RIP

Richard Smallwood, a singer whose work in the gospel genre brought him several Grammy nominations throughout his life, has died.

The performer died at a nursing center in Sandy Spring, Maryland, on Tuesday. His publicist announced the singer died after suffering complications from kidney failure, The Washington Post reports.

Smallwood was born in Atlanta, and he moved to Washington, D.C. when he was just 10 years old. He founded his first gospel group the following year, and he studied under singer Roberta Flack at Browne Junior High.

He later studied music at Howard University, where he obtained a master's degree in musicology and piano. He founded the Richard Smallwood Singers in the late 1970s; they received a Grammy nomination for their work on their 1984 album "Psalms."

Smallwood went on to receive seven more Grammy nominations throughout his life, and his most recent nomination was issued in 2012, when he was up for the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song.

The performer's songs were covered by numerous artists, including Destiny's Child, Stevie Wonder, and Whitney Houston, who recorded his anthem "I Love the Lord" for the soundtrack of the 1996 film "The Preacher's Wife."

Smallwood never married or had children. He's survived by two brothers and three foster sisters.

He was 77 years old.

The NASCAR family is teaming up to support Denny Hamlin after his father died in a house fire ... with the organization offering support and its condolences to him and his loved ones.

The car racing giant released an emotional statement on Tuesday in reaction to the news that Dennis Hamlin, 75, passed away after suffering injuries from a blaze at a home in Stanley, North Carolina. Denny's mother, Mary Lou, was also critically injured in the tragedy.

"NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family," the organization said.

The tragic death of Anthony Joshua's trainer, Kevin "Latif" Ayodele, has resulted in an outpouring of support for the boxing star's longtime friend ... with more than $180,000 raised to help build a mosque in his honor after he was killed in a car crash in Nigeria.

The fundraiser was launched on Monday by SPOT Project, just hours after Ayodele and another member of Joshua's team, Sina Ghami, died when the Lexus SUV they were in slammed into a stationary truck on the side of the road. Joshua suffered minor injuries in the accident.

"I’m absolutely shocked that he died today and I want to be part of the people who help keep his legacy alive," the fundraiser’s website said. "This is why we’ve decided that we want to build a masjid and uphold his legacy."

Sally Struthers was seen in public on Monday ... weeks after her "All in the Family" costar Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were brutally murdered in their Brentwood home.

Sally was snapped out and about in Los Angeles ... and her mood appeared to be glum ... understandable given the recent double killings that rocked Hollywood.

TMZ broke the news ... Rob and Michele were butchered in their home on Dec. 14 ... and their son Nick has since been arrested and charged with their murders.

Following the tragic death of Mickey Lee, an eerie video from her "Big Brother" season has resurfaced, showing her recapping an ominous palm reading she'd received.

In the video ... Mickey jokes that fellow houseguest Ava Pearl -- who tells fortunes by reading palms -- told her she had a short lifeline ... indicating that she would die young.

Mickey recounts that when she asked Ava, "Wait, am I going to die?" Ava responded, "Wait. Maybe that's not the right line."

Houseguest Ashley Hollis added that Ava awkwardly digressed by saying, "'Um, you know ... Let me do Ashley's.'"

While it gave the reality stars a good laugh at the time, it now gives a very serious sense of doom.

The body of a swimmer was found on a secluded beach in Northern California over the weekend … after she disappeared during a swim in the ocean amid reports of a shark attack.

The woman -- identified as 55-year-old Erica Fox -- went missing on December 21, the same day a shark was reportedly seen off the coast in Santa Cruz, feasting on a human body.

Fox had reportedly been separated from members of her swimming club, the Kelp Krawlers, and a person driving in the area contacted the Coast Guard to report that they saw a shark with a human body in its mouth.

2025 will go down as one for the books ... but here, we're remembering the celebs who tragically died over the last calendar year.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Ozzy Osbourne, and Hulk Hogan all died within the span of five days in July ... a sad week, indeed. And, just recently, Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were murdered allegedly by their son, Nick, inside their L.A. home.

Malcolm-Jamal drowned in Costa Rica, while Ozzy and Hulk died from heart attacks.

Diane Keaton died in October ... first responders rushed to her home and took her to a hospital in Santa Monica, where she died from pneumonia.

One person is dead and another injured after two helicopters crashed into one another above New Jersey on Sunday.

