Mable John Motown's 1st Female Solo Artist Dead at 91

Mable John -- Motown's first female solo artist -- has died.

The singer passed away at her L.A. home Thursday, this according to her nephew, Kevin John ... who spoke to The Detroit News. He said, "We loved her and she was a kind person." A cause of death wasn't offered.

Berry Gordy signed MJ to his new label -- then known as Tamla Records -- in 1958. She was the first woman under his brand to get her own record deal without a group attached. Other acts that were signed early included Smokey Robinson (and the Miracles), Eddie Holland and Mary Wells.

Gordy actually served as a coach/mentor for John -- who was opening for Billie Holiday in Detroit during the '50s. She and BG had a solid partnership, which flourished into a somewhat short-lived working relationship under Motown. She left the label in mid-'60s.

Still, John recorded a number of songs with them during her tenure. Some of her famous tracks include, "Who Wouldn't Love a Man Like That?," "No Love," "Actions Speak Louder Than Words," "Looking for a Man," "You Are My Only Love!" among others.

After a brief stint with Motown, she went on to sign with Stax Records -- where she churned out a memorable hit, "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)." John left Stax and went on to perform with the Raelettes, backing Ray Charles. Eventually, she hung her mainstream career and pursued a career in gospel music ... getting very involved with the church.

She opened her own charity in Los Angeles called the Joy Community Outreach, which does work with homeless people. Despite stepping away from showbiz, she certainly left her mark.

Mable John was 91. RIP

Harry Styles Stops MSG Show ... Who's Throwing Nuggets???

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NUGGETS OUTTA NOWHERE!
Storyful

Harry Styles is the latest musician to fall victim to rowdy crowds who let it fly at concerts -- only this time, he handled it a little differently than how some have lately ... with humor.

The singer was performing at Madison Square Garden Saturday night in NYC, and at some point in his set ... he pumped the brakes on the show and addressed some thrown objects onstage. Specifically, a couple of chicken nuggets.

Watch ... HS seems kinda entertained by the fact someone chucked at least two of these at his feet, calling it a clever ploy to get his attention. He then asks the audience, who threw it?

It sounds like Harry might've actually identified the culprit ... 'cause he ended up throwing at least one nugget back. Before that though, he noted that he doesn't actually eat 'em -- 'cause he doesn't eat meat at all ... despite the concertgoers chanting for him to do.

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Harry has a little banter with the alleged thrower ... joking with them that he can get 'em a new nugget. It made for about a minute of pause, and he handled it gracefully in the end -- although, something tells us he might've actually been a bit irked by the interruption.

Again, he's the most recent performer to have to deal with stage crashers ... be it through tossed items or just outright ambushes. Kid Cudi completely pulled the plug at a recent performance of his for something similar ... but that object packed a little more oomph.

Kevin Bacon Guitar Cover of Beyonce's 'Heated' ... Farm Goat Assists!!!

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music & mischief
Twitter / @kevinbacon

Kevin Bacon's musical farm just dove into the Beyhive, but he's not getting -- instead, the dude's getting mad props ... and one of his animals might be partially responsible.

The actor posted a video Sunday showing him doing a cover of Beyoncé's 'Heated' -- from her new 'Renaissance' album -- on his Connecticut property ... which is chock-full of livestock, including a crap ton of goats.

He writes, "Hot day, hot song. The goats and I are feeling Heated, @beyonce. Loving this track." Kevin also added the hashtag #GoatSongs ... part of an ongoing collection of his.

Anyway, watch this hilarious video ... one of his goats was VERY curious during KB's performance -- done on nothing but a guitar, as he's perched on what seems to be a goat playground of some sort -- and it was actually trying to nibble at some the strings!

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It looks like the little guy did, in fact, pluck a string while Kevin was playing ... and his owner acknowledges it at the end.

Like we said, Kevin does this sort of thing all the time ... he's done stripped-down covers of songs by Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Glass Animals and more. Whenever he jams out, his goats all seem to come flocking -- apparently wanting in on the fun.

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

Doing Bey and her fans proud ... him and the goat, we mean. 🐐

Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne New Reason for Leaving ... Tons of Shootings in Divided U.S.

