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Eddie Van Halen -- the legendary guitarist and co-founder of Van Halen -- has died after a long battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned.

Sources directly connected to the rock star tell us ... he died at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica Tuesday. His wife, Janie, was by his side, along with his son, Wolfgang, his ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli, and Alex, Eddie's brother and drummer.

We're told in the last 72 hours, Eddie's ongoing health battle went massively downhill -- doctors discovered his lung cancer had moved to his brain as well as other organs.

As you know, Eddie has been battling cancer for well over a decade. Our sources say he's been in and out of the hospital over the past year -- including last November for intestinal issues -- and recently underwent a round of chemo.

Last year we reported ... Eddie was flying between the US and Germany for 5 years to get radiation treatment. Though he was a heavy smoker for years, he believes he developed throat cancer from a metal guitar pick he used to frequently hold in his mouth more than 20 years ago.

Nevertheless, he continued to attend concerts and rehearse music with his son, who -- if ya don't know -- became Van Halen's bassist in 2006.

Wolfgang mourned his father online, writing ... "He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss." He added, "I love you so much, Pop."

Of course, Eddie himself was considered one of the best and most influential guitarists of all time ... who first made a name for himself with his solo on Van Halen's "Eruption."

Eddie formed the classic rock group in Pasadena in 1972 with his brother, Alex, on drums, Michael Anthony on bass and David Lee Roth singing. Eddie served as the main songwriter on their self-titled debut album in 1978 ... which launched the group into rock superstardom in the '80s.

They went on to pump out hit after hit, including "Runnin' with the Devil," "Unchained," "Hot for Teacher," "Panama" and "Jump" ... and continued their success with Sammy Hagar on lead vocals after the departure of Roth in 1985.

While the band had already achieved hard rock superstardom, Eddie became a pop culture icon with the 1983 release of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" ... which featured Eddie's iconic guitar solo.

Though some members of Van Halen have changed, Eddie and Alex were the constants in the band ... with Eddie's acclaimed guitar work being the focal point of their legacy.

Van Halen was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, and Eddie is widely considered one of the greatest guitar players of all time.

He is survived by his wife, Janie, and his son.

Eddie was 65.

RIP

Johnny Nash, the guy who sang the incredibly happy and infectious 1970s #1 hit, "I Can See Clearly Now," has died.

The singer's son tells TMZ ... Johnny was at home Tuesday when he passed away of natural causes. No word on cause of death yet.

Johnny was born in Houston and made his debut as a major label artist in 1957 with the single, "A Teenager Sings the Blues." However, it was his reggae-tinged hit that topped the charts in November of 1972, and stayed there for 4 weeks.

Nash sold more than 1 million copies of the single, and it made him an international star, especially in Jamaica ... where he became one of the first non-Jamaican singers to record reggae on the island.

While he might go down in music history as a one-hit wonder, what a smash. "I Can See Clearly Now" has been covered numerous times after Johnny. A couple of those covers even reached the top 20 -- the most recent one being Jimmy Cliff's 1993 version for the "Cool Runnings" soundtrack.

His son, John Nash III, tells us, "He was a wonderful father and family man. He loved people and the world. He will be missed within his community. Family was his everything."

Johnny was 80.

LeBron James is paying tribute to Kobe Bryant before Game 4 of the NBA Finals ... entering the arena with a shirt honoring Mamba's life.

Rockin' his Beats By Dre headphones and a BBZ mask (the letters represent the names of his kids Bronny, Bryce, Zhuri) ... Bron made his way to the court in the NBA bubble at Disney World in Orlando with an image of his friend across his chest.

Below Kobe's picture, read the words, "More Than Ever" and "With Love 1978 - 2020."

LeBron has often talked about Kobe's influence on his life and his career -- and it seems pretty obvious he's trying to channel KB's "Mamba Mentality" for an important Game 4 against the Miami Heat.

