TMZ.com

Kelsea Ballerini opened up the CMT Music Awards with a powerful speech ... a very personal tribute to the victims of the Nashville Covenant School shooting, and one that brought her to tears.

The country music star got emotional Sunday night as she opened the award show in Austin, Texas ... calling out the names of the 6 victims of Audrey Hale's rampage.

Kelsea started to break down when she added, "The community of sorrow over this and the 130 mass shootings in the U.S. this year alone stretches from coast to coast."

And, then she shared her own up close experience with gun violence in schools -- Kelsea recalled, "I wanted to personally stand up here and share this moment because on Aug. 21, 2008, I watched Ryan McDonald, my 15-year-old classmate at Central High School, lose his life to a gun in our cafeteria."

McDonald was fatally shot by a classmate at Kelsea's high school in Knoxville, TN -- it happened in a crowded cafeteria, in full view of several other students ... including Kelsea.

She hosted the CMTs with Kane Brown, and went on to dedicate the broadcast to the growing list of families, friends, survivors, witnesses and responders whose lives have been changed by such violence.

Madonna's oldest brother, Anthony Ciccone, died from several health issues ... including cancer.

According to the death certificate, obtained by TMZ, Anthony died from a combination of respiratory failure and throat cancer.

The specific type is oropharyngeal cancer, which is often caused by smoking ... and the document says tobacco use contributed to Anthony's death.

TMZ broke the story ... Anthony was getting treatment at a Michigan nursing facility when he died in February at age 66, with Madonna footing the bill. Anthony had his feeding/breathing tubes removed two days before he passed, even though he knew doing so would have dire consequences.

Madonna actually shows up on the death certificate ... that was the first name of their mother. The doc also says Anthony has since been cremated.

Remember ... Anthony reportedly suffered from alcoholism, which led to homelessness, and his relationship with his famous younger sister was challenging.

Rihanna's doing it all ... embracing motherhood while also working overtime on her career -- no easy feat when you consider the hours she's putting in, but her son's along for the ride.

Mama Rih was cradling her baby boy Thursday morning, fresh out of a photo shoot that lasted from 7 PM to 7 AM ... according to a photo agency. We're told she arrived the exact same way she left, with her sleeping child in her arms.

We don't know what the shoot was for, but it's possible the baby was included.

RiRi, who is expecting her second child, was also accompanied by another pal and her bestie Melissa ... so, looks like she might have some childcare assistance while on set.

TMZ broke the story ... Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcomed their first child in May of 2022.

You'll recall, she made a surprising reveal for baby #2 during her Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.

She's had a busy year, professionally ... in addition to the Super Bowl, she recently performed her Oscar-nominated song from 'Wakanda Forever' during the 95th Academy Award.

Billie Eilish isn't letting mother nature rain out her parade -- when a severe storm forced her to cancel a show in Mexico, Billie played on with an acoustic set for her drenched fans.

The singer hit the stage at the Foro Sol CDMX Wednesday night in Mexico City ... the latest stop on her Happier Than Ever Tour -- but instead of performing her usual concert, Billie announced she had to switch things up.

She told the crowd she'd be unable to perform due to the heavy rain ... and she'd been told everyone had to go home.

Clearly, though, Billie wasn't leaving that easily.

She told fans, "I thought it was stupid for me to leave without coming out saying thank you for being here, and standing in the f***ing pouring rain." Then she added she was still going to sing a few songs acoustically if the fans were down.

Of course, it wasn't the show anyone had planned ... but the mini-show seemed to go over well with fans as they cheered and sang along with Billie. She promised to make up the full concert at a later date. It's now been announced the rescheduled concert will be Thursday night.

Billie was joined onstage by her brother and music partner Finneas O'Connell ... who strummed an acoustic guitar as she sang her heart out.

Bhad Bhabie and her mom have come a long way since Dr. Phil, but not that far -- on her 20th birthday she's still living up to her moniker by shaking what her momma gave her ... for her momma!!!

