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Eddie Van Halen's musical genius is unquestioned -- turns out the guy was a bit of a design wiz too, and the nuts and bolts of his iconic inventions could soon be yours to own.

Memorabilia collector Eric Kuck tells TMZ ... he owns an original U.S. patent Eddie submitted in 1985. It includes a mockup Eddie submitted for his "musical instrument support" device, which is really just a guitar body rest that allowed him to free up both hands.

Kuck says he's got the OG drawings -- which are very detailed and totally rad -- plus the certificate of authenticity with Eddie's John Hancock ... so folks know it's legit.

Kuck's planning to sell it in a silent auction at his brother's Tampa-area business, Carrollwood Fine Wine and Spirits -- bidding goes from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15.

Ideally, Kuck wants someone from Eddie's own family to score his treasure. He would be willing to work with the Van Halen family on an agreement if they were interested.

As for how much the patent docs could fetch, Kuck tells us the sky's the limit ... especially since Eddie passed away just last week after a long battle with cancer. FWIW, Kuck says he paid $800 for the paperwork about 15 years ago through an auction ... obviously, it'd be worth a lot more now.

Demi Lovato's would-be groom is pouring his heart out on wax ... with a love song about the first time he met her ... something we're guessing ain't gonna please his ex-fiancee.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Max Ehrich is dropping a new single Friday, and it's all about his relationship with Demi.

We're told the tune is about the night he met Demi, and it tells the story of his inner dialogue -- being terrified of falling in love with her because he knew their relationship was the real deal.

Our sources say Max's song also touches on him falling for Demi right off the bat, and he sings about how he couldn't sleep because he knew he wanted to be with her forever.

As you know ... things didn't work out between them, and Demi recently leaked a song about their breakup. For his part ... well, he went ham, first saying she never really broke up with him because he learned about it in the tabloids, and then somehow invoking Jeffrey Epstein's name in their relationship.

It's interesting ... we're told Max recorded the song in quarantine, in a makeshift studio inside the home he was living in with Demi. So, exactly when did he write this song?

Max's album won't come out until next year -- he signed a music production deal last October before he started dating Demi and finished the second half of the album after meeting her -- but our sources say he wants to drop the single now because of how he feels.

Max's track is set to debut on all streaming services.

As we reported ... Max spent part of his weekend sulking on Malibu beach where he proposed to Demi ... he calls it a "healing experience."

Our sources say Max still loves Demi and while he's doing all he can to move forward, the split's been very painful for him.

Rihanna isn't rocking with anyone who is NOT on the Lakers wagon ... but for those who are, she's got a tune for ya.

RiRi and her crew belted out "We Are the Champions" Sunday night to celebrate the Lakers bringing home their 17th NBA championship -- and while it might seem cliché for most people ... she makes it awesome.

Rihanna went with a classic yellow Kobe Bryant #24 jersey, and accessorized with purple and gold balloons for her Lake Show party. It's unclear where this bash went down, but looks like she was next to an RV.

She captioned her video, "if you ain’t on this time right now...bye. Lebron remains king 💪🏿 Lakers are the champs 💜💛 and Kobe is proud 🙏🏿 A.D thank you! #🏆 #Congratulations."

Meanwhile ... Dr. Dre -- a huge Lakers fan -- was hanging out with Rick Ross, a huge Heat fan. The Doc couldn't help himself but give The Boss a hard time after the Lakers wrapped up the series, 4 games to 2. Dre reminded Rick, "That's what it is! The Lake Show!"

Poor Rick, all he could do was sit there and take it. We don't know if these guys had money on the game, but if so ... they can both afford to pay up.

The Wanted's Tom Parker has been diagnosed with brain cancer ... and doctors say he has an inoperable tumor.

The boy band singer made the revelation over the weekend, saying doctors confirmed he had a brain tumor known as a grade four glioblastoma -- which is terminal and beyond a cure. He says doctors characterized it as "the worst case scenario."

