RIP

Vicente Fernández fans mourned together at a big soccer game in Mexico on Sunday ... with thousands of supporters singing and cheering throughout the venue.

The powerful moment went down at the Jalisco Stadium ... as Atlas and León players joined together at midfield to celebrate the life and legacy of Fernández.

Fans in attendance stood in solidarity with one another ... clapping for more than a minute straight as fireworks shot to the sky.

Music was played as a young boy dressed in all white walked onto the field to release a white balloon into the sky.

That wasn't all ... a message was projected on the screens at the stadium reading "Don Vicente Fernández 1940-2021."

Fernández's death has affected people not just in the music world, but the sports world as well ... and this tribute was clearly special to all in attendance.

He is survived by his wife, María del Refugio Abarca Villasenor, and their four kids -- Vicente Jr., Gerardo, Alejandro, and Alejandra.

Terrible news in the horse racing world ... 3 jockeys were hospitalized and 2 horses died after a horrific fall during a horserace in Hong Kong on Sunday.

The tragic event happened during the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin Racecourse ... when jockey Lyle Hewitson's horse lost its footing several hundred yards into the race, collapsing ahead of a large pack of horses.

The whole incident was televised ... and the video clearly shows Hewiston's horse, Amazing Star fall, sending the South African jockey slamming to the ground, before being trampled by a stampede of horses.

That caused a domino effect ... and sent 3 other jockeys and their horses flying to the ground.

Hong Kong Jockey Club's executive director Andrew Harding says all 3 men were treated at Prince of Wales hospital with multiple injuries.

Hewitson ended up having a fractured hip and small bleed in the brain. 4x Hong Kong champ, Zac Purton, suffered four fractured ribs, a fractured wrist and a broken nose.

The third jockey, Yuichi Fukunaga of Japan, broke his collarbone.

Miraculously, all of the jockeys survived.

Unfortunately, the 2 horses weren't so lucky. Amazing Star and Naboo Attack suffered fatal injuries and had to be euthanized.

The race did go on after the collision. Australian jockey Blake Shinn and his horse Sky Field officially took the title ... a win he calls "bittersweet".

"I have mixed emotions for winning this race today," Shinn said.

"Obviously the first emotion is that my feelings are with the fallen jockeys and horses out there."

There's a social media push to get Kanye West to step in and fill the role of Louis Vuitton creative director after the death of Virgil Abloh ... and Dapper Dan believes Ye would be the perfect fit.

We got DD at LAX Friday who sang Ye's praises, calling him a genius and saying, "Louis, get Kanye!!!" Of course, Dapper Dan acknowledges Kanye would need to be game to take on the role, but sees it as a perfect fit.

As we reported, Virgil's sudden and surprising death after a battle with cancer drew an outpouring of support, and also raised eyebrows on who could be next to fill his position at LV ... with Kanye's name almost instantly coming to the forefront.

Kanye and Virgil had been friends for more than a decade at the time of his death, and Kanye showed up at memorial and funeral services in both Miami and Chicago to pay his respects and honor the fashion mogul.

Kanye has obviously made his mark in fashion over the years with his Yeezy brand -- a partnership with Adidas to make shoes -- and most recently a collab with GAP.

It was just this week when Kim Kardashian thanked Kanye for introducing her to the "world of fashion," when she accepted the Fashion Icon of the Year Award at the People's Choice Award.

Demaryius Thomas was at the forefront of everyone's mind this Sunday -- especially for his former team, the Denver Broncos, who paid tribute to him ... with an assist from the Lions.

The late wide receiver -- who died suddenly last week -- was honored during the opening minutes of the game ... with just 10 men on the Broncos taking the field, and WR Courtland Sutton taking a knee on the sidelines as his team let the play clock run out.

It essentially served as a moment of silence -- the significance of leaving Sutton/Thomas' position vacated on the field was symbolic, almost like it was meant to be filled by him in spirit.

Denver was penalized for this, but the Lions declined the penalty ... and let them play on as if nothing had happened -- something the team seemed to be grateful for online. There was also a video compilation played on the jumbo screen before kickoff, which showed off some of Thomas' highlights from when he was playing for them.

In addition to the on-field moment and the video, there were a number of other tributes set up all throughout the stadium, including a memorial that had been set up for Thomas that Peyton Manning and his family visited before the game got underway.