A source close to the family tells TMZ ... Bhad Bhabie, aka Danielle Bregoli, turned 20 on March 26, and to celebrate she flew private to her home in Florida ... where she was surrounded by close friends and family, and ready to really cut loose.

We're told the birthday shindig was an intimate gathering at her home ... which, included her mom Barbara, her mom’s friend and BB's friends. As you can see, the birthday girl was rocking a pink bikini and was NOT shy about showing off her dance moves for mom.

Up close and, seemingly, too personal for Barbara!

Guess you could say we caught Bhad Bhabie outside, putting on a show by the pool ... bending over in her swimsuit and putting her butt cells in motion.

At one point, she puts her leg across the chair where Barbara is seated and continues twerking. How 'bout dat?!?

While her mom doesn't seem to be moved by the show, she says ... "She didn't learn this from me because I don't know how to do it."

Screw birthday cake candles -- nearly seven years post-Dr. Phil, Bhad Bhabie's still doing it her way!!!

Taylor Swift took home top honors during iHeartRadio's big award show -- and while her acceptance speeches were touching ... it was her wardrobe that really drew eyes.

The pop star won Song of the Year and the Innovator Award Monday night, and in both instances ... she delivered some powerful remarks about what it takes to stand out and succeed in the music biz -- noting that the formula of a hit song isn't cut and dry.

Of course, she was talking about her fan fave track "Anti-Hero" -- picking out certain lyrics, words like "narcissism" and "altruism," as examples that not everything has to be so catchy and cookie-cuter ... arguing that artists can be real with their art.

Her Innovator Award speech was similar ... TayTay said she'd made a lot of bad choices in her life, but those had led her to make good ones ... including some that have spurred her to activism in the LGBT community and elsewhere, which was highlighted in the lead-up.

Now, we're sorta burying the lead here ... namely, TS was rocking an interesting getup for Monday's ceremony. It was a sparkly jumpsuit that was complete with a hood over her head that kinda made her look like a hip teen stuck in their backpack hip-hop phase.

Okay, maybe the fashion isn't the lead, but she looked cool in the hood. Hell, Lenny Kravitz was impressed.

Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean is hitting pause on his marriage, separating from his wife, but not divorcing ... TMZ has learned.

AJ and Rochelle DeAnna McLean tell TMZ ... "Marriage is hard, but worth it. We have mutually decided to separate temporarily to work on ourselves, and on our marriage with the hope of building a stronger future."

They continue, "The plan is to come back together and continue to nurture our love for one another, and our family. We ask for respect and privacy at this time.

Separation is hard enough without the commentary, please be kind and remember there are children involved."

AJ and Rochelle tied the knot back in 2011 after 6 years of dating ... saying "I Do" at the Beverly Hills Hotel with the rest of his Backstreet Boys crew in attendance.

Here's Dan Reynolds dancing his face off on the high seas ... and the video is awesome!!!

The Imagine Dragons front man clearly had a blast onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise from Los Angeles to Los Cabos ... showing off his moves on the dance floor as the DJ played hits from Jay Z and Kanye West, David Guetta and Chris Brown.

As you can see, the dance floor wasn't always packed ... but Dan wasn't shy about cutting a rug. He's mostly dancing by himself, but did find himself in the middle of a circle at one point and appeared to chat up some fans too.

Dan's been the talk of the Internet lately after showing off his muscular body during a recent concert ... and while he sadly doesn't go topless in this portion of the video, you can still see his ripped physique under his tank top.

We're told the cruise set sail Wednesday and Dan tore up the dance floor Thursday night ... but now the ship's coming back to port today after making stops in Ensenada and Cabo.

Motown singer Martha Reeves is once again calling out around the world ... hoping fans will help her secure the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that was supposed to be hers 2 years ago.

The "Dancing in the Streets" singer was selected by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce back in 2021 after getting nominated by a former manager -- and she was clearly honored, saying at the time, "My wildest dreams are coming true."

But, the WoF plaque costs about $55K, and Martha didn't have that kinda cash-on-hand, according to Detroit Free Press. Costs for the hardware and ceremony are often covered by a record label or some studio, but the stars weren't aligning this time around.

