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Wanda Young -- one of the few remaining members of The Marvelettes -- has died.

The legendary singer's daughter, Meta Ventress, confirmed the news to the New York Times Saturday -- saying her mother had passed almost two weeks ago, on Dec. 15, in Garden City, MI as a result of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Young came aboard the Marvelettes just in time for them to sign their first record deal with Motown ... and actually went on to be the Marveletttes' lead singer in their later years, after the departure of some members. Long story short, she was there from the beginning.

Of course, she contributed to their 1961 hit, "Pleases Mr. Postman" -- which became a no. 1 chart-topper for Berry Gordy big picture ... not to mention the first smash hit recorded by an all female group. In other words, WY and co. helped put Motown on the map.

'Please Mr. Postman' went on to be covered by countless bands and acts, most famously by The Beatles ... who made it a hit anew during their heyday in the '60s. BTW, the B-side to that record by the Marvelettes was 'So Long, Baby,' with Young on lead vocals.

While singing co-lead through their peak, Young helped crank out famous tunes like "Locking Up My Heart" and "Too Many Fish in the Sea" ... and, eventually, she led the way with hits like "I'll Keep Holding On" "Don't Mess with Bill," "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game," "When You're Young and In Love" and "My Baby Must Be a Magician" ... among others.

Young finally left the Marvelettes in 1969, and tried her hand at a solo career with varying success through the early '70s. Eventually, she left music altogether ... and lived a relatively private life.

She's survived by her three children, several grandchildren and a great-grandchild, plus brothers and sisters. She was 78.

Two more BTS members have now tested positive for Covid-19 -- bringing the total to 3 out of 7.

Rapper RM and singer Jin also contracted the virus of late ... this according to their management company, Big Hit Music. The diagnoses came down after the group's return to South Korea after touring the United States.

As far as the contraction timeline ... Reuters reports RM and Jin both received negative tests in early December after touching down in their home country -- but still had to quarantine anyway per S. Korea's Covid rules.

It wasn't long after that RM tested positive ... just as he was about to exit the local 'rona protocols. Jin, meanwhile, tested negative twice upon leaving quarantine ... but soon, he too felt symptoms and was deemed to be positive. They're considered breakthrough cases.

Like we told you ... Suga, another BTS member, tested positive as well. Big Hit Music makes sure to note that none of them have been in contact with their other bandmates ... the remaining 4 who are negative for now.

Saweetie is another living example ... certain people look awesome bald ... especially when it's bald by choice!!!

It's pretty stunning ... she shaved off all her hair, and all that's left is a blonde buzzcut. She snapped the pics poolside, first posing in a pink bikini and then trading it out for a white one, before taking a dip.

No word on what inspired her to change her noggin, but for whatever it works the consensus here is thumbs up.

Truth be told ... this isn't an out-of-the-blue thing for Saweetie ... she likes to change it up. A few days back she posted pics of her with fiery red locks. And there are plenty of other examples ... girl doesn't want to bore herself with the same look for very long.

Kate Middleton kicked off Christmas on the keys and on key ... for the first time ever, she played the piano publicly ... backing up Tom Walker's Xmas performance.

The Duchess of Cambridge showed off some pretty serious skills as she played, "For Those Who Can't Be Here" at Westminster Abbey ... which, BTW, looked awesome.

The vid was released Friday, though it was recorded a few days back at a royal Christmas carol service called "Together at Christmas" -- which Kate hosted. She had tweeted... "I’m so excited to be hosting #TogetheratChristmas here at @wabbey, a place that’s really special to William and me."

She was dressed in red, giving Walker the spotlight, although most eyes were on her. Walker dedicated to those who "can't be at Christmas."

Tom raved about the night they shared the stage ...  "WHAT A NIGHT🤯 I can’t thank enough for being a part of this performance. This is dedicated to those who can't be here this Christmas including my grandad."

BTS's Suga has joined the ever-growing crowd, testing positive for COVID ... and that makes him the second major K-pop star to catch the virus in the last month.

Suga tested positive Friday ... according to his management team. It seems he was flying back from the U.S. to Korea Thursday and tested negative before getting on the plane, but that's a test given 72 hours before flying.

He took the test in Korea Thursday and got the positive results the next day. So, it's possible/almost certain he flew with COVID.

Suga was quarantined after getting tested and even before he got his results -- this per Korean guidelines. According to his team, he was not in contact with other BTS band members, although the time frame here is unclear.

Suga's been fully vaccinated since August, so this was clearly a breakthrough infection. Also unclear if it's Delta or Omicron. His team says he's experiencing no symptoms.

Last month, the group performed a bunch of shows in California ... and Suga stayed on for "personal engagements" and has been working on side projects, according to Big Hit Music.

Kris Jenner is no threat to Mariah Carey for sure, but she did a respectable job with her rendition of "Jingle Bells," with an assist from her future son-in-law.

KJ posted her version of the Xmas staple, as Travis Barker, who produced the tune on "Kravis Records," kept the beat on his drum set. Not bad to have Blink-182 as your backup.

Kourtney Kardashian contributed by playing the song's title.