Parker addressed fans directly -- after breaking the news in an OK interview -- taking to IG to express his dismay, but to also ask for positivity rather than sadness. He writes, "There’s no easy way to say this but I’ve sadly been diagnosed with a Brain Tumour and I’m already undergoing treatment. We decided, after a lot of thought, that rather than hiding away and trying to keep it a secret, we would do one interview where we could lay out all the details and let everyone know the facts in our own way."

TP adds, "We are all absolutely devastated but we are gonna fight this all the way. We don’t want your sadness, we just want love and positivity and together we will raise awareness of this terrible disease and look for all available treatment options. It’s gonna be a tough battle but with everyone’s love and support we are going to beat this. Tom and Kelsey."

Tom and his wife, Kelsey, have a daughter ... and are currently expecting a second child. As for how long doctors estimate he has left, Kelsey says she asked them not to disclose it ... because she feared it would put a clock on things and only depress them.

Eddie Van Halen's wife is heartbroken over the death of her life partner ... as is the rest of the rock world, who are sharing personal tributes to the late, great guitar legend.

Janie Liszewski posted a remembrance Wednesday, writing ... "My husband, my love, my Peep." She adds, "My heart and soul have been shattered into a million pieces. I never knew it was possible to cry so many tears or feel such incredible sadness. Our journey together has not always been an easy one but in the end and always we have a connection."

She went on to say their love will stay alive. She said instead of saying goodbye ... she'll simply say "so long," as she hopes they'll meet again in heaven one day. Janie also asks Eddie to watch over her and their shared Pomeranian pooch, Kody.

Janie's been with Eddie 11 years now -- they got hitched in 2009. Prior to that, he was married to Valerie Bertinelli for over 20 years ... who also posted in his honor.

Other salutes have been pouring in from rock icons from the same era and beyond -- including messages from Gene Simmons, who called Eddie a "Superhero," adding he's "heartbroken." Ozzy Osbourne said Eddie "Made it look so easy," and his former bandmate Sammy Hagar, said he was "heartbroken and speechless."

Other tributes came in from Nikki Sixx, Flea, Paul Stanley, Geezer Butler, Billy Idol, Keith Urban, Tony Iommi, Pantera, Pearl Jam and so many other acts. They all had kind words to share, most touched on the fact that Eddie was a trailblazer and an inspiration for their own careers.

Moreover, it wasn't just musicians who weighed in on Eddie's passing -- comedian Dane Cook said Eddie's music made him feel alive. Mark Hamill called Eddie, "One of Rock's most extraordinary guitar virtuosos and Jimmy Kimmel said a chat he once had with Van Halen was, "two of the best hours of my life."

As we reported, Eddie died Tuesday after a battle with throat cancer. He was 65.

JoJo's coming through with an uplifting message for folks disillusioned by the first presidential debate ... and it's all in her new song.

The singer joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" to download us on her track called "The Change" ... which was written by mega hitmaker Diane Warren. JoJo says it will remind you why it's so important to vote, and although it's not a political song -- she admits it has added meaning coming so soon after President Trump and Joe Biden's showdown.

"The Change" drops Friday, which is gonna be a huge day for JoJo ... she's been a huge fan of the Crash Bandicoot video game ever since she was a kid ... and Friday also marks the release of "Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time" on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Earlier this week, we surprised JoJo by getting Crash himself to make a cameo on Sunset Blvd, and ya gotta see her reaction!!! Yeah, you can tell she's ready to play the first brand-new Crash game in more than 10 years.

It pays to be in K-pop ... all 7 members in BTS are now multimillionaires and their longtime producer just joined the ranks of the triple comma club.

Here's the deal ... Big Hit Entertainment, the South Korean record label behind BTS, is raising a ton of money after pricing its initial public offering at the top end of its target range following a ton of interest from investors, and it's paying off big time for the band members and company CEO.

