots scored legions of new, young fans.

He was a staple on the road, even appearing on stage with the Red Hot Chili Peppers to perform "Louie Louie" during a wild, 2011 New Year's Eve bash in St. Barts.

Toots was also featured on Willie Nelson's album, "Countryman."

Toots was injured in 2013 when someone in the audience threw a bottle at his head. The man was arrested, and when it came time for sentencing, Toots asked for leniency, saying, "He is a young man, and I have heard what happens to young men in jail." The guy got 6 months in jail.

His family broke the sad news, saying, "It is with the heaviest of hearts to announce that Frederick Nathaniel 'Toots' Hibbert passed away peacefully tonight, surrounded by his family at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica."

The cause of death was not revealed.

Toots is survived by his wife, Miss D ... they were married 39 years. He's also survived by 7 children.

Aaron Grissom -- best known for competing on Season 12 of 'Top Chef' -- is dead after an apparent motorcycle crash in Washington state.

Grissom died Tuesday after suffering "multiple blunt force injuries" in a traffic accident, according to the Pierce County medical examiner ... who ruled his death an accident.

According to a friend and former coworker, the wreck happened in the area of Chambers Bay.

Grissom was one of 16 contestants on "Top Chef: Boston" in 2014, though he wasn't much of a fan favorite, and got eliminated pretty early. While appearing on the show, he was actually a resident of L.A. and worked as a chef at North Hollywood's Bow & Truss.

Before that, he appeared in an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" when the show covered Dirty Oscar's Annex in Tacoma ... where Aaron made a name for himself.

According to reports, he had been working as a restaurant chef in the Tacoma area recently again, and was also cooking for touring singers, including Billie Eilish, before the pandemic shut things down.

Aaron was 34.

The 4 accused ex-cops involved in George Floyd's death appeared in court ... triggering hundreds to take the streets outside the courthouse to protest.

Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and Alexander Kueng arrived in court Friday in Hennepin County, Minnesota for a hearing covering a number of things ... including motions about change of venue to jury sequestering. Floyd's family also attended the hearing.

Thao, Lane and Kueng appeared to have entered the courtroom undetected ... as hundreds marched outside the Hennepin County Family Justice Center.

Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee on George's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, has been in custody since his arrest in May. Thao, Lane and Kueng all posted bail. That trio has been charged with aiding and abetting murder. Chauvin's been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, as well as an additional count of second-degree murder.

As we reported ... new body cam footage was released back in August showing Thao's point of view. He was the one who was doing crowd control during George's arrest. The new video showed that as Chauvin pressed his knee on George's neck, Thao had walked to the curb where a handful of onlookers could immediately tell George was in life-threatening distress.

The new angle also showed the crowd's worry increase with every minute that passed. It had been painfully obvious to them a man was dying, and they got more and more agitated as the clock ticked through the 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

The Minnesota Attorney General has said he would seek a harsh sentence for Chauvin.

The Minnesota Vikings will pay tribute to George Floyd's family prior to their season opener on Sunday ... announcing plans to host them for a powerful moment before the game.

Vikings players have been outspoken following Floyd's death in Minneapolis back in May ... with stars like Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks demanding justice.

The team laid out its plan to bring more awareness to social justice on Friday ... revealing Floyd's family will be in attendance for a tribute following the rendition of the Black national anthem, "Lift Every Voice And Sing."

On top of the league-wide gestures -- helmet decals, end zone messages and pre-game t-shirts -- the Vikings will host music group "Sounds of Blackness" to perform the national anthem ... as well as honor community leaders who have fought for equality.