There was also a portrait of the guy that was on display in the tunnel, which players kissed and tapped as they made their way to the gridiron. And even on the field itself, the Broncos emblazoned Thomas' former number, 88, right there onto the grass.

All this was to be expected ... as we reported, the Broncos were pulling out all the stops to make sure their guy was recognized properly, as he was a big part of their SB run in 2016.

Thomas was found dead at his home on Thursday, with a call for cardiac arrest triggering a police response. It's unclear what exactly happened to him -- an autopsy is pending.

Ryan Reynolds is here to save Peloton's day -- narrating a new spoof ad that's in direct response to the outrage over Mr. Big dying in the new 'SATC' show. Also ... spoiler alert.

The actor just posted a hilarious 38-second clip, something Peloton apparently whipped up over these past few days. It shows Chris Noth -- who plays Sarah Jessica Parker's love interest throughout the OG series -- yukking it up with actress Jess King.

She stars as the hot Peloton instructor that Big is kinda into during the first couple episodes of 'And Just Like That ..." -- which killed off Carrie's hubby after a Peloton bike ride. As you can see, he's doing just fine ... and even jokingly asks if King wants to go for another ride.

As you've probably heard, CN's death made for a huge twist -- but it also had very real-world ramifications for Peloton ... whose stock price took a nosedive in the wake of the premiere.

Peloton came out and said Big didn't die as a result of riding their bike, but because of what he'd done prior to hopping on ... namely, living large. A company spokesperson responded, "Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle -- including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks -- and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in Season 6."

They added, "These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death. Riding his Peloton Bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event."

Vicente Fernández, the wildly-popular Mexican entertainer known as "King of Rancheras" has died.

Noticias Telemundo broke the news ... "We regret to inform you of his death on Sunday, December 12 at 6:15 a.m."

Fernández was known internationally ... selling north of 65 million albums and starring in more than 35 movies. He was named Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy back in 2002. He snagged 3 Grammys and 8 Latin Grammys.

He made his way to the Hollywood Walk of Fame back in 1998.

Fernández battled numerous health issues over the last decade. In 2012, he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his liver. The following year he suffered from pulmonary thrombosis.

Earlier this year, Fernández was hospitalized after falling at his ranch.

Jeff Bezos did some damage control Saturday night, saying he was "heartbroken" over the tragedy at one of his Amazon plants, where at least 6 people died as a tornado ripped through the facility ... this after being radio silent about the deaths as he celebrated his latest flight into space.

Bezos said on Twitter, "The news from Edwardsville is tragic. We're heartbroken over the loss of our teammates there, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones."

He went on ... "All of Edwardsville should know that the Amazon team is committed to supporting them and will be by their side through this crisis. We extend our fullest gratitude to all the incredible first responders who have worked so tirelessly at the site."

The statement came 24 hours after the tornado struck, and after Bezos had posted a photo on Instagram with the latest crew of his New Shepard rocket, including former NFL champion Michael Strahan.

He spent the morning cheering on the latest group of Blue Origin space travelers. Early Saturday he said, “Happy crew this morning in the training center.”

Bezos was effusive when the capsule came back to earth, bear-hugging Strahan, who made the trip with 4 other passengers. There was no mention of the tragedy before or after the flight, and the celebration did not sit well with lots of folks on social media.

Young Dolph -- who was murdered last month -- was honored Saturday night at Rolling Loud 2021.

Dolph's artists Paper Route Woo and Snupe Bandz performed a tribute to the fallen rapper and O.T. Genasis joined them on stage to share the moment.

Dolph was a staple at Rolling Loud, performing 4 times over the last few years. Woo and Snupe are also the PRE artists who worked during the Thanksgiving holiday to keep Dolph's name alive through a turkey giveaway that was planned prior to Dolph's tragic death.

Immediately after Dolph died, Rolling Loud posted a tribute ... "LONG LIVE YOUNG DOLPH 🙏"

As we reported, Dolph was gunned down November 17 in Memphis, outside a local cookie store. He had been targeted in the past ... back in 2017, Dolph was shot multiple times outside a shoe store in Hollywood. That same year his SUV was sprayed with more than 100 bullets.

Dolph's murder was clearly a targeted attack. No one has been arrested for his murder.

Anne Rice, the author of the wildly popular Vampire Chronicles, has died.