Big Hit is issuing shares at $115 each, raising $822 million and valuing the record label at a whopping $4.1 billion. The deal is South Korea's largest stock market listing in 3 years.

BTS' members -- Kim Tae-hyung, Jung Ho-seok, Kim Nam-joon, Kim Seok-jin, Park Ji-min, Jeon Jung-kook, and Min Yoon-gi -- are benefiting from the IPO price ... they were each given 68,385 shares in Big Hit last month, and their stakes are now worth $7.9 million each.

Justin Bieber and Chance the Rapper certainly put their money where their mouths are ... and the loot's going a long way to help hundreds of people from all walks of life who are in desperate straits.

As we reported ... Justin and Chance announced a surprise collab Thursday -- teaming up to dole out $250,000 on CashApp to people affected by these hard times, to say thanks for the support on their musical collab, "Holy."

Thousands of fans shared their stories online -- along with their $cashtags -- with the hope of receiving some money, and the singer and rapper spent the day giving ... in $500 increments.

We did some digging, and the winners include students, teachers, artists, cashiers, people who lost loved ones to COVID, people taking care of sick parents, people dealing with immigration issues, and in general ... people who help people, people who need help, or both.

For example ... Cortney -- a teacher looking to buys supplies for her class after suffering damage in an apartment fire earlier this year, during the pandemic.

Megan -- a young woman whose father's dying from kidney failure and is trying to pay for him to have his eyesight improved during his final days.

Tiffany -- a cashier who lives paycheck to paycheck while also supporting her parents, who are out of work due to COVID and health reasons.

Ty -- a young handyman who hustles on the side as a freelance photog, but is still struggling to pay rent and the bills. Ty tells us he's going to use $400 of what Justin sent him for living expenses. He'll use the remaining $100 to give back to the homeless.

And finally, there's Sakinah, a young woman who does nails ... asked the fellas to support her business. She struck gold, because she received $500 from BOTH the Biebs and the Rapper.

Alan Jackson -- one of the OG kings of country music -- is ready to get dethroned ... from his castle-like pad, that is, 'cause he's selling his massive estate.

The two-time Grammy and 16-time CMA Awards winner has listed his majestic hilltop estate in the countryside of Franklin, Tennessee for a whopping $23 million. The 5-bedroom, 8-bathroom crib also has 4 half bathrooms. The house is 22k square feet on just over 4 acres.

The estate is super private ... surrounded by 120 acres of green space. The monumental stone house has a private gated entrance manned 24/7. It's also perfect for a little honky-tonk action. Party in the grand public rooms, sumptuous suites and expansive outdoor living areas ... where you'll find a pool, pool house, outdoor kitchen and terraces.

No barn here, but those with lots of horsepower should get a load of the heated and cooled garages ... big enough for 15 whips. Saddle up!!!

Michael Jackson's cousin claims to have his last IV drip -- the one that delivered the fatal dose of Propofol -- and she's ready to part ways with the macabre memorabilia.

The IV setup includes the tubing and the bag used to administer drugs, and even has bloodstain from the King of Pop ... according to his cousin, Marsha Stewart, who claims she took it from his bedroom shortly after his death.

Marsha says she swiped the IV from the rented Holmby Hills mansion where Michael died. She claims she saw it near Michael's bed, and that there was a "white milk fluid" -- an accurate description of Propofol -- inside the bag, which has since dissolved.

Still, Michael's cousin says traces of his blood on the device caught her eye and made her want to put it in her purse to take home.

Now, the IV drip is going up for auction through Memorabilia Expert Auctions in Sin City, and the auction house is looking to get at least $2,500 for this gruesome piece of MJ history.

As for the validity of the item? It seems odd to us that police would not have collected the IV as evidence at the scene. We're reaching out to MJ's Estate to see what their take is on it.

Tory Lanez finally broke his silence about allegedly shooting Megan Thee Stallion, but only in song -- he dropped a new record that includes a full denial.

