RIP

Roy Ayers, the great jazz vibraphonist known for his hit "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" is dead after suffering an illness ... his family has announced.

In a statement shared on his Facebook, his family says the music legend died on Tuesday in New York City after suffering from a long illness. The didn't specify what illness he had.

They concluded their statement saying ... "He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. His family ask that you respect their privacy at this time, a celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming."

A fraudulent fundraiser claiming to support Angie Stone's legacy just days after her death has been banned by GoFundMe -- after raking in over $12K.

A GoFundMe spokesperson confirmed to TMZ that all donations have been refunded, and the organizer, going by the name "Lenda Peers," has been banned from any future fundraising.

Typically, on GoFundMe, a beneficiary is clearly named if funds are being raised for someone else.

Social media influencer Andrew Cross, known as "Desert Drifter" on YouTube, had his life support turned off this week after an agonizing decision made by his family.

After more than a month of being in a coma after suffering a severe traumatic brain injury in a car accident, the Mesa County Coroner’s Office in Colorado confirmed the death of the 36-year-old.

His wife Evelyn tells TMZ ... Andrew’s injuries impacted his ability to regain consciousness and after weeks of "prayer, information gathering, and discussion," his family had to make the heartbreaking decision to withdraw life support on Monday in order to honor the quality of life that he previously shared he would want.

Texas rapper G$ Lil Ronnie and his 5-year-old daughter were shot dead at a car wash Monday morning just as their post-birthday festivities were getting underway, the slain artist's videographer tells TMZ Hip Hop.

Mello Vision has shot dozens of music videos and social content for Ronnie, and he tells us he's generally confused about the murders. If there was a threat to Ronnie's life, Mello would have felt it because they were frequently together at the same locations.

Mello says Ronnie was out late on March 2 and woke up early in an effort to spend intimate time with his daughter on the morning of the 3rd, when they were both killed.

The police investigation into the murders of rapper G$ Lil Ronnie and his 5-year-old daughter in the Fort Worth, Texas area has hit a major break ... cops say they know who is responsible, and they're calling the suspects straight-up punks!!!

The Forest Hill Police Department held a press conference Wednesday and identified Adonis Robinson and Jakobie Russell as the suspects -- Police Chief David Hernandez called them both cowards and "public enemies" ... and pointed out Robinson's sex-offender past.

The two Texas natives are said to be on the run, scared and afraid to face the music ... but Hernandez vowed police will catch them.

Bodybuilder Jodi Vance had been "throwing up all morning" just prior to her tragic death at 20 years old ... new 911 audio, obtained by TMZ Sports, reveals.

The call was placed by Vance's wife on Feb. 27 ... as she and her partner were staying at a hotel in Ohio while attending the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus.

The woman told Columbus Police during the call that Vance was "passed out in bed" and would not get up. She added the weightlifter had been vomiting and groaning prior to her losing consciousness.

Bryan Kohberger's attorney is arguing her client's autism diagnosis should prevent a death penalty sentence in the event he's found guilty of murdering four college students ... stating capital punishment would constitute "cruel and unusual punishment" due to his inability to fully understand the consequences.

Attorney Anne Taylor filed a motion last week stating if her client were to be found guilty and sentenced to death, that would violate his Eighth Amendment constitutional rights. Kohberger, accused of murdering four University of Idaho students in the dead of night in 2022, was formally diagnosed by a neuropsychologist last month.

A neuropsychologist evaluated Kohberger and found he "continues to exhibit all the core diagnostic features of ASD currently, with significant impact on his daily life.”

Chaos ensued on the '80s-themed Royal Caribbean cruise when the fiancée of Faster Pussycat's lead singer went overboard ... and only TMZ has video of the rescue efforts.

We obtained this video from a passenger on the cruise, and you hear the public address system alerting passengers that someone fell off the ship into the waters below.

The frantic search effort is also featured in the video, with smaller boats racing around the cruise ship in an effort to find Kimberly Burch -- fiancée of Faster Pussycat frontman Taime Downe.

Shawn Stockman is heartbroken over Angie Stone’s shocking death ... telling us he’ll always remember her for fighting to make sure artists got paid what they deserved.

