RIP

Eddie Van Halen's wife is heartbroken over the death of her life partner ... as is the rest of the rock world, who are sharing personal tributes to the late, great guitar legend.

Janie Liszewski posted a remembrance Wednesday, writing ... "My husband, my love, my Peep." She adds, "My heart and soul have been shattered into a million pieces. I never knew it was possible to cry so many tears or feel such incredible sadness. Our journey together has not always been an easy one but in the end and always we have a connection."

She went on to say their love will stay alive. She said instead of saying goodbye ... she'll simply say "so long," as she hopes they'll meet again in heaven one day. Janie also asks Eddie to watch over her and their shared Pomeranian pooch, Kody.

Janie's been with Eddie 11 years now -- they got hitched in 2009. Prior to that, he was married to Valerie Bertinelli for over 20 years ... who also posted in his honor.

Other salutes have been pouring in from rock icons from the same era and beyond -- including messages from Gene Simmons, who called Eddie a "Superhero," adding he's "heartbroken." Ozzy Osbourne said Eddie "Made it look so easy," and his former bandmate Sammy Hagar, said he was "heartbroken and speechless."

Other tributes came in from Nikki Sixx, Flea, Paul Stanley, Geezer Butler, Billy Idol, Keith Urban, Tony Iommi, Pantera, Pearl Jam and so many other acts. They all had kind words to share, most touched on the fact that Eddie was a trailblazer and an inspiration for their own careers.

Moreover, it wasn't just musicians who weighed in on Eddie's passing -- comedian Dane Cook said Eddie's music made him feel alive. Mark Hamill called Eddie, "One of Rock's most extraordinary guitar virtuosos and Jimmy Kimmel said a chat he once had with Van Halen was, "two of the best hours of my life."

As we reported, Eddie died Tuesday after a battle with throat cancer. He was 65.

The former home of Bobbi Kristina -- where she tragically overdosed in a bathtub, causing her death -- is for sale in Georgia ... and the history may explain why the price has already dropped.

The spacious townhouse in Alpharetta was previously owned by Bobbi's mom, Whitney Houston, and despite its macabre past ... it's actually quite beautiful.

The 2,600-sq.-ft. pad comes with 3 beds and 4 baths, a gorgeous great room, a gourmet kitchen, a huge master suite with a fireplace, and 2 guest suites with private baths.

Of course, the home also comes with the underlying tale of the tragic January 31, 2015 incident ... when Bobbi was found face down in a bathtub by her boyfriend, Nick Gordon.

She was put on life support afterward and moved to hospice, where she died nearly 6 months later on July 26.

Gordon was found civilly liable for her death in November 2016, and though cops investigated him in connection with her death for years ... he was never charged. Gordon died of a heroin overdose in early 2020.

All of this could explain why the home has failed to attract any buyers so far. Kayce Davidson, the real estate agent with the listing, tells us the townhome went on the market 3 weeks ago ... but they recently dropped the price $10k to $599,000.

Eddie Van Halen -- the legendary guitarist and co-founder of Van Halen -- has died after a long battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned.

Sources directly connected to the rock star tell us ... he died at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica Tuesday. His wife, Janie, was by his side, along with his son, Wolfgang, his ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli, and Alex, Eddie's brother and drummer.

We're told in the last 72 hours, Eddie's ongoing health battle went massively downhill -- doctors discovered his lung cancer had moved to his brain as well as other organs.

As you know, Eddie has been battling cancer for well over a decade. Our sources say he's been in and out of the hospital over the past year -- including last November for intestinal issues -- and recently underwent a round of chemo.

Last year we reported ... Eddie was flying between the US and Germany for 5 years to get radiation treatment. Though he was a heavy smoker for years, he believes he developed throat cancer from a metal guitar pick he used to frequently hold in his mouth more than 20 years ago.

Nevertheless, he continued to attend concerts and rehearse music with his son, who -- if ya don't know -- became Van Halen's bassist in 2006.

Wolfgang mourned his father online, writing ... "He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss." He added, "I love you so much, Pop."

Of course, Eddie himself was considered one of the best and most influential guitarists of all time ... who first made a name for himself with his solo on Van Halen's "Eruption."

Eddie formed the classic rock group in Pasadena in 1972 with his brother, Alex, on drums, Michael Anthony on bass and David Lee Roth singing. Eddie served as the main songwriter on their self-titled debut album in 1978 ... which launched the group into rock superstardom in the '80s.

They went on to pump out hit after hit, including "Runnin' with the Devil," "Unchained," "Hot for Teacher," "Panama" and "Jump" ... and continued their success with Sammy Hagar on lead vocals after the departure of Roth in 1985.

