RIP

Eddie Van Halen's musical genius is unquestioned -- turns out the guy was a bit of a design wiz too, and the nuts and bolts of his iconic inventions could soon be yours to own.

Memorabilia collector Eric Kuck tells TMZ ... he owns an original U.S. patent Eddie submitted in 1985. It includes a mockup Eddie submitted for his "musical instrument support" device, which is really just a guitar body rest that allowed him to free up both hands.

Kuck says he's got the OG drawings -- which are very detailed and totally rad -- plus the certificate of authenticity with Eddie's John Hancock ... so folks know it's legit.

Kuck's planning to sell it in a silent auction at his brother's Tampa-area business, Carrollwood Fine Wine and Spirits -- bidding goes from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15.

Ideally, Kuck wants someone from Eddie's own family to score his treasure. He would be willing to work with the Van Halen family on an agreement if they were interested.

As for how much the patent docs could fetch, Kuck tells us the sky's the limit ... especially since Eddie passed away just last week after a long battle with cancer. FWIW, Kuck says he paid $800 for the paperwork about 15 years ago through an auction ... obviously, it'd be worth a lot more now.

Vanessa Bryant added another Kobe Bryant tattoo tribute on her body -- inking his name on her foot, along with the rest of their family.

Vanessa went public with the body art on her IG page on Tuesday -- showing the names Kobe, Vanessa, Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri tatted along the outside of her right foot.

The artwork lists their children in the order of their birth.

Vanessa shouted out the artist, Mr. Cartoon (the same guy who tatted a Kobe tribute on Snoop this week) ... thanking him for the work.

"First tatt in @misterctoons new Santa Monica shop. Thank you! #throwback l.a. love #tattooplacement check #KobeVanessaNataliaGiannaBiankaCapri Together Forever."

Vanessa had some Kobe tributes tatted on her body back in February -- but she didn't reveal the specifics of that work.

All she would say is that the work on her wrist was a special message from Gianna -- and there was also a "sweet message" from Kobe on her neck.

She thanked another tattoo artist, Nikki Hurtado, for doing that work.

Conchata Ferrell -- best known for playing Charlie Sheen's quick-witted housekeeper on "Two and a Half Men" -- has died.

The beloved actress reportedly died Tuesday around 12:30 PM, from complications following cardiac arrest. Conchata reportedly died peacefully surrounded by her family at Sherman Oaks Hospital.

We broke the story ... Conchata's husband, Arnie, told TMZ back in July she had been recently transferred to a long-term care facility after more than 4 weeks in ICU. She had initially landed in the hospital in May with an illness we were told was related to a near-fatal ailment she'd started battling in December 2019.

Conchata had gone into cardiac arrest in July, after checking herself in the hospital. She was on a respirator and dialysis and, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Arnie couldn't visit her.

Besides becoming a staple on the hit CBS sitcom -- in which she appeared in every season -- Conchata also had tons of movie roles ... including in "Edward Scissorhands," "The Mask," "Mr. Deeds" and "Erin Brockovich" as Brenda, who worked inside Julia Roberts' office.

She was 77.#RIPBerta💔

A new mural of George Floyd just got a public showing right in the nick of time -- days before his 47th birthday, and perhaps more importantly ... three weeks before the election.

The mural -- which has been worked on under the steady hand of local artist Ange Hillz -- was unveiled Monday in Houston ... George's hometown. It's even more personal that, though ... the artwork is featured on a wall outside of a corner store George used to frequent.

As you can see, the final product is pretty exquisite -- it's George painted in a multicolor display, with 2 doves by him carrying signs that read "Be the Change" and "Go Vote."

Like we first told you ... that lines up with his birthday wish expressed by his family members, who plan to hit the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul on Wednesday -- the day he would've turned 47 -- and trying to sign up as many people as possible and get 'em registered.

As for Monday's ceremony -- we're told George's immediate kin were in attendance, as was U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee ... who made public remarks reflecting the message the mural is pushing -- namely, getting out the vote and being the change.