As for the art on the album cover ... well, it's a back-in-the-day photo, and a good one at that.

It's not the first Kris Jenner release ... back in '85 she recorded "I Like My Friends" to the tune of Randy Newman's "I Love L.A."

Travis Scott and his foundation are working around the clock to make sure kids in his hometown of Houston don't go without a little something to bring home some holiday cheer.

TS and The Cactus Jack Foundation will distribute toys to more than 5,000 kids in Houston who come from struggling families. We're told the gifts will be pushed out across 6 Houston neighborhoods throughout the city before Christmas Day.

We've obtained pics of all the presents and toys for the kids, plenty of dolls, golf sets and even keyboards for the aspiring musician.

Families flocked to the distribution locations throughout this week, and if the kid's smiles were any indication, you can tell the gifts were well appreciated.

The massive donation comes on the heels of an effort Travis is spearheading to make sure a tragedy like what happened at his Astroworld Festival never happens again. TMZ broke the story, TS is working with government officials and music honchos to create a safety plan for cities interested in holding large events in the future.

It was a few weeks ago when Travis sat down with Charlamagne tha God and expressed he felt a responsibility to fix things moving forward and figure out what led to the deaths of 10 of his fans.

Tis the season of giving -- just ask Tory Lanez -- who put $100,000 to work, buying toys and clothing for single moms and their kids.

Donning a Santa hat and mask Wednesday, Lanez was busy giving out the items in Broward County, Florida area as vehicles pulled up to his distribution station. Lanez handed out bikes, Barbies, lightsabers, legos and more ... even passing out snacks and taking the time to chat with those in need.

In all, we're told Lanez spent about $100,000 on the event, telling us, "We’re still battling a pandemic that’s left so many people between a rock and a hard place. I’m just happy I can be a blessing to others and help them safely bring some joy back during the holidays."

If Kanye West is upset about Pete Davidson hanging out with Kim in L.A. this week, he certainly isn't showing it on his face ... Ye was all smiles while he watched his Donda Academy team hoop from the best seat in the house.

Ye sat courtside next to his buddy French Montana and chatted with O.T. Genasis Wednesday night during the Donda Doves Homecoming matchup in Whittier, CA. While he was seated for most of the contest, at one point, Ye got up and chatted with some of the team's players.

As for his attire, Kanye certainly didn't wear a team jersey ... sporting the look we've become accustomed to seeing him rock over the last few weeks -- boots, black hoodie, gloves, sunglasses and a baseball hat. Fans were also instructed to wear all black, and obliged.

Kanye advertised the game on his Instagram a few hours before tipoff, and resale tickets ranged anywhere from $25 to $500 ... aka, not your regular high school game prices.

Kanye started his Donda Academy earlier this year, recruiting basketball prospects to the program which mostly centers around hoops -- usually with multiple practices per day -- and online learning for academics.

Kanye and French go way back ... remember, French used to date Khloe Kardashian, and O.T. Genasis has a child with Khloe's bff Malika Haqq.

Britney Spears is reminding fans what kinda voice she has -- and while she's looking forward to using it again in a studio, she's not ready to let go of her past anger at her family.

Britney posted a video Wednesday standing in front of her mirror and singing at the top of her voice -- not many lyrics, mostly an R&B-style vocal run. Her caption, though, is pure venom for her family ... she wrote, "I just realized this today guys … after what my family tried to do to me three years ago … I needed to be my own cheerleader 🤷🏼‍♀️ !!!! God knows they weren’t."

She posted a bunch of her accomplishments, apparently after a little Googling, she found she's sold 100 million records, 33 million albums and logged billions of online streams. That's the good news.

On the other hand, she says, "I’m here to remind my white 'classy' family that I haven’t forgotten what they did to me nor will I ever forget !!!!⁣"

As for what happened 3 years ago, Brit's likely referring to when her family allegedly put her back into rehab in 2019. Remember, she was just about to start her Vegas show, but needed to postpone it ... and her dad, Jamie Spears, had become very ill.

Britney also teased fans, saying ... "Pssss new song in the works … I’m gonna let you know what I mean 😉 !!!!!"

Mariah Carey's classic Christmas jingle is the gift that keeps on giving ... to her bank account, that is ... we've done the math and she's scored millions of XMAS $$$.

Our music industry sources tell us Mariah still pulls in big bucks on licensing and commercial deals for the classic. While we're told she's only making a fraction of a cent every time someone streams "All I Want For Christmas Is You," the fractions add up to seven figures and counting, considering the popular Xmas track has over 1 billion streams just on Spotify.

One source who manages artists tells us singers typically make between .003 to .004 of a dollar per single stream ... and in Mariah's case, that would work out to between $3,249,600 and $4,332,800 just on Spotify alone ... and the figure will only grow.

Mariah's 1994 song is hugely popular around the holidays and as another source put it ... "Mariah can sit on her a** for the rest of her life and ONLY promote AIWFC and still be a millionaire."

What's more, the numbers don't even take into account streams on other platforms, including Apple Music. We reached out to Apple for an all-time count on 'AIWFC' streams ... so far no word back.

