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Journey's co-founding guitarist, George Tickner, is dead ... according to his former bandmate, Neal Schon.

Schon, Journey's longtime lead guitarist, announced Tickner's passing Thursday with a social media post saying, "Journey Junkies, I have some very sad news. George Tickner, Journey’s original rhythm guitarist and songwriting contributor on their first three albums, has passed away."

He added, "Our condolences to his family and friends, and to all past and present band members. So heartbreaking. I think we need to do a group hug."

Tickner was the original rhythm guitarist, when he formed Journey in 1973 ... along with Schon and bassist Ross Valory.

Interestingly, he bowed out of the band in 1975 -- before they became hitmakers, selling more than 100 million records -- because he wanted to pursue a career in medicine, and he was serious about it. George earned a scholarship to attend Stanford Medical School.

He never fully gave up on music, though ... he was reportedly writing and doing local performances as a hobby.

George rejoined his Journey bandmates -- and subsequent members like Steve Perry -- back in 2005 when the group got its star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That's him rocking that sweet handlebar mustache.

Prior to Journey, George was a member of Frumious Bandersnatch, a psychedelic rock band formed in Berkeley in the late '60s.

Neal's post didn't mention a cause of death. George was 76.

Things are heating up for Nelly again, 'cause the dude's about to get a helluva lot richer after selling the rights to half of the music he's cranked out ... including his biggest hits.

Sources close to the rapper tell TMZ ... Nelly secured a $50 million deal for 50% ownership over his entire catalog -- which includes 8 albums and a ton of #1 singles that helped define pop culture in the 2000s.

We're told Nelly is teaming up with a company called HarbourView Equity Partners for this, which is forking over the dough to lock up some of his best-known songs ... such as, "Ride Wit Me," "Dilemma" and of course, "Hot in Herre." Obviously they're getting more than just that ... but those tracks are, by and large, the ones Nelly's perhaps best-known for.

In fact, a couple of these songs won him Grammys -- he snagged a statuette in 2003 for "Dilemma" (Best Rap/Sung Performance) and another that same year for "Hot in Herre" (Best Male Rap Solo Performance). He has another Grammy to his name for "Shake Ya Tailfeather."

No word yet on which parts of Nelly's catalog -- besides the above-mentioned singles -- now belong to HarbourView ... but considering the wide range of tunes he has under his belt ... you gotta figure there's more goodies in the vault that they'll now have a claim to.

It's a lot of money, obviously -- so it's great news for Nelly. Interestingly enough, things are going swimmingly for Nelly in other departments of his life ... including his business ventures, like his alcohol brand, MoShine.

Plus, he's not even done making music at this point in his career ... the guy produced a full-on country album, "Heartland," in 2021 -- and we're hearing part 2's on the horizon as well.

India.Arie doesn't like the fact Megan Thee Stallion and Janelle Monáe show off a lot of skin during their performances -- but that criticism has the Internet ripping her as a boomer.

The veteran neo-soul singer issued a scathing rebuke of the 2 artists' live-show choices -- namely, their tendency to bare their bodies onstage ... which was again on display this past weekend during Essence Festival, where both MTS and JM grabbed the mic.

Their respective sets went viral ... in Janelle's case, it was because she ended up flashing the audience -- revealing her right breast (which had a nipple pasty). She's had a habit lately of dropping her top, but has said she feels comfortable in her own skin.

As for Meg, she didn't really do anything too crazy ... just a little twerking of her booty, which she always incorporates into her routines, and for which she's kinda become famous.

In any case, India wasn't feeling the perceived peep show they put on, and she sounded off about it on IG, saying ... "The issue is what is CONTEXT. Humanity does EVERYTHING. But does EVERYTHING BELONG IN A STAGE. No. is everything for KIDS? No."

She continues, "So when we as a culture make something like this mainstream -- it shows a lack of discretion and discernment. To those in the comments who laugh at anyone who wants these things for our culture, you certainly have that right."

India adds this though ... "Just as many folks have the right to want our MAINSTREAM International export -- our Music -- to show us in a respectful light. I'd like to on the record saying: this wont age well and that's my issue." She finishes by saying she loves Janelle and Meg, but just not how they're choosing to express themselves in this regard.

Her critique, although somewhat apologetic, is getting roasted by fans dropping memes and GIFs mocking India.

Essentially, she's getting branded a prude and an old head, who should keep her comments to herself ... and let the younguns live!

