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Travis Scott's first night of his Astroworld concert in Houston turned into a horrific tragedy Friday night ... leaving 8 people dead and more than 300 injured, and there were signs of trouble even before the concert began.

50,000 people filled the sold-out venue, when, at around 9 PM people began surging toward the stage. People started getting crushed and panic ensued. According to Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena, "People began to fall out, become unconscious and it created additional panic."

At least 8 people died in the stampede. 11 people went into cardiac arrest and were rushed to the hospital. More than 300 fans went to the field hospital near the venue.

Someone working the festival tells TMZ ... people were hopping on camera platforms, begging concert staff to end the show after the stampede erupted. They said, "Anything climbable was climbed." They also say there were several thousand pairs of shoes left behind as people fled. When the concert shut down, they said a stage manager said the venue was now "a crime scene."

The scene was chaotic ... medical personnel could not handle all the injured. There is video showing some of them performing CPR.

One concertgoer named Madeline, a nurse, tells TMZ, she was there with her boyfriend when Travis took the stage. During the first song, people started pushing toward the stage and she says she began to feel light-headed, telling us, "I passed out from the constant pressure on my chest and was one of the first people to be carried," adding, "They threw me on top of other people and crowd surfed me to other people, who lifted me over a fence where security was waiting." She says "security guards were bringing bodies from that area to the VIP area," as Travis kept performing, adding, "I see security carrying people who are not moving." She says once she regained her senses, she began administering first aid to others.

A slew of ambulances rushed to the scene ... which became direr every minute.

Before chaos erupted, Travis stopped the show several times during his 75-minute set ... after noticing some of the fans in the front seemed in distress. He told security to make sure they weren't hurt. At one point Travis asked for security to help a specific individual.

Shortly before the surge, Drake had performed with Travis ... and there was no indication the crowd would try to rush the stage.

However, there were some signs of trouble even before the show. A slew of fans knocked over barricades and rushed into the venue.

Kylie Jenner was on hand for the festival as the chaos erupted. She was there with her and Travis's daughter Stormi. As far as we know, they're fine. They were not sitting near the crush.

A reunification center was set up at a nearby hotel, so family members of concert-goers could reunite.

The Medical Examiner is in the process of determining the cause of death of the 8 fatalities.

This was the first night of what was supposed to be a 3-day festival. The second night has already been canceled.

Soulja Boy was almost, ALMOST, at a loss for words when he heard Kanye West trash a verse he recorded for "Donda" ... telling us Ye previously said he liked it.

The former Mr. West made headlines Thursday during his interview on Revolt TV's "Drink Champs," where he talked marriage, money, fashion and music. One of the more notable moments came when Ye opened up about his recent beef with Soulja Boy.

If you hadn't heard, Soulja was pissed after Kanye released "Donda" without a verse Soulja recorded for the project. When asked why he left Soulja off, Ye not so shyly said it was crap ... and that's why it didn't make the cut.

Well, Soulja tells us Ye's words on 'Champs' stunned him, because in person, Ye had praised his verse ... so to hear the opposite now really surprised him.

It wasn't, however, all bad -- Kanye did give SB some props during the interview, calling him one of the top 5 most influential rappers of all time for modern artists.

Britney Spears could make more money than she ever did before if she decides to get back in front of crowds, but it's a double-edged sword ... so says Daymond John.

The "Shark Tank" star joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" and painted a picture of Britney's potential earnings if she reverses course on her feelings about performing.

Remember ... folks close to Britney have told us she might never take the stage again, no matter what shakes out with her conservatorship.

Daymond says Britney would be turning down a fortune in Las Vegas, or on the road, if she holds firm -- but he knows there are potentially serious drawbacks to her being back under the bright lights.

Daymond's making some good points -- there are a lot of things off the stage that come along with a Vegas residency, and they definitely take a toll on mental health ... obviously, an important factor for her.

Madonna was the surprise guest at the amfAR event Thursday night in West Hollywood, and as she paid homage to her friend who was being honored, she underscored the fact AIDS is not a thing of the past.