There were a few other community members in the crowd too, but it was relatively small ... we're told George's fam wanted to keep COVID-friendly and not make it super packed. BTW, civil rights attorney Ben Crump -- who's repping the Floyds -- called in and spoke as well.

Cincinnati Reds legend Joe Morgan -- one of the best 2nd basemen ever who went on to become an MLB broadcasting star -- passed away on Sunday. He was 77.

The Hall of Famer passed away Sunday at his home in Danville, CA. A family spokesperson says Morgan had been diagnosed with polyneuropathy -- a disease that affects the nerves.

Despite only standing 5'7" tall, Morgan was a force on the field -- racking up more than 2,500 hits during his 22 seasons in the big leagues.

Morgan made his MLB debut in 1963 and played until 1984 -- playing for 5 teams during his run including the Houston Colt .45s/Astros, SF Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Oakland Athletics.

He's most famously known for winning 2 World Series titles with the "Big Red Machine" in Cincinnati in 1975 and 1976.

On top of the world titles, Morgan had a trophy case full of personal accolades -- 2-time National League MVP, 10 All-Star appearances, 5 Gold Gloves and 1 Silver Slugger.

His #8 was retired in Cincinnati in 1987. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1990.

After his playing career, Morgan became a successful broadcaster -- calling MLB games for ABC Sports, NBC Sports and ESPN.

He was so popular, they used this voice in the MLB 2K video games.

Reds CEO Bob Castellini released a statement on Morgan's passing, saying, "The Reds family is heartbroken. Joe was a giant in the game an was adored by fans in this city."

"He had a lifelong loyalty and dedication to this organization that extended to our current team and front office staff."

"As a cornerstone on one of the greatest teams in baseball history, his contributions to this franchise will live forever."

The baseball world has lost several legends in recent months -- including Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford.

Margaret Nolan -- who served as the iconic golden-plated babe portrayed in the opening sequence of "Goldfinger" -- has died.

The legendary British artist and glamour model passed away last week, according to her son, Oscar Deeks. The news wasn't broken, however, until Sunday when director Edgar Wright -- who'd cast Margaret in a film of his set to be released next year -- posted on Twitter.

He writes, "It's my sad duty to report that actress and artist, the magnificent Margaret Nolan has passed away. She was the middle of Venn diagram of everything cool in the 60's; having appeared with the Beatles, been beyond iconic in Bond and been part of the Carry On cast too." Edgar went on to attach several photos of Margaret from her different gigs, and detailed different on-camera projects she'd been a part of over her six-decade-plus career.

Margaret led a pretty storied life ... besides being the model featured in the opening to 'Goldfinger' -- not to mention all the merch from the film that followed -- she was actually in the movie as one of the Bond girls, albeit in a smaller (but still memorable) capacity.

She played Bond's poolside masseuse, Dink, who was rubbing him up before Sean Connery introduced her to a colleague and then quickly shooed her away with a nice swat on the tush ... telling it was time for "man talk." Pretty sexist when you look back, but it is what it is.

Margaret also starred in another mega '60s-era flick -- the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" ... which they made after their hit song of the same name. She played an unnamed woman at a casino, and while her time on camera was relatively brief ... it too was everlasting.

She has a long list of acting credits ... having made appearances in shows like "Crossroads," "Secret Agent," "199 Park Lane," "Hugh and I," "Take a Pair of Private Eyes," "The Newcomers," "The World of Beachcomber," "Brian Rix Presents ...," "Budgie," "Fox," "Crown Court" and countless others. Margaret also starred in several films throughout her career, including recurring and also alternating roles in the 1970's 'Carry On' comedy franchise.

Her modeling career was second to none, and she even tried her hand as a graphic visual artist -- to which she sometimes received criticism for her photo montages and displays. Nonetheless, the woman was a dynamo in showbiz and entertainment.

Margaret is survived by her two sons. She was 76.

Tom Kennedy -- one of America's most recognizable game show hosts ... known for a slew of shows including "Name That Tune" -- has died, according to his friend, Steve Beverly.