We caught up with Shawn shortly after he and Boyz II Men hit Capitol Hill, pushing Congress to make AM and FM radio stations pay for playing artists' music -- and he tells TMZ he respected Angie because she was fighting that same battle too.

Shawn said he’d run into Angie often but didn’t know her personally. What he did know, though, was that she was all about fighting for what’s right -- and that's giving artists the pay they deserve so they don't go broke. He pointed out the industry was basically founded on "criminal activity" by "gangsters."

Rapper G$ Lil Ronnie and his 5-year-old daughter were shot to death Monday in Texas -- and dramatic video shows how part of the murder went down.

Police say the violence erupted at 10:45 AM yesterday at a car wash in the Fort Worth suburb of Forest Hill, where Ronnie and his daughter, R'Mani, were seated inside his stationary car getting washed by machines.

Suddenly, cops say 2 men jumped out of a white 4-door Kia and walked up to Ronnie's vehicle with guns drawn, pumping bullets into the hip hop artist and his little girl.

Alec Baldwin's new reality TV show is profiting off the pain Halyna Hutchins' family continues to endure following her tragic death ... so says an attorney representing the late cinematographer's parents and sister.

Attorney Gloria Allred is tearing into Baldwin's new TLC reality show, "The Baldwins," which follows Alec and his wife, Hilaria, as they juggle their chaotic family life -- all while grappling with the aftermath of Hutchins being fatally shot on the set of "Rust."

Allred says the show "celebrates Mr. Baldwin’s joy of being with his children while ignoring the fact that Alec Baldwin took a child away from her parents. That is the painful and actual reality with which Halyna’s parents and sister live each and every day."

Angie Stone's family is in the process of planning a large memorial and a more intimate funeral ... wanting to make sure all her fans and famous friends have a chance to grieve the shocking loss, TMZ has learned.

Stone's rep Deborah R. Champagne tells TMZ ... the iconic singer's family has begun planning a public memorial, which will be held in Atlanta. The date and venue are not clear yet ... but they anticipate a large and star-studded turnout, so they are planning accordingly.

At the same time ... the family is making arrangements for Stone's funeral that will be more intimate -- but not necessarily private -- in Columbia, S.C., where she will be laid to rest. Deborah tells us an exact date is also not clear.

Bodybuilder Jodi Vance died last week after suffering a fatal heart attack. The rising star was attending the Arnold Sports Festival in Ohio.

She was only 20 years old.

Vance, who was also a coach, wasn't competing in Columbus, but instead was there to support athletes under her tutelage.

"Her heart stopped due to complications of severe dehydration. Despite all efforts by the hospital, they were unable to revive her," Vance's family wrote on social media.

Tragedy has struck an '80s-themed Royal Caribbean cruise ... the fiancée of Faster Pussycat's lead singer has died after going overboard, though her body remains missing, TMZ has learned.

Kimberly Burch -- fiancée of Faster Pussycat frontman Taime Downe -- fell to her death shortly after a heated argument with him aboard the ship, according to Kimberly’s mother.

Carnell Burch tells TMZ ... Taime called her on Monday to deliver the heartbreaking news. It’s still unclear whether Kimberly jumped or accidentally fell from the ship, but Carnell is confident Kimberly wouldn't purposefully hurt herself.

Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's husband for more than half a century, is dead ... according to the icon herself.

Dolly announced Carl's passing Monday evening, saying her beloved will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with their immediate family.

While she did not mention a cause of death, Carl had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 2019.

New video shows the horrible aftermath of Grammy-nominated singer Angie Stone's vehicle crash in Alabama -- with an up-close look at the big-rig that slammed into her van.

TMZ obtained fresh footage, which captures 19 seconds of the wreckage after Stone's Mercedes Sprinter van -- carrying her and 8 members of her backup band -- was struck by a semi-truck Saturday on Interstate 65, in Montgomery County, AL.

An eyewitness driving by shot the clip ... and it starts by capturing the monstrous white Freightliner Cascadia truck stopped on the shoulder of the highway.