Police Chief Kevin Friel of Hammonton, NJ told media on Sunday ... officers responded to reports of a crash around 11:30 AM ET ... with police and fire crews immediately going about quenching the flames of the crash.

According to the Washington Post, the Federal Aviation Administration has described the crash as a midair collision between an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and Enstrom 280C helicopter above Hammonton Municipal Airport.

Melanie Watson Bernhardt -- an actress known for her role on the hit TV show "Diff'rent Strokes" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Robert Watson -- Melanie's brother -- tells us ... Melanie passed away Friday in Colorado Springs.

We're told Melanie -- who was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a disease where a person's bones fracture easily -- had been in the hospital after suffering some issues with bleeding, where she quickly deteriorated.

Brigitte Bardot, the French actress who became one of the world's first global sex symbols, has died.

Her foundation announced her death Sunday in a statement shared with French news agency AFP, confirming the iconic star passed away at her home in southern France after spending decades devoted to animal rights.

No cause of death has been released. Her passing comes months after she underwent surgery for a serious illness in October.

Melissa Mae Carlton and her family are dealing with an unimaginable loss ... announcing the death of their daughter Molly, less than two years after their daughter Abigail passed away.

The faith and grief influencer announced the heartbreaking news in an Instagram post Friday ... revealing Molly died on Christmas Day -- and adding the family was in total shock and disbelief at her sudden passing.

Carlton notes Molly often expressed a desire to see her older sister again ... which she says gives her a small sense of comfort because they're now reunited in heaven.

Beloved "Big Brother" star Mickey Lee has died after being rushed to the ICU earlier this week.

Her family shared the heartbreaking update on her IG Friday morning, informing her nearly 30,000 followers she took her last breath during the evening of December 25, on Christmas. They remembered her as being authentic and strong, with a spirit that left "a lasting impression on fans." They also thanked her fans for their prayers and support during this difficult time.

As we previously reported ... Mickey suffered multiple cardiac arrests tied to complications from the flu. She landed in the ICU and was in critical, but stable, condition until Christmas morning.

Mickey Lee's co-stars have flooded social media to pay tribute to her ... with "Big Brother" host Julie Chen Moonves also revealing she had a known history of heart issues.

The TV personality posted about Lee after her family announced her passing Friday ... writing she interviewed Lee several months ago on her podcast "God 101" -- during which Mickey told her she was "born with a hole in her heart."

As you know ... Mickey passed away on Christmas Day, a few days after she was rushed to the hospital due to multiple cardiac arrests. It's unclear if her heart issue as a child in any way contributed to her passing.

Perry Bamonte -- a longtime guitarist and keyboardist for The Cure -- has died ... the band announced Friday.

The group shared the sad news to their official website ... revealing Bamonte passed away at his home after a short illness over Christmas.

The post describes Bamonte as "quiet, intense, intuitive, constant and hugely creative" ... calling him an integral part of the band's tale.

Patricia Heaton -- who played the mom in the hit comedy show "The Middle" -- is paying tribute to her late co-star Pat Finn, after the devastating news of his passing.

As you know ... "The Middle" star Pat Finn died Monday after a long battle with cancer. Patricia took to Instagram to post a solemn statement about Pat, stating that, "One of the finest and funniest human beings I know has left to be with Jesus."

She continues to say ... "Pat Finn, whom most of you know as Bill Norwood on The Middle had been battling cancer the last few years. At the too-young age of 60, he leaves behind his sweetheart Donna and three children."

Heaton shares ... "He was adored by all who knew him, and he leaves behind a legacy of love, friendship, and wonderful comedy." Then mentions their 2023 movie “Unexpected“ where Pat graced the film with a "scene-stealing turn as a crazy psychiatrist."

Beloved dog influencer Raffie – from the famed TikTok account "bundleofbullies" – has suddenly passed away from a heart attack ... according to his owner who was on vacation at the time of his passing.

The account’s owner Maren announced the news on TikTok, saying she is away in Austria and got the call from the doggie daycare Raffie and his siblings were staying at … and they told her in the midst of a fight with another dog, Raffie dropped dead from a heart attack.

Maren struggles to catch her breath as she says, “I never imagined that I would have to make this video” and says her other dog Pickles wanted to “attack Raffie” … leading to Raffie’s death.

She shares that the owner of the daycare immediately started CPR on Raffie, but Pickles wanted to “attack further” so Raffie’s best friend Oden stepped in to protect him – almost dying himself, but luckily was rushed to the vet and survived the incident.