The cause of death is not known but Tom had been ill for several months.

The guy was a titan of television, having served as host of a number of hit game shows including "Split Second," "You Don't Say!" and of course ... 'NTT,' which he hosted for a number of years in the '70s and '80s. Might we say ... "Name That Tune" could be the best game show ever. Tom also hosted a syndicated version of "The Price Is Right' ... with Bob Barker handling daytime duties and Tom heading up the night shift.

There's a lot more to his game show credits ... Kennedy appeared on "Doctor I.Q.," "Match Game," "It Takes Two," "It's Your Bet," "Password," "Break the Bank," "Hollywood Squares," "To Say the Least," "Whew!,' "Password Plus," "Wheel of Fortune," "Body Language," "Family Feud," "Wordplay," "Card Sharks," "Oh My Word," "The Big Game" and many others.

He also served as an announcer for a bunch of projects, including Betty White's early comedy series, "Date with Angels," as well as variety shows like "The Polka Parade," "Going, Going, Gone!" and "About Faces." Kennedy tried his hand at traditional acting too -- he starred in a bunch of one-off guest spots on shows like "That Girl," "Cannon," and "Hardcastle and McCormick."

BTW, Kennedy was there to help give Kathie Lee Gifford (then Johnson) her first big break in TV -- she was the "Name That Tune" singer.

The legendary host is survived by several children, whom he shared with his late wife, Betty Gevedon. He was 93.

A protester was killed by a security guard Saturday and now the guard has been arrested.

It went down in Denver, where there were 2 rallies going on at the same time ... a patriots rally and a Black Lives Matter rally. A guy wearing a "Black Guns Matter" t-shirt began arguing with several men, including the man in the camo bucket hat who ended up getting shot.

You see the argument get heated as the man in the camo hat walks out of frame. He encounters a security guard and according to reports, the guy may have maced the guard. That's when you hear a shot and see the man in the hat go down. He later died at a hospital.

It appears the victim was part of the Patriot's group. His t-shirt read, "BLM You're f***ing Right Bikers Lives Matter."

Turns out the guard works for a company that was hired by a local TV station that had been using security to protect its reporters who were covering the various protests.

Tupac's fam says the Trump campaign using the rapper as a prop to mock Kamala Harris was uncool and uncalled-for, and though he wants an apology ... he's not holding his breath.

Mopreme Shakur, Tupac's stepbrother, tells TMZ ... it was "clearly disrespectful" to his family for the President's campaign to leave a ticket for Tupac at the Vice Presidential debate.

If ya missed it -- Trump's camp confirmed it invited Tupac Wednesday night as a jab at Sen. Harris, who recently claimed Tupac was the "best rapper alive" during an interview. She quickly caught her mistake, and laughed it off ... but Mopreme's not laughing at the Trump team's troll job.

He says it's not surprising though, because "We should know Trump's lack of respect for the Black and brown community."

Mopreme adds, he knows POTUS won't say he's sorry, so instead, he's aiming high -- saying Trump can make it up to the family by releasing his father, Tupac's stepfather, from prison.

His dad, Mutulu, was sentenced to 60 years in 1988 for RICO conspiracy, armed bank robbery and bank robbery killings. Mopreme says his father's taken full responsibility for his crimes and served as a force for good and anti-violence while incarcerated ... yet he's been denied parole 8 times.

Seems unlikely Trump would get involved, but Mopreme's taking a shot.

As for Kamala ... Mopreme says her snafu just shows she has excellent taste in music, and it's no surprise Tupac's her fave because she's from Oakland. He added, it's all California love for Sen. Harris, and strongly encourages everyone to vote.

Kyle Rittenhouse appeared in court as his lawyers continue fighting efforts to extradite him to Wisconsin to stand trial as an adult.

The 17-year-old arrested in the killing of 2 people during the protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI was briefly back in court Friday morning, where his lawyers are fighting to keep him in his home state of Illinois ... as opposed to sending him back to Wisconsin.