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne have already said they're leaving the U.S. to head back to their native England -- but their rationale has changed ... now citing political problems in America.

The longtime rock-and-roll couple did an interview with The Observer -- where they talked about a lot, including OO's health problems and his music comeback in spite of those challenges. But the juicier part of the sit-down was when they talked about the U.S of A.

The interviewer notes that Sharon made sure to mention they weren't leaving because of Ozzy's ailments -- but rather, because of the rancorous landscape that permeates our society. She says, "It’s just time. America has changed so drastically. It isn’t the United States of America at all. Nothing’s united about it. It’s a very weird place to live right now."

Ozzy hits that point home ... "Everything’s fucking ridiculous there. I’m fed up with people getting killed every day. God knows how many people have been shot in school shootings. And there was that mass shooting in Vegas at that concert … It’s f****** crazy."

He also says he doesn't wanna die in L.A. and be buried at a celebrity cemetery, adding ... "I’m English. I want to be back. But saying that, if my wife said we’ve got to go and live in Timbuktu, I’ll go. But, no, it’s just time for me to come home."

Previously, Sharon and Ozzy had blamed the soaring tax rates in the States as the reason for hightailing out of L.A. -- this after famously living in Beverly Hills for decades.

The article says they're leaving in February of 2023, and they're already working on their Buckinghamshire estate ... doing a ton of renovations, like adding A/C, an in-ground pool and a new studio for Ozzy. Their current pad in L.A. is on the market for $18 million.

One last thing ... the story mentions a distaste for having to come back to L.A. to see their kids and grandkids -- most of whom live here stateside -- but Sharon and Ozzy seem willing to do it. Granted, they won't see them as often as they do now since they're moving.

Aaron Rodgers Breaks Down Vaxx Controversy ... On Joe Rogan's Podcast

Aaron Rodgers gave a full play-by-play breakdown of what exactly happened with his vaccine controversy last year ... dishing the deets to none other than Joe Rogan.

The Packers quarterback was on the 'JRE' this week, and he drilled down on how things unfolded, through his perspective, from the start of training camp to the day he was asked if he'd been vaccinated ... and it sounds like he thinks he got a raw deal in the whole thing.

Watch ... AR explains that he's allergic to a certain part of the vaccine -- the polyethylene glycol found in both the Moderna and Pfizer jabs -- and was all set to take the Johnson & Johnson shot ... until it got pulled for causing blood clots in certain recipients.

When that was out, Aaron says he researched another alternative to protect himself -- one that involved holistic medicine, he says -- and went that route ... without getting a vaccine.

Aaron says he showed up to camp with everyone knowing what his status was -- something that was hard to miss, because he says the NFL would literally separate players both physically and symbolically ... giving out different colored wristbands to differentiate.

He also says he was appealing for a waiver with the league, but he felt he wouldn't get one -- especially when they allegedly called him a conspiracy theorist after he refuted that vaxxed people couldn't contract or spread the virus ... something we now know is possible.

Aaron says he eventually caught COVID -- from an already-vaccinated player, he says -- and that's when word got out officially. He says he felt it was a witch hunt environment to begin with, and when the truth came out ... Aaron says he felt betrayed by the media.

It's a pretty fascinating convo ... AR has already apologized for misleading people, but here -- he almost sounds like he's not sorry. As he says, he was just waiting for a follow-up question.

'Big Brother' We've Kept The Wall Yellers Away!!! ... After Beefin' Up Security

The "Big Brother" crew has been working hard to stop fans from revealing details to houseguests over their studio walls ... and it sounds like the extra efforts are paying off.

CBS has gone a solid 8 weeks with no disruptions at its L.A. studios, according to production sources. The security teams have been able to keep people FAR from the studio, unlike in previous seasons.

As we reported, CBS made the call to beef up security last season ... after fans showed up with bull horns, yelling over the wall to try and help certain houseguests.

In addition to CBS's security team AND a third-party company that has eyes on the space 24/7, we're told they've also planted production assistants around the area to keep watch.