Following Kobe's tragic death back in January, LeBron and his Lakers teammate Anthony Davis got Kobe-inspired tattoos on their legs to pay tribute to the NBA legend.

The Lakers are currently leading the playoff series 2 to 1 ... but the Heat looked pretty solid during their Game 3 victory over L.A.

Talk about positive vibes -- the guy who went viral skateboarding to a Fleetwood Mac classic just got upgraded wheels ... meaning a brand new truck, courtesy of his fave beverage.

A rep for Ocean Spray rolled up to Nathan Apodaca's RV Tuesday in Idaho ... and the dude who just loves sipping cranberry juice while vibing to "Dreams" was hella surprised by the generosity.

Check out the video ... Nathan hopped out of his RV to meet the juice guy, who told him the truck and all the juice in its flatbed were all his! The Ocean Spray rep thanked Nathan -- as we all do -- for keeping the positive feels going.

A pretty awesome ending after Nathan's original video sparked the so-called "Dreams" challenge on TikTok, which racked up millions of views.

Soon after, Nathan, who was saving money to upgrade his ride, got tons of donations from strangers all over the country ... more than $10k he said might use for a new RV.

The "Dreams" challenge ultimately reached the rock band's co-founder and drummer, Mick Fleetwood, who on Sunday shared his own TikTok and said Nathan "had it right. Dreams and Cranberry just hits different."

Netflix is being dragged into a criminal courtroom in Texas over the controversial film, "Cuties" ... a film a grand jury believes shows young kids in sexual situations.

The grand jury in Tyler County, TX just handed up the indictment ... and according to the docs, Netflix is being charged with promotion of lewd visual material depicting children. By streaming "Cuties," Netflix allegedly promoted the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child younger than 18, appealing to the prurient interest in sex.

The criminal indictment -- a rare move against a company -- also says the movie offers no serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value, and alleges the head honchos at Netflix recklessly authorized and/or tolerated its dissemination through its platform ... and, therefore, should be held accountable.

Critics have been very vocal about the controversial film -- some feel it encourages the sexual exploitation of pre-teens ... some have even used the word "pedophilia" to describe "Cuties."

The film is about a group of prepubescent girls who form a dance squad and practice moves they see in music videos. At one point, they even dress in revealing outfits and carry themselves like adults.

Ironically, the film's creators have said they intended the film to be a critique of the hypersexualization of kids ... but that message has been lost on many viewers.

There was a whole #CancelNetflix movement in the wake of the film's release. Netflix picked up the distribution rights after "Cuties" debuted at Sundance earlier this year.

If convicted, Netflix isn't going to prison. Most likely, the company would be forced to pay criminal fines, and possibly pull the movie from the platform.

President Trump's in quarantine at the White House, and now his wax statue is getting a taste of what isolation feels like.

The President's wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam is following in his footsteps, being put in quarantine after the real Prez and First Lady Melania both tested positive for COVID-19.

The famed wax museum is isolating Trump in the museum's front window, adding a blue and white surgical mask over his mouth and nose. So far, the mask has not been taken off, unlike the real Prez, and we can absolutely confirm ... the wax figure IS having trouble breathing.

One might say Madame Tussauds' POTUS is doing a better job conveying the risks of coronavirus to the public, than the actual President ... who continues to claim there's nothing to fear. The museum has placed huge caution signs and caution tape around Trump's wax statue.

No word how long the wax figure will be in quarantine, but 14 days is pretty standard.

Incredible gesture by Houston Rockets superstar Russell Westbrook ... who showed his thanks to the NBA bubble housekeepers by leaving a fat, $8,000 tip!!!

Remember, most players were stuck in the same hotel room on the Disney World campus for MONTHS ... which means a LOT of stinky socks, clothes and shoes.

The 31-year-old gave mad respect to those doing the dirty work before the Rockets left the bubble ... gifting them the massive tip and leaving his room "virtually spotless," according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.

Brodie confirmed the act to Taylor Rooks, saying, "They took great care of us. Took the time & energy to do their job at a high level. That was the right thing."