Taylor Swift fans overseas are crossing their fingers for an email from Ticketmaster, letting them know if one of her concerts will be in their future ... and there's reason to worry after last year's ticket sales fiasco.

Swifties looking to attend one of the singer's shows in places like London, Dublin, and Liverpool are supposed to be getting a drop in their inbox Wednesday, informing them if they'll get a code to buy tickets or be put on a waiting list.

Ticketmaster's made it clear ... seats will be sold on a "first come first serve basis" for those blessed with codes.

Folks with the golden email can only scoop up 4 seats, and they'll get their unique code sent to them the evening before their show's tickets go on sale -- tickets for Dublin go on sale next week and other concerts follow according to date.

As we reported, fans were furious back in November when the public sale for Taylor's US leg of the Eras Tour was canceled, following a mad scramble for tickets, and major scalper interference that inflated prices to as much as $20k a pop. Oh, and the site crashed.

Taylor dragged Ticketmaster after the mess, echoing what a lot of her fans had already complained about. The company was even hit with a lawsuit and had to answer to Congress.

An incredibly rare piece of Jimi Hendrix's music history could be yours ... that is if ya have a fortune!

The legendary musician's 1961 Epiphone Wilshire guitar is up for sale through Moments in Time, and the mahogany-bodied instrument has a $1.25 mil price tag attached to it.

The piece holds a lot of significance ... when Jimi was discharged from the army back in 1962; he traded in his Danelectro for the Wilshire -- only paying $65 bucks for it.

Jimi played the Wilshire in his early days with his group, The King Kasuals ... marking it as one of the first guitars in his professional career!

The guitar was last seen on the open market back in 2008, and now Moments in Time is selling it on behalf of a private collector.

Adele has had it with everything from cellphones to ashes being hurled on stage at singers during their concerts, and she has threatened her fans with death if they follow suit!!!

The famed singer seems to have a new schtick .... stopping the concert to talk about stuff that's bubbling up in pop culture. The latest ... a spate of incidents that have actually caused injury.

Adele was in the middle of her Vegas residency at Caesar's when she dared the audience to toss any item in her direction.

She groused, "Throwing s**t on stage, have you seen them? I f**king dare you. I dare you to throw something at me. I'll f**king kill you!"

Turnabout, however, seems to be fair play in Adele's world, because she fired off her t-shirt cannon into the crowd.

As you know, Bebe Rexha was badly hurt recently when a fan pitched a cell phone at her that landed smack on her face, cutting an area above her eye. She was forced to stop the show.

And someone bizarrely tossed a bag of her mom's ashes on stage during a Pink concert.

Adele has clearly had it with the trend, although to be fair, singers have kind of encouraged some of it by taking selfies with cell phones that have been thrown on stage.

Britney Spears hasn't seen her kids in well over a year, a timeline that could grow even longer ... because TMZ has learned Kevin Federline won't force his boys to see their mom before taking off to Hawaii.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Britney and Kevin's boys -- Sean Preston and Jayden -- will make their own decisions on whether they'll say their goodbyes to their mom before the move in August. Our sources say the boys haven't yet decided what they'll do.

As for Kevin, we're told he is encouraging his boys to see Britney ... but he isn't going to make the decision for them, and won't force them to visit Brit if they're not up for it.

TMZ broke the story, Kevin's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan sent a letter to Britney's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, in May -- asking if she'd be willing to let the boys relocate to Hawaii with Kevin and his wife, Victoria Prince.

Kevin needed Britney's approval to take them off the mainland and even put a deadline on the response. Rosengart answered with a few days to spare, confirming Britney wouldn't fight the relocation ... giving them the green light for the move.

Taylor Swift once had a wardrobe whoopsie eerily similar to Marilyn Monroe's famous blowing-dress moment -- something that, until now, could only be viewed from one side.

Diehard Swifites will likely remember this well ... back in 2011 -- on the heels of Taylor releasing her OG 'Speak Now' album -- she went on tour at the young age of 21 ... when she had essentially reached pop star status and her fame was absolutely skyrocketing.

Along the way, she stopped off in St. Louis for one of her shows ... and during her performance, a gust of wind shot up onstage and started taking her blue dress with it.

Taylor was able to get a handle on things before it became too embarrassing ... and she played it off like a pro, getting right back to singing/acting like nothing had happened. This moment -- which went viral at the time -- was captured on video ... albeit, from the back.