We got pics of security and PAs near an area of the fence that would give easy access to the studio wall -- 6 people were posted at the spot.

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

This week has been even more essential to keep the wall yellers away -- half the house had to live in the backyard. Luckily, not a peep was heard from the outside world.

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Now the houseguests can focus on what really matters -- gettin' hot and heavy on an inflatable pool floatie!!!

Connor Cruise's Big Catch Reelin' It In ... Forget Groupies, I Got a Grouper!!!

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FREAKY FISH
Instagram / @theconnorcruise

Tom Cruise's son, Connor, has followed a different path than that of his old man -- and that path is one of a fisherman who reels in big catches ... really big catches.

CC was part of the Sarasota Slam fishing tournament in Florida this weekend, and it looks like he and his crew took the grand prize for a Grouper that literally ended up weighing hundreds of pounds.

To be precise, the beast ended up clocking in at 301 pounds ... which was proudly announced across the docks and got huge applause from the crowd. Word is, Connor and co. actually caught it Friday -- but kept it on ice until Saturday when they checked the poundage.

Connor writes of the haul ... "Got it done yesterday with the boys. 301# Warsaw on the hand crank."

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WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?

Tom and Nicole Kidman's kid is all into the sport these days. His social media pages are plastered with photos and videos of him posing with a bunch of dead fish ... huge ones at that.

His parents might be killing it in Hollywood ... but he's carrying his own weight on the high seas. Congrats!

Here Comes the Shroom!!! Booze Traded for Psychedelics at Weddings

Weddings can be a trippy thing ... especially these days, when the wedding party gets all psychedelic with shrooms!!!

There's a super interesting trend -- trading mushrooms for booze. Lots of folks -- especially millennials -- don't want that awful champagne hangover the next day, so they're choosing to party with mushrooms .... usually in the form of tasty chocolates.

Yeah, it's a hallucinogen, but it's become very common to relieve anxiety and depression and for lots of folks it's just a pleasurable experience ... within limits. Beats getting drunk.

A 35-year-old wedding guest told The Times, '"I think it is a combination of no weddings for two years and the younger generation moving away from getting really p*****, which can make people get quite angry. With this, everyone was having a great time."

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

The rub, of course, is that when someone is trippin' in a big crowd, it could cause chaos, and that's a real thing as well.

Bottom line ... the proper dosage is critical.

Kim Kardashian Hits Up Charity Event in High Style

Kim Kardashian is living proof a charity event doesn't have to be downer ... at least when it comes to fashion, charity can be lit!

KK hit up the 4th annual fundraiser for the charity, This is About Humanity -- TIAH. It's an org that raises awareness about parents and children separated at the U.S./Mexican border.

Kim showed up in style, and gotta say ... Kanye may be long gone in terms of a relationship with her, but his fashion influence still lingers from her head to her toes.

Tickets for the event -- held in Brentwood, CA -- were certainly within her reach -- $1k a pop. The money goes toward legal representation for immigrant families.

The org was co-founded by Henry Winkler's kid, Zoe. Henry, his ageless wife Stacey, and Zoe were front and center at the event.

Tom Brady I Was Going Through a Lot of S**t ... And That's Why I Was MIA

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CONTINUOUSLY CHANGING
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tom Brady just can't take a day off without people writing a book about it -- well, unless it's missing the first two weeks of training camp -- so he's addressing it again, essentially saying he went through a lot of s**t.

Brady showed up Saturday for the preseason debut in the exhibition final, and said post-game, "Everyone has different situations they're dealing with and we all have unique challenges to our lives."

Then he said this ... "I'm 45 years old, man. There's a lot of shit going on, so you just have to try and figure out life the best you can. You know, it's a continuous process."

Brady, who performed at the Brady level, kinda said the obvious after the game ... "I feel good. I've played football for a long time. I'm pretty good at it," Brady said. "Doesn't take me long for me to remember how to play it."

Brady did not get specific about the 11-day absence -- remember, he initially said he was self-benching for "personal reasons."

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BRADY IS BACK
Twitter / @Buccaneers

The Bucs played 2 preseason games while Brady was out ... losing to Miami on Aug. 13 and to the Titans on Aug. 20.