Martha says her now-former manager assured her the funding was secured ... but that's not how it went down -- now, her new manager, Chris Roe, has launched a public campaign to raise funding before the June deadline.

Chris claims Martha's old manager didn't realize how tough it would be to get the job done, noting they "wasted a year of fundraising time." Regardless, he's gunning toward the $55K mark, working with corporations and private benefactors to hit the goal.

BTW -- Chris has successfully done campaigns for the WOF before ... with celebs like Malcolm McDowell in 2012 and George Romero in 2017, who sadly died before getting to see the honor set in stone.

As for Martha, she's also well deserving of the honor -- for those unaware, she's the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas, cranking out over a dozen hits during their long-running success. Her group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, and she's celebrating 60 years in Motown this year.

Taylor Swift continues to blow fans away with one of the most well-received concert tours in years ... and this time a Mumford gave her an assist!

Taylor took her Eras Tour to Vegas Saturday night and the Allegiant Stadium was packed to the gills.

During her long set, she brought up a surprise guest -- Marcus Mumford.  The 2 performed "Cowboy Like Me,' with Taylor taking the lead and Marcus doing backup.

The fans were rabid, waiting more than 3 hours in line to buy some Swift merch. As for ticket prices ... well, an obstructed view seat on the secondary market went for north of $2k. Some of the premium tickets were topping $20k!!!

The concert, in which Taylor performs for hours without a break, has drawn high praise from the likes of former NFL star J.J. Watt, who was blown away at her kickoff concert in Glendale (aka Swift City) concert in Arizona.

Kanye West says he's done a 180 on his views about Jewish people and is no longer an antisemite -- thanks to actor Jonah Hill.

The rapper took to Instagram Friday night to announce that he was watching the 2012 film, "21 Jump Street," starring Hill and Channing Tatum, when he had his epiphany about the Jewish race.

Kanye said, "Watching Jonah Hill in 21 jump street made me like Jewish people again. No one should take anger against one or two individuals and transform that into hatred towards millions of innocent people."

He continued, "No Christian can be labeled antisemite knowing Jesus is Jew. Thank you Jonah Hill. I love you."

Kanye's statements are hard to swallow, given his recent professed love for Hitler. He went on a prolonged, scorched earth campaign against Jews as he alluded to issues he had with some execs in the music biz.

And, it was all very ugly. Kanye went on "Infowars" hosted by conspiracy nut Alex Jones and praised Hitler and the Nazis. Ye also hung out with white nationalist Nick Fuentes and the two even flew to Mar-a-Lago for an infamous dinner hosted by Donald Trump.

During an interview with Piers Morgan, Kanye doubled down on his antisemitic remarks, but clarified that he was only referring to Jews who had done him wrong. This was in reference to an earlier remark he made about going "death con 3" on Jews. Again, hardcore antisemite.

His comments led to a crushing downfall. Kanye became a pariah of sorts within Hollywood and the music industry. His close friends dropped him like a bad habit. And he lost major business deals with Adidas and Balenciaga.

He also had his honorary college degree ripped from him by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A watchdog group called StopAntisemitism named Kanye "Antisemite of the Year" in 2022.

Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton's duet is inappropriate for elementary school kids to sing ... at least according to a Wisconsin principal who's banning "Rainbowland" from a spring concert.

Here's the deal ... first-grade students at Heyer Elementary in Waukesha started the week preparing for their upcoming concert, with "Rainbowland" as part of the initial setlist.

The song was played in the first-grade class Monday, but by Tuesday the principal sent an email to the music teacher informing her Miley and Dolly's 2017 duet was no longer allowed.

Some parents say their children came home upset Wednesday after learning they couldn't sing it ... with the kids wondering why it was a big deal.

Superintendent Jim Sebert told multiple news outlets "Rainbowland" was dropped because it "could be perceived as controversial" according to recent school policies.

The song is from Miley's album "Younger Now" ... and she's said it was inspired by the paint in her recording studio. Dolly says the track is about "hope and positivity in dark times."