Rice's son announced her death Saturday, saying she passed from complications due to a stroke. Her death came 19 years almost to the day after her husband died. Anne's son said, "The immensity of our family's grief cannot be overstated."

Rice was an accomplished author, but her most famous work was her first novel -- "Interview With the Vampire" back in 1976. Her main character, Lestat, was the centerpiece of the 13-book series ... which spanned more than 40 years.

As you know, "Interview With the Vampire" was a hugely successful film back in 1994, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. It's the life story of 2 vampires Louis (played by Pitt) and Lestat (Cruise) and their adventures over 2 centuries from a Louisiana slave plantation to Eastern Europe. The 2 male vamps raise a vampire child, and that's something you didn't see much in the movies back in the day.

'Interview' was so big, it became the inspiration for a bunch of shows, including "The Vampire Diaries" and "Twilight."

She said back in 2010, "I had an idea of Lestat as the man of action, the man who could do things that I couldn't do."

Anne became a successful writer of gothic fiction all over the world. She sold more than 150 million books.

Just this month, AMC green-lit a Rice-inspired series -- "Lives of the Mayfair Witches" -- based on one of her books. Last year AMC announced it was producing "The Vampire Chronicles."

No Denver Broncos player should ever wear #88 again ... so says Brandon Marshall, who tells TMZ Sports the team needs to retire the digits to honor Demaryius Thomas.

"It's just fitting, it just makes sense," said the former Broncos linebacker, who played with Thomas in Denver for years. "[He's] one of the greatest Broncos ever."

Marshall is making the push for his former team to go ahead with the tribute following Thomas' death this week ... telling us Demaryius is more than deserving of the honor.

Marshall explains Thomas' resume on the field was simply that good ... but he also says Thomas' off-the-field actions warrant the jersey praise as well.

"He's one of the greatest Broncos of all-time, point blank, period," Marshall said. "He's one of the greatest receivers of my era -- of our generation. One of the greatest receivers in Broncos history."

"And, as Peyton [Manning] said, he's an even better guy."

While no jersey retirement is in the cards yet -- the Broncos already have plans to pay tribute to the former Super Bowl champion before the Lions game this weekend at Empower Field At Mile High regardless.

Head coach Vic Fangio said the team will wear helmet decals and play a video tribute prior to kickoff. He also said a moment of silence will be observed.

Carl Madsen -- the NFL official who tragically died on his way home from a game earlier this year -- passed away due to heart disease ... an autopsy report, obtained by TMZ Sports, revealed.

In the docs, investigators officially ruled Madsen's cause of death as "hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease" -- conditions that are known to contribute to fatal heart problems.

Officials say in the docs obesity was also a contributing cause of Madsen's death.

As we previously reported, Madsen died on Oct. 24 in Tennessee -- shortly after he had worked the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tennessee Titans game.

Cops said at the time that first responders had found Madsen unconscious in the driver's seat of his car on I-65 North ... and despite attempts to resuscitate him, he later died at a local hospital.

Madsen -- a veteran of the U.S. Air Force who worked as both an on-field official and a replay official in his career -- was 71 years old.

"Carl Madsen was an NFL officiating fixture for more than two decades, first as a highly respected on-field official before transitioning to a replay role beginning in 2009," NFL senior VP of officiating training and development Walt Anderson said after Madsen's passing.

"A terrific friend and colleague, Carl's love of football and dedication to officiating was ever-present, as he generously shared his time to mentor young officials at clinics across the country. A veteran of the Air Force, Carl had a tremendous spirit and will be greatly missed."

Nick Cannon is stoically dealing with the tragic death of his youngest child ... saying he will absolutely keep the infant's memory alive.

We got Nick leaving an endodontist's office where he had 3 root canals ... but he stopped on his way in and his way out to talk about Zen's passing. As we reported, Zen was only 5 months old when he died Sunday from brain cancer.

Nick got a tattoo of his son, and says that's only the beginning of what he plans to do to make sure Zen is in his thoughts and prayers.

Nick broke the news about Zen's death Tuesday on "The Nick Cannon Show" ... and his emotion was palpable.

He says Zen's mom, Alyssa Scott, is dealing with the tragedy as best she can, and he's doing the same. Nick and Alyssa kept Zen's health issues private during the cancer battle, so it was a real shock to hear the little boy had passed.