There have been massive rumors he was MIA so he could appear on " The Masked Singer," but Brady flatly denied that. But here's the thing ... when he was retired for that nanosecond, he signed a massive, $375 million deal with Fox, and it's not inconceivable part of the deal might have been to appear on Fox shows, the biggest of which is the 'Masked Singer.'

So the theory goes ... when he un-retired, he went back to the Bucs and said he had signed the deal so part of the terms of coming back would be the 11-day hiatus.

Now it sure sounds like Brady stepped back for something else ... maybe more serious.

'RHOBH' STAR DORIT KEMSLEY Husband PK Avoids DUI Charges

Paul "PK" Kemsley, the husband of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Dorit ... won't be hit with DUI charges following his arrest last year ... because we've learned the case has been rejected.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office tells TMZ ... they reviewed PK's case but rejected it back in April based on an "insufficiency of the evidence."

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GAVE ME HIS WORD
BACKGRID

Law enforcement tells us PK went from blowing a .081 in the field to a .076 at the police station -- the legal limit's .08. We're told the level change ultimately led prosecutors to decide not to charge him.

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

Back in December, PK's attorney, Alan Jackson told TMZ his client "regrets the fact he did not take alternate transportation home that evening."

Dorit ran into paps after word spread about PK's arrest ... she said he wasn't necessarily smashed, but he probably shouldn't have been behind the wheel in the first place.

As we reported, CHP said they pulled PK over after seeing his grey Bentley weaving in traffic on L.A.'s 101 freeway. If he had alcohol in his system and he was driving erratically the City Attorney could still charge him with DUI, even if he blew under a .08, but prosecutors say there was insufficient evidence.

He tried to explain what went down to Dorit during season 12 of 'RHOBH,' and why he didn't initially tell her about it -- but she didn't seem to be buying it.

Kobe Bryant Numbers Shouldnt Be Retired NBA-Wide ... Julius Erving Says

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TMZSports.com

Julius Erving loves Kobe Bryant and even played with the Mamba's father ... but he tells TMZ Sports the NBA shouldn't retire the Lakers legend's numbers league-wide like it did with Bill Russell earlier this summer.

Most believe that following Adam Silver's decision to honor Russell by permanently hanging up his #6 following the Celtics legend's death -- he should do the same for Kobe, who tragically passed away in 2020.

But, Dr. J -- who called Russell a good friend of his -- clearly feels differently.

"I don't think he should be compared with the Russell situation," Erving said of Kobe out at LAX. "We're fresh into that but let's see how that works out. Maybe at some point in time. Bill was 86 years old, so address it like that to an 86-year-old -- multiple champions, multiple coaching champions, multiple on-and-off the court champion, or whatever -- there's no comparison."

"I wouldn't even try to compare Kobe Bryant to Russell."

Instead, Erving said he believes the posthumous honors that Bryant receives should be left up to his former L.A. team.

"It's more of a franchise situation with the Lakers," Erving said. "If they wanted to do it, which I think they already have, that makes sense -- but for the whole league to do it, probably not."

Erving added that he was grateful for Silver's decision to retire Russell's number, saying, "Bill was a very special individual and what he did for basketball, no one else could ever do again."

Ms. PuiYi Makes Malaysia Sweat In Hot Swimsuit Shots

This week's Summer Hot Shots comes from a pristine pool in Southeast Asia where model and artist Ms. PuiYi brought the heat while getting tangled up in a skimpy orange swimsuit while splashing away the summer in Malaysia.

When the influencer isn't treating her over 18 million Instagram followers to her sexy shots ... Ms. PuiYi likes to make music, spend time with her three cats and she even collects modern art like rare Bearbrick figures and a pony chair by Eero Aarnio.

She's museum worthy!

We are continuing to whip up our Summer Hot Shots for 2022 from a distance and have collaborated with some mind-melting hotties from around the world for your viewing pleasure!

Be sure to check back every Sunday this summer to see who's overheating your computer modem.

Kyle The Hooligan Rapper Behind FN Meka Plotting FN Lawsuit!!!