Around 500 people jammed into the Pacific Design Center in WeHo, including Ashley Benson, Addison Rae, Bella Thorne, Diplo, Bebe Rexha and OneRepublic.

Toward the end of the night, an auctioneer announced a photo of Madge would be auctioned off ... even signed by Madonna herself. Then, suddenly, Madonna walked on stage and gave a 15-minute speech honoring her friend, artist Jeremy Scott, but also talking about AIDS and how it lingers as a pandemic decades after it surfaced.

She also went back in time when AIDS ravaged the gay community back in the '80s and she became a voice in the pandemic ... she said people thought she had AIDS. She made it clear to folks she didn't, but simply wanted to help.

Macy Gray put together an impromptu private party with a bunch of Chippendales hunks ... and she had the guys act as her backup dancers as she belted out some tunes!!!

Sources tell TMZ ... Macy was having dinner with some friends Wednesday night in Vegas when they had the idea to celebrate the world opening back up, so she enlisted the male revue.

We're told Macy rented out the Star Piano Cocktail Lounge, with a few requests ... 5 Chippendales dancers and enough musical equipment set up for a gig.

Macy and her crew rolled up to the piano bar at 10:30 PM and stayed until about 1 AM ... singing some Fugees and even some of her own hits like "I Try."

With Macy showing off her pipes and playing the piano, the Chippendales did what they do best ... dance.

We're told the booze was flowing ... Macy bought a bottle of Casamigos tequila and a bottle of Champagne ... and she cracked jokes in between songs.

Lance Bass wants to see more of Britney Spears enjoying her life out in the public ... something he hopes will happen when, and if, her conservatorship is dissolved.

We got Lance and his husband, Michael Turchin, Thursday afternoon at Wally's in Bev Hills ... and asked about Britney venturing back into Hollywood for the Immersive Van Gogh Los Angeles exhibit. She went with her sons Wednesday night, and Lance is thinking it's a sign of things to come.

The *NSYNC singer says he misses seeing Britney going out to do fun things ... and he wants to see more of her in public. Of course, she has a huge court hearing next week, when the judge could rule on whether to end the conservatorship.

Perhaps in anticipation of that, Lance reveals that he's already reached out to Brit.

As you know, Lance and Britney go way back to the late '90s when their careers were launching, and they were labelmates at Jive Records.

Remember, sources close to Britney have told us she might never hit the stage again and performing is one of the last things on her mind ... but Lance says he's not giving up hope.

Britney Spears ventured into Hollywood Wednesday night for a little culture -- an exhibit that's the talk of the town.

Britney hit up Immersive Van Gogh Los Angeles in the heart of Hollywood. She tooled up in her G-Wagon as her driver entered the parking lot at the intersection of Cahuenga and Sunset Blvd. Her fiance, Sam Asghari, wasn't there.

The exhibit features 20,000 square feet of awesome Van Gogh works, splashed on 2-story screens. It's a 360-degree experience and pretty incredible.

The exhibit is sold out, but not to worry. It closed early Wednesday night at 7, which is when Britney went for a private showing. She was there a little under an hour before leaving.

As we reported, Britney went off on her mom, Lynne Spears ... saying she engineered the conservatorship that made her life miserable. It doesn't seem like a coincidence Britney posted her feelings hours after Lynne filed legal docs asking the conservatorship to pay $600,000 that she incurred in legal bills.

The judge in the conservatorship case could decide to pull the plug next Friday. What's unclear ... will the judge order a mental evaluation, something Britney does not want.

DaBaby is going back on tour after his homophobic comments, and it's all backed by Rolling Loud -- the festival where he made those remarks -- which believes he's a changed man.

Here's the deal ... DaBaby just announced a 22-show tour presented by Rolling Loud called "Live Show Killa Tour." The rapper's touting it as "THE SHOW YOU THOUGHT YOU'D NEVER SEE AGAIN" ... clearly jabbing at people who wanted him canceled.

A rep for Rolling Loud tells TMZ ... RL supports second chances and believes DaBaby has grown and learned from his experience, and everyone will be welcome at the shows.