Streaming platforms weren't around when Mariah first launched the song, and it's pre-streaming days when she would've made the most money in sales ... but that doesn't mean today's numbers translate to chump change.

Shaggy does his Christmas a little different than most of us, which is why he's dropping new holiday tunes to spread some holiday cheer ... Jamaican style, of course!

The singer was on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to reveal how he's spending this Christmas at his island home, and it sounds like the best party you can imagine. In fact, Shaggy says those festivities inspired him to release a deluxe version of his "Christmas in the Islands" album.

Yes, the record includes his reggae-flavored covers of classics like "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "Silent Night" ... but it also has originals that reflect the way he and his family have always spent Christmas.

The difference between what he's singing and Nat King Cole's takes -- tons of reggae and dancehall. Shaggy admits his holiday traditions might not be exactly the same as the typical ones in America, and that's why he's out to blend cultures for everyone's get-togethers.

Offset just got $2 million richer!! That is... after Cardi B gifted him a fat check at his celeb-filled, sneaker-themed birthday bash.

Offset turned the big 3-0 earlier this month, and last night he and Cardi turned things waaaay up by cutting her hubby a $2 mil check ... during a night filled with money-hurling, drinks and lots and lots of twerking.

As you see, hubby and wife let loose for the celebration. Offset was decked out in a Louis Vuitton blue jacket, and Cardi's chest glistened with a giant Playboy bunny chain. As you know, she was recently anointed the mag's creative director.

Now, she's looking to help her man diversify too ... Cardi says the $2 mil check for Offset is seed money for some big biz ventures he has coming up in 2022.

That's the trend in show biz these days ... significant others are pumping up loved ones' portfolios. Remember, Tiffany Haddish's wish list was real estate, and ditto for Cardi. Investments are the new Lambo!!!

But, back to the party ... Cardi and Offset weren't the only big names front and center ... Kanye, The Game, Takeoff, French and Quavo also pulled up to last night's event.

Ye came solo, in authentic Kanye fashion ... a purple hoodie, covering his face with a black baseball cap and sunglasses in the dead of night. He layered things up with an oversized leather coat, grey jeans and chunky-soled boots.

Jay-Z says he's in a league of his own when it comes to music and greatness -- to the point he's claiming nobody could realistically touch him in a 'Verzuz' showdown.

HOV did some chest-puffing of his own during a Twitter Spaces convo this week, saying there wasn't a chance in hell another artist could go toe to toe with him over hits ... and not just songs everyone knows well, but ones Jay says no one's heard him perform live.

One example ... the 'Grammy Family Freestyle,' which he says he hasn't even performed onstage before. Bottom line -- he really does believe he's the GOAT of this rap game ... and that there's no true contemporary who could give him a fair fight.

Not everyone agrees, of course -- with some names having already been tossed into the proverbial ring ... like Lil Wayne, Eminem or the great OutKast as potential rivals.

The only way to find out for sure ... putting his money where his mouth is, and making it happen!!! Eh, don't get your hopes up though because it sounds like Jay's too good to consider it ... in kind of a snooty way.

The backdrop to this seems to be Future recently saying he's "bigger" than Jay-Z (in the streets) ... which stirred up a lot of debate as to whether Mr. Carter is as relevant these days as he once was.

Young Jock or Yung Joc? Well, it depends on who's asking -- some "Wheel of Fortune" fans are calling out the show out for misspelling the rapper's name during an episode ... but Joc says that's probably not the case.

Folks believe contestant Kennise Miller might have been cheated out of $39k during Monday night's bonus round when she failed to solve the puzzle under the "person" category.

Turns out the answer was "young jock", but some fans say otherwise.

Instead, they believe it was a misspelling of rapper Yung Joc's name. Well, we caught up with the "It's Goin' Down" rapper who didn't really think the answer was a mistake but was simply intended to be the description of a young athlete.

Joc tells us he is a longtime fan of 'Wheel' -- he says he grew up watching with his mom and grandma .... "So, I'm one of the best people to play "Wheel of Fortune," he says.

Blac Youngsta is either clueless or he's gonna have a wave of hate coming his way from Young Dolph fans after posing next to a tomb with the late rapper's name on it in a new music video.

Youngsta -- who was a known enemy of Dolph -- released the video for his song "Im Assuming" Monday, filmed almost entirely in a cemetery. While it's very brief, around the 1-minute-mark of the video, you see the last name Thornton on the tomb he's rapping in front of ... Dolph's real name was Adolph Thornton Jr.

While the song's lyrics don't seem to directly talk about Dolph's death, they're certainly violent -- "I been a street n**** that murder s*** ... I'm on the verge, 'bout to purge with the young n*****. They stackin' bodies."

Blac Youngsta and Young Dolph had a very nasty history, back in 2017 BY turned himself in to cops investigating a Dolph shooting in Charlotte ... and he was also named a person of interest when Dolph was shot in L.A. later that year.

Charges against BY in the Charlotte case -- where more than 100 rounds were fired into an SUV Dolph was traveling in -- were dropped for lack of evidence.