Yes, her undies flashed a bit -- but her quick hands managed to avoid exposing her frontside ... which was actually captured by a (longtime) front row fan at the time, who snapped what can only be described as an iconic shot, especially when you see how it sizes up to Marilyn.

TMZ has obtained the photo ... and it's truly something to behold, in a good way of course. The image is a little fuzzy, but hey -- the technology back then was what it was, y'all.

Anyway, as you can see ... she's bent forward, with her left hand covering the dress and the mic in the other hand. Indeed, her pose here is just like the one MM struck in 'The Seven Year Itch' -- when she stood over a subway grate and a gust of wind shot up into her outfit.

The resemblance of the two frames is uncanny -- and considering how big Taylor has gone on to be ... you could maybe even argue it was destiny, seeing how it happened naturally.

The best part of revisiting this time is that Taylor is actually on the verge of re-releasing 'Speak Now' (Taylor's Version) some 13 years later ... so, it marks an anniversary of sorts!

Lil Nas X is the latest celeb to have crap thrown at them in the middle of a performance -- but, fortunately, this one amounted to more laughs than bruises.

The rapper was performing at the European Lollapalooza in Stockholm Saturday, and right in the middle of one of his songs -- a loose item sailed in the air and landed at his feet. Nas X stopped the show and bent down to see what it was ... as it turns, it was a sex toy.

Then came his obvious question ... "Who threw they p**** onstage?" The reason he's asking that is because is something that's meant to mimic a vagina -- yep, we're going there!

Anyway ... it was no harm, no foul in the end. Nas X wasn't hit, and it doesn't seem like the interruption sidelined the show at all ... like we said, it amounted to more comedy than anything else -- but this is still very much part of a larger trend that's becoming concerning.

Bebe Rexha's phone-to-face incident certainly stands out as one of the more gruesome acts of stage chucking that have gone down recently -- but she's far from the only one who's had to deal with intrusive fans in the crowd. It's a thing lately ... and it's not great long-term.

Shania Twain had a moment during her concert in Chicago Saturday night …she tripped and fell on her butt, but made a quick recovery and finished strong.

The country music legend was belting out her tune, "Don’t Be Stupid,” at Credit Union 1 Amphitheater in Tinley Park when she wiped out while walking across the stage.

The video, obtained by TMZ, captured the moment Shania tumbled to the floor, but she kept singing, jumped back up to her feet and polished off the song.

We're told Shania did not look injured at all ... and she continued performing without taking a break.

Eyewitnesses also tell us the packed crowd did not react when Shania took her spill ... apparently because she seemed totally fine.

It pays to be a Travis Scott fan in the front row, especially if you can match his energy and recite his lyrics -- 'cause the dude might just throw you a bone ... like he did for this bloke.

The rapper was overseas this weekend, performing at Rolling Loud in the Netherlands ... where he was at a 10 in terms of the hype and throttle. At one point during his set, he came down to the front row to mingle with the crowd, and one dude caught his eye.

The reason ... this fella was rapping TS's own lyrics right back to him, seemingly perfectly and just as animated as Travis too -- almost like they were mirroring each other, really.

Watch what happens next ... Trav appears to be impressed by the fact that the fan was able to keep up, so he rewards him on the spot. He literally yanks his shirt off -- an unreleased "Utopia" tee, it seems -- and hands it to the kid ... and ditto for the shoes off his feet.

You can see a bunch of others in the immediate area trying to get their grubby paws on the stuff, but Travis makes sure it gets into the hands of the person it was all intended for.

BTW, the shoes also appear to be fairly unique -- not only are they Jordans that Travis had personally worn, but they seem to be similar (if not identical) to the custom "Utopia" Nike sneakers that he was recently rocking ... when he had his album handcuffed to a bodyguard.

This Dutch dude posted photos of the merch afterward and said it was the greatest night of his life. He got a 1-on-1 with his idol -- but more importantly, he's got valuable collectibles.

Jason Derulo knows the dangers of fans chucking crap onstage all too well ... and he says it's up to artists to put their foot down to make it stop.

Jason hit Barnes and Noble in NYC Wednesday to promote his new book "Sing Your Name Out Loud: 15 Rules for Living Your Dream" ... and gave his take on why he thinks there's recently been an increase in objects flung at performers.

Jason says the whole thing started with fans tossing their phones at the stage in hopes their favorite artist would snap a pic using the device. After a bunch of performers actually did start taking photos, it gave way to more phones being thrown ... with a mix of other random stuff.

Jason says it's up to performers to stop engaging with the items being thrown ... which will hopefully stop all the madness.