As you know ... there was a massive backlash against DaBaby after the homophobic rant at Rolling Loud in Miami -- he was dropped from the lineup of a few festivals.

But, he returned to a Rolling Loud stage last month in NYC, where he joined his buddy 50 Cent as a special guest.

Sources close to DaBaby tell TMZ ... he inked the tour deal with RL prior to his appearance with Fiddy, but no earlier than a month ago.

R&B legend Ronnie Wilson, a founding member of The Gap Band and "Uncle" Charlie Wilson's older brother, is dead ... TMZ has confirmed.

Ronnie's wife, Linda Boulware-Wilson, tells TMZ ... he died at 10:01 AM Tuesday at his home in Tulsa, OK. We're told he died peacefully and Linda was holding his hand as he took his last breath.

Linda says Ronnie suffered a stroke last week, and it put him into a semi-coma and he never recovered. We're told he suffered several strokes throughout the years.

In a Facebook post, Linda remembered her late husband as a "genius with creating, producing and playing the flugelhorn, trumpet, keyboards and singing music."

Ronnie and his brothers, Charlie and Robert Wilson, formed The Gap Band back in the 1970s in Tulsa, OK ... and their music picked up the baton from huge acts like Stevie Wonder, George Clinton and Earth Wind & Fire.

The Gap Band was huge in the 1980s and they are most famous for their hit song, "You Dropped a Bomb on Me."

Ronnie was 73.

Britney Spears wants to get married, buy a house and have kids ... but those plans are all on hold until the judge in her conservatorship case decides if it should end ... TMZ has learned.

Britney and Sam Asghari are engaged, but sources with direct knowledge tell us they have not made any wedding plans because of the impending court hearing. Ditto the prenup ... there's been no movement. And, TMZ broke the story ... they want to buy a house together, but that's on ice as well.

All signs point to the 13-year-long conservatorship coming to an end, but it's not guaranteed. The wild card -- whether the judge orders a mental evaluation. Britney, Jamie and others have urged the judge to end it without such an evaluation ... in fact, so far no one involved in the conservatorship has suggested otherwise.

Nevertheless, with 13 years of mental evaluations on file with the court, it's up to the judge whether to cut Britney free without another one. The judge has an easy out given the parties don't want it, but given the various diagnoses over the years, the judge may want to hear from psychiatrists and other doctors before making the decision.

As for all her plans, Britney is living her life ... hanging with Sam, going on vacation and posting stories about her life on social media.

Kanye West is continuing his friendship with Marilyn Manson -- going so far as to invite the guy to his newest Sunday Service ... and even going in on a prayer together.

Ye kicked off a new round of worship and gospel singing Sunday -- and he invited the embattled rocker, who's been accused of sexual misconduct by several women, to join in on the gathering. Manson was standing front and center alongside the rest of the choir.

Everyone was wearing white ... and some even had hoods and face coverings over their heads. At one point, Ye and MM bowed toward each other ... touching foreheads and closing their eyes. Speaking of eyes ... looks like Mr. West has lost his brows, and his hair.

BTW, Manson wasn't the only famous person there ... one Justin Bieber was also on hand, and he too appeared to be joining them for the spiritual moment. He also got on the mic at one point ... and said a few words. He mostly kept his hood on, seemingly trying to lay low.

There's no question though ... he was there, and standing shoulder to shoulder wtih Ye and Manson.

So many reactions to this -- including a lot of indignation that Ye would actually invite somebody like Manson to something like this ... presumably, a sanctified meeting on Christians. Beyond Manson's mere public image as the exact opposite of that ... folks can't help but point to the allegations against him as a major reason he shouldn't be there.

Fact is ... Marilyn stands accused of sexually assaulting and/or abusing multiple women, dating back years -- all of which he had vehemently denied, and is fighting in court.

He has insisted that all of these liaisons were completely consensual, and a lot of them were straight-up relationships he was in ... but the women have characterized it in much different terms, especially Evan Rachel Wood ... who's been the most outspoken about this.