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MISREPRESENTING THE CULTURE
TMZ.com

FN Meka's problems didn't go away when Capitol Records pulled the plug on the controversial project -- the Black rapper whose voice was used for Meka has started the process to take legal action against the creators.

Kyle The Hooligan says FN Meka's creators stole his drip to create the character, and he's ready to see 'em in court. Kyle tells TMZ Hip Hop ... his attorneys already started the legal process to recoup his damages from both Brandon Le and Factory New this week.

Kyle says he was "young" when he met with Factory New, but says he was promised equity and ownership for helping voice and write the music for FN Meka.

He also claims he gave them all the "cool" ideas, and would've prevented hiccups like the police brutality photo from even happening.

Kyle's attorney, Andrew Orcutt tells TMZ, "Despite multiple requests, we have not received a response from or been put in contact with Factory New’s or Brandon Le’s legal representatives, nor have we received any formal offer for compensation. We are continuing to evaluate our options and are hopeful for a swift and just resolution to this matter.”

During all the industry backlash against Meka, we got hip hop veteran Krayzie Bone's take on everything, who said real rappers' jobs were in danger ... but Kyle actually disagrees.

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THE FUTURE OF RAP
TMZ.com

Kyle raps for real, not just virtually, and saw the digital rapper horizon as a way for artists to expand their careers and portfolios -- but now he wants his case to shine a light on anyone else who's been ghosted in the music industry.

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

We reached out to Factory New for their side of their story, so far no word back. FN Meka too, but we know he's no longer talking!

Celebrity Scramble Guess Who!

Concealed behind this swirled man is an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award-nominated actor, and to hone in on his accolades a smidge more ... he snagged two Emmys for his roles in "The Normal Heart" and "I Know This Much Is True."

When he's not in front of the camera, you can find him fighting climate change with his nonprofit organization "The Solutions Project," which he has worked on for the past two decades. "Rumor Has It" that this scrambled star has a starring role in the Disney+ series "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law."

Can you unscramble this celeb?

Sydney Sweeney Hoedown Party for Mom Branded as Right-Wing, MAGA-Leaning

UPDATE

4:08 PM PT -- Sydney has addressed the controversy, writing ... "You guys this is wild. An innocent celebration for my moms milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions. Much love to everyone ❤️ and Happy Birthday Mom!"

Sydney Sweeney did a photo dump to honor her mom's birthday, but it's instantly backfiring -- because people think it's showing her true colors ... ones they perceive as red.

The "Euphoria" actress threw up a bunch of shots Saturday on IG, showing her and her family celebrating her mother Lisa's 60th birthday. They held the shindig at some sort of ranch, and the theme is hoedown-inspired ... with everyone rocking cowboy hats and boots.

Seems relatively harmless -- but some fans of hers are raising an eyebrow to the vibe they're putting off, especially when it comes to certain people's attire ... shirts and hats specifically.

In one of the photos that SS posted, she's alongside three other adults (one of whom is her mother, the blonde woman) as well as what appears to be her grandmother ... and an older gentleman. We're not exactly sure who he is, but he could easily be a relative as well.

Folks are hyper-focusing on this guy's shirt, seemingly a Blue Lives Matter shirt -- which has been symbolized with a black and white flag and a blue stripe down the middle.

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UNFAIR ASSUMPTION?

Other photos and videos show attendees wearing red MAGA-style hats ... with "Make Sixty Great Again" emblazoned on the front. Her brother, Trent, posted these -- and made sure to note that's exactly what they said. But the fact they're being worn at all is getting criticism.

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If you hop into the "Sydney Sweeney" trend right now ... you'll see some are jokingly asking where her family was on Jan. 6, and predicting that an apology video is forthcoming.

Of course, there's an incredible amount of assumptions and speculation being piled on over this -- but it's happening nonetheless. Some Sweeney fans are actually expressing shock that her family appears to be somewhat right-wing -- or potentially lean that way, anyway.

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

FWIW ... Sydney's from Washington state, but was raised in Idaho. Even if her fam does happen to be conservative, it's certainly not the mortal sin Twitter's making it out to be.

Originally Published -- 3:10 PM PT