The rapper released a 17-track album Thursday night called "DayStar," and nearly every song seems to be about the altercation with Megan back in July when they were out partying with Kylie Jenner in the Hollywood Hills.

Megan has accused him of shooting her, but Tory's basically calling her a liar on his opening track, "Money Over Fallouts." The lyrics include, "How the f*** you get shot in your foot, don’t hit no bones or tendons?"

He continues ... "How the f*** your team is trying to pay me in some whole millions? / 
I just lost like 10 million dollars because this cold business
 / But I got like 10 million followers that’s gon' roll with me / 
Fans that support me because they know my heart."

Along with poking holes in Megan's account of what went down between them on July 12, he suggests she's been influenced to lie about him. On other tracks, he hints that he hopes to speak with Megan again and even reconcile ... but also that he's moved on with a new GF.

Tory's new album also addresses rumors Kylie was the reason he and Meg were fighting that night -- a theory Megan's firmly denied. Still, Tory raps, "Me and Kylie still off in the pool / We was chilling, kicking s**t was cool / Both of us didn’t know you was tripping / Even though I got a crush on Kylie, I woulda left with you if I knew you was dipping, for the simple reason / You invited me, but I can’t act like shawty didn’t excite me."

Earlier Thursday, Tory apologized to his fans for his silence and implied he'd be opening up about things at 9 PM PT -- when his album dropped. Many thought he'd own up to shooting her and apologize. He went in the other direction.

After weeks of speculation and uncertainty about what went down back in July before police swarmed Megan and Tory's SUV and she walked out with bloody feet ... Meg flat-out accused Tory of shooting her in an August 20 video, stating she was tired of the lies from his side.

Megan said the 2 of them -- along with her friend and Tory's driver -- were all arguing in the vehicle after leaving Kylie's house in the Hills after 4 AM, and she tried to get out and walk home. That's when she alleges Tory started shooting at her out the window, hitting her feet.

As we've reported ... Tory was arrested for possession of a concealed weapon -- a handgun was under his seat -- and Megan was taken to a hospital and treated for a "gunshot injury."

Though Tory's finally broken his silence publicly on the incident, TMZ previously learned he'd texted Megan an apology about 15 hours afterward, saying ... "I know u prolly never gone talk to me again, but I genuinely want u to know I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart."

Justin Bieber and Chance the Rapper are feeling the love for their new collab ... so they're paying it back in the form of cold hard cash.

The Biebs and the Rapper just announced they're giving away a total of $250,000 Thursday on Cash App ... to people who've been affected by these hard times.

That's the only stipulation required to apply for their money, but they are encouraging folks to share their stories if they feel comfortable and drop their $cashtag and the hashtag #JBChanceHoly.

We know of at least one winner so far who received $500 ... she says her family home suffered damage during Hurricane Laura last month. Obviously, there's a lot more winners to be chosen.

"Holy" is Justin's new single featuring Chance, which has already racked up nearly 34 million YouTube views in a week since its release.

Just as the song was taking off last week ... Justin surprised a local youth gospel group working on a dance routine to his song by dropping by to show support.

Kanye West's on a noble crusade to help musicians gain control of their livelihood ... according to Austin Mahone, who has experience with the process and wants to lend a helping hand.

The singer's backstory seems the perfect example of what Kanye's been tweeting about for more than a week now ... he says he can attest to the importance of what Ye's doing to keep others from getting screwed.

Austin tells us ... he's one of the countless musicians who signed with a record label when he was breaking into the industry, and in turn, signed over the rights to his masters.

The singer signed with Birdman's Cash Money Records when he was 15, but we're told after he had a convo with his manager, Michael Blumstein, and his mentor, Pitbull, a few years later ... he realized it was so important to own his work.