Some of the lyrics are, "Living in a Rainbowland/ The skies are blue and things are grand/ Wouldn't it be nice to live in paradise/ Where we're free to be exactly who we are."

While both singers have openly supported the LGTBQ community, neither has said the song has any intentional connection to it.

The superintendent told local news outlets, "The main question was is the song appropriate for the age level and maturity of the students."

Chaka Khan's celebrating her 70th birthday, and she can still turn up like her heyday in the '70s and '80s ... and she did with an assist from fellow icon, Stevie Wonder!

Chaka held court for her celebration Thursday night at Vortex recording studio in Hollywood, partying with a couple hundred guests who joined Stevie in singing happy birthday -- his version, of course.

Once Stevie got behind the keyboard the party was in full swing -- he and Chaka did her hit, "Tell Me Something Good" ... and then they belted out one of his Motown classics, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered."

Looks like Mr. Wonder worked up quite the appetite during the festivities ... we hear from folks inside the event, he brought in Chick-fil-A for his entourage, which he definitely enjoyed.

Joni Mitchell's another legend who came out to honor Chaka ... along with comedian Mike Epps, and later in the night Tiffany Haddish jumped on stage too.

Tiff got the band fired up to play "Proud Mary," as she belted out the lyrics and even attempted some of Tina Turner's moves.

SZA celebrated the end of her month-long tour Thursday night with a star-studded performance in L.A. ... but it was J Lo who really stole the show with her crazy dance moves.

Jenny from the Block gave everyone a crash course on how to cut loose to the music of SZA, who was joined by Lizzo and Phoebe Bridgers on stage at the Kia Theatre.

Check out video, obtained by TMZ, showing J Lo shaking her booty while wrapped in a huge fur coat and sporting cool shades. We're told J Lo was also twerking at one point.

It appears Ben took the night off and stayed home 'cause he was nowhere in sight.

Meanwhile, Jeffree Star made a cameo appearance, dropping in with some friends to watch the concert. The makeup guru kept it low-key, chatting with his posse and enjoying all the entertainment.

At two points during the show, SZA shared the spotlight with Phoebe and Lizzo, each singing one song with the R&B superstar. Phoebe cranked out SZA's "Ghost in the Machine" while Lizzo performed her own tune, "Special."

Sam Asghari wants to star in a movie opposite Britney Spears ... and he thinks they would be the perfect fit for an action comedy.

We got Sam at LAX on Thursday and he was just getting back home from filming a project ... so naturally our photog asked him if he would ever want to act with his wife.

Sam says Britney's a great actress and he for sure wants to team up with her on the big screen ... and it sounds like he's already got some ideas for potential projects.

Britney obviously loves to dance, and Sam thinks her natural athletic ability makes her the perfect candidate for an action comedy ... which he seems to prefer over a rom-com.

The way Sam envisions it ... he and Britney could both do their own stunts, and he's seeing lots of action and fight scenes where they both kick some serious ass.

But before the perfect script comes along, Sam says Britney's excited about visiting him on his current film set ... he says he's in L.A. during a break in filming.

CeeLo Green intended to make a memorable entrance into a birthday party honoring Shawty Lo, and memorable it was ... for all the wrong reasons.

CeeLo was in attendance for Shawty's bday bash at The Bank in ATL Wednesday and decided he'd join the party on horseback. You can see from the jump, the horse is nervous around the crowd and lights -- as employees try to get the animal steady -- then all hell breaks loose.

The horse jolts around, and its legs slip on the tile floor, causing the animal to buckle -- and sending CeeLo to the ground in the process.

Luckily no one was hurt, and CeeLo made a quick recovery, getting back up onto his feet to enjoy the rest of the party.

Of course, folks on social media had a field day with the whole thing ... quickly posting the moment and joking about his fall from grace.

As you know, Shawty Lo, whose birthday is March 22, died in a car crash back in 2016 ... but his friends and loved ones still gather to remember and celebrate his legacy.

They might also want to take the time to remember horses are likely better left outside.