This probably shouldn't come as much of a surprise to anyone -- Kanye has already indicated he's cool with Manson ... evident in the fact that he featured him in his latest album.

He also invited the man to one of his "Donda" listening events ... ditto for DaBaby, who's been getting public heat of late. Unclear if his cozying up to Manson means he believes him (and not the women) ... or if he's bringing him in as a gesture of forgiveness or something.

Harry Styles killed -- not Freddy Krugger style, but still -- Saturday night in NYC, as he chose a throwback both in costume and in song.

Harry performed at a jam-packed Madison Square Garden and hopped on stage as Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz." He got it right ... right down to the ruby-red slippers. He called the night, "Harryween!"

And, then he sang the staple, "Over the Rainbow," and it was kinda awesome. Too bad Judy Garland's not alive ... she could've sung "Watermelon Sugar!" Speaking of ... does that song work as performed by Dorothy from 'TWOO?' We'll go with YES.

It's part of Harry's Love On Tour, and he has one more night at the Garden.

Drake was feeling it Saturday night, with a little help from a beverage.

Drake hosted a rap battle Saturday night in Long Beach, and he may not have been 3 sheets, but surely at least 2!

He was at the "Til Death Do Us Part" show, and as he chit-chatted with Nunu Nellz, it doesn't take an alcohol expert to see ... Drake was under the influence and having a blast. He wasn't in costume, but Drake's famous enough to be himself. Yeah, that doesn't really make sense.

There were tons of parties Saturday night in Hollywood and parts surrounding .... including one hosted by Alessandra Ambrosia which attacked a gaggle of celebs, including Meagan Good, Doja Cat, Tyga, Ryan Phillippe, Victoria Justice and Jeff Ross.

After the rap battle, Drake left for parts or parties unknown, but it's clear ... he had a better time than most.

Happy Halloween!!!

Jon Bon Jovi was supposed to spend Saturday night on stage, but instead, he spent it in bed ... because of COVID.

Bon Jovi was supposed to perform at the Loews South Beach in Miami Beach, but before the concert began Jon's brother took the stage and told the crowd Jon would not be performing because he tested positive for COVID.

Turns out everyone in the band took a rapid test before the concert and Jon's turned up positive.

A Bon Jovi rep said Jon was fully vaccinated ... unclear, however, if the 59-year-old got a booster.

The rep says he's feeling good, but planned on spending the night in bed. He left Bon Jovi style ... in a yellow Maserati.

As for the concert, the other band members -- all of whom tested negative -- stuck around and played for the crowd.

BTW ... last year Jon's 18-year-old son tested positive for COVID, along with his keyboard player and percussionist.

Shots rang out in Hollywood Saturday night outside a Halloween bash hosted by Teyana Taylor.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... as folks were having a great time at the Sunset Room, when 3 armed men approached 3 women standing on the curb outside the club and tried robbing them.  They pistol-whipped one woman and as the men tried robbing them a security guard jumped into action in an attempt to thwart the robbery.

The guard exchanged gunfire with one of the armed suspects but both missed. The bullets were lodged in several parked cars.

The 3 men fled in a car. It's unclear if they ended up stealing anything from the women.

An ambulance arrived but the woman who was pistol-whipped refused medical attention.

All Yung Bleu wanted was a baby monkey ... instead, he mistakenly ended up with a baby baboon -- which grows quite a bit bigger -- but he's crossing his fingers and trying to make it work.

We got the "You're Mines Still" rapper at SIXTY LES Hotel in NYC and our guy asked him about his little monkey mix-up.

Bleu says the guy he got the pet from told him it was a monkey, but when he started showing the critter off on social media, folks turned him on to what was really going on ... and a quick Google search confirmed he'd been misled.

But, YB tells us he's not mad about what he considers false advertising ... and it's pretty clear in the video he's got a special connection with the baboon, which he's named Moon Vandross.

Sounds like he could have been in a worse spot -- Bleu tells us why this specific type of baboon won't grow up to be a big problem. He hopes.