Of course, it wasn't that simple, but he was one of the lucky ones ... thanks to a million-dollar loan from Pitbull and Birdman. We're told Austin's catalog has now earned him more than $5 mil, and as he says himself ... owning his masters will allow him to make cash for life.

As we've reported ... this is what Kanye is very publicly demanding for himself and his peers in the industry -- even Taylor Swift -- and has vowed to go to war with Universal and Sony to make it happen.

Sources close to Austin tell us ... he's reached out to Kanye and his team and wants in on the movement. We're told he wants to offer his story as a testimonial of the benefits of going independent and be involved in helping others with the whole process.

Here's Harry Styles whipping around in a fancy sports car and a super cool speedboat in Italy for a music video shoot ... which could double as his audition to be the next 007.

The former "One Direction" singer is giving off serious James Bond vibes shooting the video for another song off his album, "Fine Line," and looks like he's loving his new toys. Harry's behind the wheel of a vintage Alfa Romeo, dropping the top and tearing through curves on a windy cliffside road. Take that, Daniel Craig!

He's also steering a pretty baller speedboat off Italy's famed Amalfi Coast, unbuttoning his shirt and doing his best "Titanic" pose ... or maybe "Live and Let Die."

Lil Wayne is about to be another year older, so to celebrate ... his Young Money partner made him a new car owner, with a sweet little announcement about new tunes in tow.

As you might be aware ... Weezy's turning 38 next Sunday, but Mack Maine simply couldn't wait with his gift -- the guy literally pulled up on Wayne a whole week early just to make a special pre-bday delivery. It's a 2020 McLaren 720S ... apparently fresh off the lot too!

TMZ obtained video of the hand-off of keys, and you can clearly see how stoked Wayne is here. He even captured some video of his own and threw it up on the Gram in awe.

Wayne also took to Twitter to praise the early present, saying ... "So my brudda Mack just bought me a McLaren....!!!!!!....wtf!!!!!......'u know I ride for my MF *****' (my voise)." This ride did NOT come cheap BTW -- our sources it ran Mack around $400k, and lights up a different color when the sun goes down. So, yeah ... top-of-the-line custom for the label head.

But, wait ... there's more. Mack also came bearing some good news for music fans everywhere -- announcing that Young Money was putting a deluxe version of "Tha Carter V" on Friday. He was even slapping some of the tracks on the way over to the man himself.

The official version of 'C5' was released a couple years ago after Wayne was FINALLY able to free himself from contractual duties with Birdman and co. ... which kept the project shelved for years.

Pamela Hutchinson -- one of the singers of the iconic family music group, The Emotions -- has died.

The official Facebook page for the R&B group -- comprised of three Hutchinson sisters -- made the announcement Sunday, saying Pam passed away Friday ... going on to explain she succumbed to health issues she'd been battling for years.

They add, "Now our beautiful sister will sing amongst the angels in heaven in perfect peace. During this time, the family kindly asks for fans and friends to respect our privacy. We appreciate all kind words, photos, and videos you may want to post for our beloved Pamela and of course your loving prayers."

Of Pam, the group also says ... "A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered. We love you, Pamela!"

Pam was the youngest of the famous trio -- her older sister, Wanda and Sheila are a good 5 to 7 years older than her ... which might have to do with the fact that Pam actually replaced the other original sister, Jeanette. Despite their age differences, The Emotions left their mark in music history ... of course, with a major contribution of Pamela as one their key singers.

The group got its start in the '60s, but skyrocketed to mainstream fame in the 1970s with a string of hits that landed on the Billboard charts. They're perhaps best known for their single "Best of My Love," but they also have a legendary collab with Earth, Wind and Fire.

The girls served as the backup singers for "Boogie Wonderland" -- a gig that landed them a Grammy nomination in 1979 ... this after they'd already won one a couple years prior. Over the span of their multi-decade career, they cranked out 9 albums ... 2 of which achieved were certified gold, and one platinum. The Emotions pumped out countless singles too.