Nick spoke about Zen's passing several times during his show this week, thanking fans for their support and condolences.

The Denver Broncos will recognize Demaryius Thomas before their game against the Lions this weekend ... honoring DT with helmet stickers and a video tribute just three days after his tragic death.

Head coach Vic Fangio just announced the plans ... saying there will also be "a moment of silence and maybe another thing or two" before kickoff at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday.

"There's still 10 players on this team that played with [Thomas], a bunch of coaches that coached him," Fangio said Friday. "And we've got over 40 workers in the organization and the support staff that were around him."

"And just seeing and feeling their reaction and hurt just tells me what a special player DT was."

As we previously reported, cops say they found Thomas dead in his shower in Roswell, GA at around 7 PM on Thursday night.

The reaction to his passing in the NFL community has been overwhelming since the news broke, with nearly every major player in the league expressing heartbreak over the death.

Stars like Tim Tebow, Tom Brady and DeMarcus Ware have all penned emotional notes on their social media pages -- and the Broncos themselves have also released statements mourning the death.

Thomas -- who played 10 seasons in the league, including 9 with the Broncos -- would have turned 34 on Dec. 25.

Michael Nesmith, singer/guitarist for the famously famous 60s group The Monkees, has died.

His family said, "With infinite Love we announce that Michael Nesmith has passed away this morning in his home, surrounded by family, peacefully of natural causes."

Nesmith was part of the quartet that was manufactured for a TV show about a rock 'n roll group ... and the group exploded with hit after hit ... at one point even rivaling The Beatles.

Among the hits ... "Last Train to Clarksville," "Daydream Believer," "I'm a Believer," "Valerie," and many more.

Mike fought for artistic control of the group ... he wanted them to be a real group, not just one that's made for TV. Point of fact ... initially on the show, they didn't actually play the instruments. He once got into such a heated discussion over this he put his fist through a wall.

Mike once said, "We were kids with our own taste in music and were happier performing songs we liked -- and/or wrote -- than songs that were handed to us."

One of his biggest impacts after the group disbanded ... he helped launch MTV by pitching a show called "PopClips," which evolved into the 24-hour video channel.

His mom famously invented Liquid Paper -- AKA white-out -- which became a cash register for the family.

Now 3 of the 4 Monkees have died. Mike and sole survivor Micky Dolenz performed their final show together last month at the Greek Theatre.

Nesmith was 78.

RIP

Nick Cannon just got tatted up again ... and this time, his newest addition is in honor of his late son Zen who died this week of a brain tumor.

The "Wild and Out" creator shared the angel tattoo of his son on his rib cage Tuesday on his show ... a tribute that comes just days after the 5-month-old's death.

"It was a lot of pain, but it was well worth it. I enjoyed every moment of the experience"... adding that now he will always have his son by his side.

Nick has been very vocal about his struggles with his son's death, and previously said that his baby mama Alyssa Scott was taking things "5 minutes at a time." Nick and Alyssa had kept Zen's health issues totally private until the tragic announcement that he had died.

Former NFL star Demaryius Thomas was found dead in the shower at around 7 PM on Thursday ... according to new police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the docs, cops say they initially responded to Thomas' Roswell, GA residence after they had received a call "in reference to a cardiac arrest."

Officers note in the documents that dispatch had advised them that the victim was "not conscious and not breathing."

When officers arrived, they said in the docs that they had to push a gate open with their hands in order to gain entry into the home.

Once inside, cops say they found Thomas laying down in the shower on his back -- with clear signs of rigor mortis visible.

In the docs, cops say the former Super Bowl champion was pronounced dead on the scene. Officials tell us an autopsy is scheduled to be performed on Friday.

As we previously reported, the NFL community has been devastated over the news of the tragedy ... with stars like Tim Tebow, Von Miller and Tom Brady penning emotional messages to the former Broncos wide receiver on social media.

"I'm so sad to wake up this morning to hear about the passing of my friend Demaryius Thomas," said Brady, who played with Thomas in New England in 2019. "We were all blessed with his humility and positive spirit, and we will all miss him."

Added Tebow, "So many are going to remember him for his athletic ability… but I’ll be remembering him for his kindness, his smile that would light up a room, and the love he had for those in his life."

Thomas would have turned 34 years old on Christmas.