While the band had already achieved hard rock superstardom, Eddie became a pop culture icon with the 1983 release of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" ... which featured Eddie's iconic guitar solo.

Though some members of Van Halen have changed, Eddie and Alex were the constants in the band ... with Eddie's acclaimed guitar work being the focal point of their legacy.

Van Halen was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, and Eddie is widely considered one of the greatest guitar players of all time.

He is survived by his wife, Janie, and his son.

Eddie was 65.

RIP

Johnny Nash, the guy who sang the incredibly happy and infectious 1970s #1 hit, "I Can See Clearly Now," has died.

The singer's son tells TMZ ... Johnny was at home Tuesday when he passed away of natural causes. No word on cause of death yet.

Johnny was born in Houston and made his debut as a major label artist in 1957 with the single, "A Teenager Sings the Blues." However, it was his reggae-tinged hit that topped the charts in November of 1972, and stayed there for 4 weeks.

Nash sold more than 1 million copies of the single, and it made him an international star, especially in Jamaica ... where he became one of the first non-Jamaican singers to record reggae on the island.

While he might go down in music history as a one-hit wonder, what a smash. "I Can See Clearly Now" has been covered numerous times after Johnny. A couple of those covers even reached the top 20 -- the most recent one being Jimmy Cliff's 1993 version for the "Cool Runnings" soundtrack.

His son, John Nash III, tells us, "He was a wonderful father and family man. He loved people and the world. He will be missed within his community. Family was his everything."

Johnny was 80.

LeBron James is paying tribute to Kobe Bryant before Game 4 of the NBA Finals ... entering the arena with a shirt honoring Mamba's life.

Rockin' his Beats By Dre headphones and a BBZ mask (the letters represent the names of his kids Bronny, Bryce, Zhuri) ... Bron made his way to the court in the NBA bubble at Disney World in Orlando with an image of his friend across his chest.

Below Kobe's picture, read the words, "More Than Ever" and "With Love 1978 - 2020."

LeBron has often talked about Kobe's influence on his life and his career -- and it seems pretty obvious he's trying to channel KB's "Mamba Mentality" for an important Game 4 against the Miami Heat.

Following Kobe's tragic death back in January, LeBron and his Lakers teammate Anthony Davis got Kobe-inspired tattoos on their legs to pay tribute to the NBA legend.

The Lakers are currently leading the playoff series 2 to 1 ... but the Heat looked pretty solid during their Game 3 victory over L.A.

WWE legend Joseph Laurinaitis -- AKA Road Warrior Animal -- died during a romantic getaway with his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary, this according to police documents.

Laurinaitis -- one half of the famous Legion of Doom tag team -- was with his wife, Kimberly, at the Margaritaville Lake Resorts in Osage Beach, Missouri on Sept. 22 for a quick getaway.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, Laurinaitis had set up a whole romantic evening for Kim -- starting with a fancy dinner and returning to their room, which was covered in rose petals and a gift basket.

But, after they arrived back to the room, Laurinaitis suffered a medical emergency -- and collapsed on the bed.

Kim tried to perform CPR, but unfortunately, Joseph could not be saved, according to officials.

The medical examiner launched an investigation into his death -- and notes medication for Laurinaitis was collected at the scene.

Laurinaitis is considered one of the best in-ring performers of all time -- he wrestled for most of his WWE career with Road Warrior Hawk and won multiple tag team championships as The Road Warriors/Legion of Doom.

He was only 60 years old.

RIP

Thomas Jefferson Byrd -- who appeared in several Spike Lee joints -- has been murdered in Atlanta ... according to Spike himself.

Lee says ... "I’m So Sad To Announce The Tragic Murder Of Our Beloved Brother Thomas Jefferson Byrd Last Night In Atlanta, Georgia." Spike shared a photo of Thomas as the character Errol Barnes in his 1995 film, "Clockers."

Along with "Clockers," Byrd also appeared in "Get on the Bus," "Bamboozled," "He Got Game," "Red Hook Summer," "Chi-Raq" and more.

He was also a successful theater actor, nominated for Broadway's 2003 Tony Award as Best Actor for a revival of August Wilson's "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."

He has starred in numerous regional stage productions including the San Diego Repertory Theater's award-winning performance of "Spunk".

Story developing ...

Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada has died from coronavirus.

Kenzo, the first Japanese designer to have ensconced himself in the fashion capital of the world -- Paris, France -- died Sunday in the hospital. His spokesperson confirms Kenzo's death was the result of COVID.

Kenzo's designs featured colorful graphic and floral prints. He was hugely popular, both for his high fashion and luxury day-to-day streetwear.

The designer sold his brand to LVMH back in 1993 and stepped away from the brand 6 years later.