Rittenhouse's legal team stated this case is a "very unique, extraordinary situation," and argued there are issues with the extradition paperwork by prosecutors that suggest "this is a political prosecution."

The defense lawyers have also argued extradition would violate Rittenhouse's constitutional rights and "turn him over to the mob" ... and claim his life would be in danger if he's jailed with adults in Wisconsin.

Prosecutors accused the defense of intentionally delaying the case, but the judge did grant Rittenhouse's attorneys more time before a decision is made on extradition. There will be another hearing later this month.

The Antioch, IL teenager is accused of killing 2 people and wounding a third on August 25. He's been charged with first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless homicide. If convicted, he's looking at a mandatory life sentence.

As we reported ... Rittenhouse traveled roughly 21 miles from Antioch to Kenosha -- armed with a semi-automatic rifle -- to join armed vigilantes taking on rioters. Video showed him running on the street with his gun while witnesses told cops he shot someone.

After falling to the ground and appearing to be accosted by others, cops say he opened fire ... killing two people and injuring another.

Whitey Ford -- widely regarded as the greatest Yankees starting pitcher of all time -- has died at 91, the team confirms.

We're told Ford passed away Thursday at his home in NY.

The Yankees issued a statement saying the team is "incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Hall of Famer Whitey Ford."

"Whitey spent his entire 16-year career as a Yankee. A 6x WS Champion and 10x All-Star, The Chairman of the Board was one of the best lefties to ever toe the rubber. He will be deeply missed."

Ford made his MLB debut back in 1950 -- but took time away from the game to serve in the U.S. Army during the Korean War from 1951 to 1952.

He returned to the Yankees in 1953 and played until 1967 -- racking up a 236-106 career record with an E.R.A. of 2.75 and 1,956 strikeouts. Unreal.

Ford -- who was born and raised in New York City -- was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974, along with his teammate Mickey Mantle.

The Yankees retired Ford's #16 jersey that same year.

Ford is survived by his wife Joan (they married back in 1951) and their two children Eddie and Sally Ann. They had a 3rd child, Tommy, who passed away in 1999.

Just last week, fellow MLB pitching legend Bob Gibson passed away at the age of 84. Gibson is also a Hall of Famer and considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time.

George Floyd's being honored and remembered in his hometown ... with a new mural set to be unveiled just in time for his birthday.

The mural is being painted in the Houston neighborhood where George grew up, and it's going to be unveiled Monday during a special ceremony featuring his family and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. Houston mayor Sylvester Turner is also invited.

Local artist Ange painted the mural. He tells us George's family asked him to create one back in August, after previously presenting the family with some Floyd artwork at his funeral.

The mural is prominently displayed on a wall outside a neighborhood corner store George frequented. The business is a staple of the community, so lots of folks will see George's face on the building.

George would have turned 47 Wednesday, and we're told celebrating his upcoming birthday is part of the inspiration behind the mural ... plus a message to the community to "be the change" and go out and vote.

George's brothers, Rodney and Philonise, recently checked on the mural's progress and Philonise says they want the art to send this message ... "People in my family all feel that George can't vote, so everybody needs to get out for George, for Breonna, for Ahmaud."

The family adds ... "He said he wanted to change the world, so here's how we do it. By being the change."

Breonna Taylor's body was motionless in her hallway for several minutes as a SWAT team cleared her apartment, then checked for a pulse ... before cooly, and repeatedly, stating, "She's done."

Louisville PD just released body cam video from several SWAT officers who showed up on the scene after the raid and gunfight that killed Breonna and injured one Louisville cop, Jonathan Mattingly. The footage provides the first good look inside Breonna's apartment immediately after the deadly incident.

As SWAT prepared to enter one cop says, "The female is supposedly the one that's shot" -- speaking of Breonna. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, had already walked out and surrendered.

Upon entering the apartment, cops immediately called out that Breonna was at the end of the hallway, but SWAT spends several more minutes clearing various parts of the apartment before addressing Breonna, saying ... "Ma'am, can you hear us?"