As we reported, Bebe Rexha got nailed in the face by a fan's phone at a show earlier this month, ending up with a black eye and some stitches. The fan was eventually charged for the stunt.

We've since seen Ava Max slapped by a fan while performing, and even Kelsea Ballerini took a bracelet to the face at a recent concert.

Charlie Puth even took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the recent incidents and said, "This trend of throwing things at performers while they are on stage must come to an end. (Bebe, Ava, AND NOW Kelsea Ballerini…) It's so disrespectful and very dangerous. Please just enjoy the music I beg of you…"

Mike Posner is one of the healthiest dudes in entertainment, but his secret to staying fit isn't about piling it on in the gym ... it's all about sprouts!!!

We spoke with Mike at LAX, where he gave out some really simple pointers which he says not only helped him get super ripped ... but also maintain his toned body.

Mike tells us his number one tip is sprouts -- Mike grows and eats his own product -- and says it's as easy as it sounds ... you don't even need a green thumb.

As far as his own regimen, Mike says he cultivates sprouts of all sorts, and goes outside every day to move his body.

Of course, this is all coming from the guy with an impressive athletic resume. You'll recall, he climbed Mount Everest back in 2021 ... telling us, he wanted to complete the amazing feat so he didn't become a "fat, old, white guy."

Madonna is not out of the woods after being hospitalized for a serious bacterial infection ... we're told she's still bedridden and people around her think she's in no shape to kick off her world tour.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Madonna's been vomiting uncontrollably since being discharged from the hospital, and the infection is still wreaking havoc on her body.

We're told Madonna is still too sick to even get out of her bed at her New York City apartment ... where she's been recovering since Wednesday night, when she was released from the hospital following a multiday stay in the ICU.

When Madonna was taken to the hospital Saturday with a serious bacterial infection, we're told she was metaphorically "kicking and screaming" ... protesting the decision to send her there.

Our source say Madonna's assistant was with her when she collapsed last Saturday, and that's when the uncontrollable vomiting began.

As we previously reported ... Madonna was dealing with a fever for more than a month leading up to her hospitalization, keeping it a secret from everyone. We're told she was afraid if she sought medical care, it might jeopardize the tour, which she's been working so hard to prepare for and posting behind the scenes shots of. The delay made the infection far worse.

Madonna's longtime manager Guy Oseary is already hinting her upcoming tour will be delayed -- her first concert was scheduled for July 15 -- but we're told no final decision has been made by her manager or agent.

For her part, our sources say Madonna wants the tour to go on as planned ... but everyone close to her is advising she press pause and allow her body to recover.

Madonna battled a low-grade fever for a month before her body could no longer take it, collapsing and needing serious medical care ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ, Madonna mostly ignored her symptoms and never got checked out by a doctor because she was laser focused on rehearsing for her upcoming tour ... working her butt off to get ready to perform.

Our sources confirm the Page Six report Madonna collapsed before she was rushed to the hospital Saturday, where she ended up spending days in the intensive care unit. We're told her doctors believe the unreported fever was a sign of the infection, which worsened because it was left untreated.

While our sources say Madonna is doing better and is expected to recover from the non-life-threatening illness ... there's still concern for the "Vogue" singer.

We're told Madonna's doctors, and those around her, are worried she's going to go against doctor's orders and push to start her world tour ASAP ... even though she's going to be required to rest up and recover for a while.

Our sources feel Madonna is going to want to get back to work too soon and go on tour, which could cause more health issues. We've confirmed Madonna is back home after being released from the hospital ... she was discharged Wednesday night and is recovering at her New York City residence.

Madonna's longtime talent manager Guy Oseary says her health is improving, but we're told the infection is more serious than is being let on and it got worse because of her nonstop work schedule.

Madonna is back home and recovering after a serious bacterial infection sent her to an ICU, but there's still a large looming question as to when her highly anticipated tour will kick off.

The "Vogue" singer is reportedly on the mend and feeling better after her recent health issue ... reports Thursday from both BBC and CNN site a source saying Madonna is "in the clear."

As we reported ... Madonna's longtime manager Guy Oseary announced Wednesday she had been hospitalized in the ICU over the weekend after developing a serious bacterial infection.

Madonna's manager says her health is improving and a full recovery is expected.

However, Madonna's "Celebration" world tour is being postponed ... she was supposed to kick off the tour July 15 in Vancouver, but now it's in a holding pattern with a new start date and rescheduled concerts to be announced.