Kenzo was born in 1939 and developed a passion for drawing and sewing. He went to France in 1965 ... it was supposed to be a stopover but he ended up staying permanently.

He created a line for men back in '83, and in '88 he created his first perfume -- Kenzo Kenzo.

Kenzo was 81.

Calling all (rich) Kobe Bryant fans, an incredibly unique collectible from the Mamba's historic 60-point farewell game is up for grabs ... but it'll cost a fortune!!

A large section of the Staples Center hardwood court -- where Kobe played his final NBA game -- is set to hit the auction block ... and the piece is truly 1-of-a-kind.

The floorboard features KB's original jersey number, 8 -- painted in white, outlined in Lakers purple -- signed by the L.A. legend before he walked off the court he dominated on for nearly 2 decades.

Remember, Kobe -- who was 38 years old at the time -- had one of the greatest final games in sports history ... dropping 60 points on the Utah Jazz during the April 13, 2016 contest.

Bryant started off slow, but was UNSTOPPABLE in the 2nd half ... leading his Lakers squad to a come-from-behind victory.

It was truly a jaw-dropping performance by the Hall of Famer ... and that's why the court section is expected to sell for a whopping $500,000!!

We're told the seller will donate 10 percent of the proceeds to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation -- a foundation named after Kobe and Gigi Bryant -- which promotes youth sports.

Online bidding starts September 4 at Heritage Auctions ... and a live auction will be held September 26.

Mamba would have turned 42-years-old on Sunday, and Monday (8/24) was dubbed Kobe Bryant day ... with everyone from James Harden, Anthony Davis and LeBron James celebrating the basketball legend's life.

Bob Gibson -- one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history -- has died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

The St. Louis Cardinals legend passed away while in hospice care in Omaha, Nebraska ... according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Gibson had been in the cancer fight for more than a year.

During his 17 seasons in Major League Baseball, Gibson was THE MAN!!!

A 2-time World Series champ. 2-time World Series MVP. 2 Cy Young awards. NL MVP in 1968.

He made the All-Star team 9 times! He was a 9-time Gold Glove winner.

He logged 3,117 strikeouts! 251 wins!!

RIDICULOUS, RIGHT?!!

Of course, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981 -- first ballot.

The Cardinals retired his #45 back in 1975 and put him in the franchise Hall of Fame in 2014. There's also a statue of Gibson in front of Busch Stadium.

He was also a MONSTER on the basketball court!! In fact, he had a brief stint with the Harlem Globetrotters back in the day!

"Sweet" Lou Johnson -- a key member of the L.A. Dodgers 1965 World Series team -- has died, the team announced. He was 86.

The former outfielder famously smacked a home run off Jim Kaat in Game 7 of the '65 World Series, giving the Dodgers what ended up being an insurmountable lead over the Minnesota Twins.

FYI, Sandy Koufax was pitching for the Dodgers that day.

Johnson only played with the Dodgers from '65 to '67 -- he also played with the Cubs, Angels, Braves and Indians during his 17 seasons in the big leagues.

But, after his playing career, he was a staple at Dodger Stadium -- doing PR work for the team. Super nice guy.

"Lou Johnson was such a positive inspiration at Dodger Stadium with our employees and our fans as well as throughout the community in the appearances he made on behalf of the organization," Dodgers President & CEO Stan Kasten said in a statement.

"Dodger fans will always remember his important home run in Game 7 of the 1965 World Series, when he was clapping his hands running around the bases.”

According to the Dodgers, Johnson got the nickname "Sweet Lou" back in '65 because "of his infectious smile and because he was always clapping his hands."

In total, Sweet Lou racked up 48 HRs and 232 RBIs in 677 games -- with a .248 batting average.

He also famously had the only Dodgers hit -- and scored the only Dodgers run -- in Sandy Koufax’s perfect game on Sept. 9, 1965 against the Chicago Cubs.

No word on cause of death. He's survived by his wife, Sarah, and their 3 children.

Steve Barnes -- co-founder of the personal injury law firm, Cellino & Barnes -- has reportedly died after a plane he was piloting crashed in upstate NY.

Barnes and a female passenger were reportedly killed Friday when the single-engine, propeller-powered Socata TBM 700 6-seater plane crashed in a wooded area in Genesee County. Barnes and the woman were the only ones on board.

Officials have not yet identified the victims, but The Buffalo News is reporting that a lawyer at Barnes' law firm confirmed Steve was piloting that plane.

A Buffalo TV station also reported the plane is registered to an address matching that of Cellino & Barnes' offices. While the name Steve Barnes may not be universally known, his firm's jingle definitely is. That toll-free number, 800-888-8888, at the end of the commercials really does stick in your head.

Barnes and his former partner, Ross Cellino, worked together for almost three decades before splitting back in June.