One officer told another to check her pulse. Of course, she did not have one ... and the cop declared, "She’s done." Most of the SWAT members then left the apartment to make room for a medic and crime scene investigators.

An officer's heard telling others not to turn their cameras off, and while examining all the casings on the floor says ... "Is that theirs? No that’s ours, the only casings look like 9mils."

At one point, it appears now-fired Officer Brett Hankison -- the only officer indicted by a grand jury -- popped his head back in to discuss the scene, before being told to back out.

Other footage, from a different officer, shows the horrific aftermath inside the apartment -- bullet holes and bloodstains on walls ... and Breonna's body on the floor. Her body is blurred in the video.

Now, body cam video outside the apartment shows police interacting with Walker after his surrender. It's interesting because almost immediately Walker, through tears, declared to police that Breonna was dead inside, and that they had no idea who was entering the apartment.

He repeatedly said, "We didn't know who it was" ... and one cop responded that they had announced themselves 3 times. That is, of course, the central dispute in the case. Walker says he fired his legally-owned handgun thinking someone was breaking into the place.

Police, and Attorney General Daniel Cameron, insist the cops ID'd themselves as law enforcement and were, therefore, justified in returning fire on Kenneth and Breonna.

LeBron James and the Lakers will honor Kobe Bryant while hoping to bring home the Larry O'Brien trophy on Friday ... with the team pulling out their "Black Mamba" jerseys for Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

The Kobe-inspired threads have been a good luck charm during the Lakers' quest for their 17th championship -- they're currently 4-0 this postseason while donning the black and gold.

While L.A. was initially planning to wear the BM jerseys for Games 2 and 7, Kobe's wife, Vanessa, revealed the Lakers will rep the legend while trying to close out the series.

"Mamba and Mambacita jerseys approved for game 5," Vanessa said on IG. "Let's go @lakers."

The Lakers -- who dedicated the season to Kobe and his daughter, Gianna, after their tragic deaths in January -- are currently up 3-1 on the Miami Heat ... and many believe they can close it out with a gentleman's sweep on Friday.

If L.A. is able to pull it off, it'll be an incredibly emotional moment for the franchise.

The Travis County medical examiner has wrapped up its investigation into the death of pro gaming star Byron Bernstein -- aka "Reckful" -- and determined he died by suicide.

Bernstein's ex-girlfriend broke the news of his death on July 2 on social media. No details were released at the time. Officials in Travis County, Texas subsequently launched a probe to find out exactly what happened to the 31-year-old.

Now, the M.E. has released the findings of its investigation -- which say emergency responders raced to the scene of the incident and tried to resuscitate Bernstein, but to no avail. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials say Bernstein had been under significant stress ... including dealing with money problems and a breakup with a former girlfriend.

The investigators also noted Bernstein had a history of depression, and had previously attempted suicide several years ago.

Bernstein was a legend in gaming, especially at "World of Warcraft" -- where he was the #1 ranked player in the world for 6 straight seasons.

He famously won the Major League Gaming "WOW" tourney back in 2010.

He later became a streaming sensation on Twitch -- where he amassed a following of more than 900,000. He also developed a big following on YouTube and Twitter.

Bernstein had talked publicly about his battle with depression in the past, saying it started when he was 14.

Just last year, Byron appeared on the HealthyGamerGG show to talk about his issues and revealed he was diagnosed with Bipolar Type 2 as a child. He also said his brother took his own life after a battle with depression years ago.

RIP.

Derek Chauvin -- the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd -- is a free man for now ... he just got released from behind bars as he awaits trial.

Chauvin was cut loose Wednesday from the Oak Park Heights prison in Minnesota after court records show he posted a non-cash $1 million bond backed by a place called A-Affordable Bail Bonds. His trial is currently scheduled for March.

Chauvin was the last of the 4 accused cops still in custody. As we reported, the other 3 -- Alexander Keung, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao -- were released some time ago, and are all seeking a change of venue ahead of their trials.

Chauvin faces the most severe charges out of the group -- he's been rung up for 2nd-degree murder, 3rd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter after leaving his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.