The Grand Jury audio in the Breonna Taylor case reveals important information about the central issue in the case -- whether the Grand Jurors were adequately informed about whether cops identified themselves before breaching the door to Breonna's apartment.

According to the audio, a police lieutenant testified one of the neighbors did NOT hear police identify themselves. It's unclear why the neighbor didn't testify in person before the grand jury. We know there were 12 neighbors in all who said they did NOT hear the cops ID themselves.

Another cop testified one neighbor DID hear the cops announce who they were before entering the apartment. The key -- what about the 12 who didn't hear it?

This is critical because if police did not identify themselves, then Breonna's boyfriend had every right to fire a shot, and cops couldn't use self-defense as a justification for shooting in the apartment.

Cops say they announced themselves as law enforcement before entering Breonna's apartment, according to the testimony we've heard so far. It's about 20 hours of audio, and we're continuing to going through it.

Police Lt. Shawn Hoover said in an interview, recorded the same day Breonna was shot, cops knocked on the door and announced themselves as police before waiting another 10 or 15 seconds to repeat the announcement.

Hoover said cops waited another 45 to 60 seconds before approaching again and breaching the door -- and, as you've heard, cops had a "no-knock" warrant, but Cameron later said police did ID themselves.

Taylor family attorney Ben Crump says his team has spoken to the 12 witnesses who claim cops did not announce before the raid.

As we reported ... Cameron announced earlier this week he would release the recording after an anonymous grand juror filed a motion asking a judge to allow the grand jurors to go public.

The juror who filed the unusual request blasted Cameron for hanging the grand jury out to dry when he announced the indictment of ex-cop Brett Hankison.

Cameron insisted a grand jury is meant to be a secretive body, but relented it's "apparent that the public interest in this case isn't going to allow that to happen."

He added ... "Once the public listens to the recording, they will see that over the course of two-and-a-half days, our team presented a thorough and complete case to the Grand Jury."

Of course, the very next day the Kentucky AG admitted he never recommended the grand jury indict either of the 2 officers for shooting and killing Breonna Taylor. Instead, he said the case he presented to the grand jury is that the officers were justified in firing their weapons because Breonna's boyfriend had fired first at them.

Chrissy Teigen's mom is sharing her agony over Chrissy and John Legend losing their son, Jack ... with a series of deeply moving pictures and videos honoring him.

Vilailuck Teigen posted these pictures and video Thursday night, including one of her holding Jack ... and looking absolutely shattered at losing her grandson. Her caption read, "My heart aches love you so much baby Jack."

In the video, you can see the doctor holding Jack while Vilailuck shares a moment with him. As we reported ... Chrissy and John revealed Wednesday night that Jack couldn't survive the pregnancy complications.

Chrissy had been hospitalized last weekend for severe bleeding from her placenta. She described that time as the "danger zone," but seemed hopeful they could pull through.

"I beat the ever-living f*** out of him."

Those were the words reportedly spoken by a Louisiana State trooper implicated in a Black man's death ... according to a recording that's just surfaced.

The audio -- captured by a police body cam mic -- is a 27-second clip featuring Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth recalling the May 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene in Louisiana.

The Associated Press, which first obtained the audio, says that's Hollingsworth saying he choked Greene, and at least 3 cops were wrestling with Greene while he was handcuffed and bleeding ... until "all of a sudden he just went limp."

Greene's death, which Louisiana troopers initially said was caused by a car crash at the end of a pursuit, is now the subject of a federal civil rights investigation.

The audio was part of a phone conversation between Hollingsworth and a colleague, according to the AP. Hollingsworth died last week in a car accident.

Lee Merritt, an attorney for Greene's family, is now calling on authorities to release the full body cam footage of Greene's interaction with state troopers.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards told reporters last week footage of Greene’s arrest would be released to the public at the conclusion of federal and state investigations.

Bonni Lou Kern -- one of the original 'Mickey Mouse Club' Mouseketeers in the '50s -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Bonni died Monday in Wooster, Ohio ... according to the Wayne County Health Dept. We're told she died of natural causes.

As a Mouseketeer, the very first episode of "The Wonder Mouseketeers!" was named after her -- titled, "Save Bonni Lou Kern!" -- in which the other Mouseketeers help her out because she's caught in a fishing net.

Bonni appeared alongside famous Mouseketeers like Annette Funicello, Judy Harriet and Eileen Diamond, and was also seen in the film, "Save the Wonder Mouseketeers!"

According to her family ... Bonni was given the Mousecar Award, the highest award Disney gives out, as well as the key to Fantasy Land.

She went on to be known as Bonni Carr after marrying Harold "Bud" Carr in the late ’60s in Hawaii -- and is survived by 3 daughters, 6 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Bonni was 79.