The NBA players and coaches have reportedly been extremely kind to all Disney staffers with tips and other kind gestures throughout their time in the NBA bubble ... and this is just one of many instances.

Michael Bloomberg isn't the only one donating money to help thousands of ex-felons regain the right to vote in Florida, because the movement is NOT about politics ... according to one of its advocates.

Desmond Meade of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live," and told us the $25 million his organization raised to allow former felons to vote in the election came from folks across the country ... and before Bloomberg donated a dime.

While the billionaire is grabbing headlines for adding $16 mil to pay the court fines and fees necessary for the Sunshine State's ex-felons to vote ... Desmond says his coalition is making an impact thanks to a grassroots approach encompassing over 88,000 donors.

Some of the donors you know, like Ariana Grande, Michael Jordan and LeBron James ... but Desmond says lots of non-famous Americans donated their hard-earned money.

The problem with Bloomberg's name getting attached, Desmond says, is the political spin that follows. He's adamant none of the ex-felons getting voting rights restored should feel beholden to vote how donors vote.

Megan Thee Stallion's attack on Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron -- calling him a "sellout negro" -- won't draw him into a war of words, because he says his philosophy is ... sticks and stones.

AG Cameron went on 'Fox & Friends' Tuesday to respond to Meg's "Saturday Night Live" performance ... and he said the disparaging remarks she made about him are the same ones he's faced since college. He says it's nothing new, especially for a Black Republican.

ICYMI ... Meg name-checked Cameron during her gig ... comparing him to Black people who sold their own back into slavery -- and the wall behind her read at one point, "Daniel Cameron is No Different."

Cameron says he agrees with MTS's message of needing to protect Black women, but says as it pertains to Breonna Taylor's case -- he insists he did his job, and refuses to cave to the public narrative ... which is he fought to clear the involved officers off wrongdoing ... instead of prosecuting someone for killing Breonna.

He also said Meg's remarks don't hurt him, and only expose the intolerance the "tolerant left" claim to embrace.

"Schitt's Creek" co-creator and star Dan Levy is pissed with Comedy Central ... claiming the network's execs in India censored a gay kiss to promote the show over there.

Levy blasted the network Tuesday but he did more than that -- he also brought receipts ... an edited video promoting season 5 in India that did NOT show the kiss that DID go down between his character and Dustin Mulligan's character.

Check out the video ... Dan posted a scene from season 5 that shows the cast playing spin the bottle. Mulligan's character goes to kiss Levy's character, but the kiss appears to be edited ... while a shot of 2 women kissing was left in the clip.

Dan ripped Comedy Central, tweeting ... "This is a show about the power of inclusivity. The censorship of gay intimacy is making a harmful statement against that message. #loveislove." This is deeply personal for Levy, who is gay in real life and plays one of the first openly pansexual characters depicted on TV.

We've reached out to Comedy Central for comment, so far no word back.

LeBron James is showing love for Bronny from inside the NBA bubble ... wishing his oldest son a happy 16th birthday with a touching shoutout.

Remember, the James Gang children are not in Orlando to watch their papa in the NBA Finals ... with LeBron saying they're "too adventurous" to be in the bubble.

King James did the best he could for his son's big day ... sending his love in an emotional IG post.

"Happy 16 kid!!!!!" LeBron said Tuesday, "1 of a kind and I’ve loved every second of your existence so far in your young promising life!"

The superstar continued ... "You’re SPECIAL kid(always know that)! Continue to grow and continue to lead your generation to heights maybe you didn’t even think was possible because you guys are simply that SPECIAL!!"

Bronny's already become a star in his own right over the years ... he's one of the most popular high school basketball players in the nation -- and he's teamed up with the super famous FaZe Clan.

"Thank you for allowing me to be your inspiration, leader, listener, mediator, as well as many more things but most importantly simply being YOUR DAD!"

"Love you kid until the wheels fall off and when they do we push the car to our destination side by side! Enjoy your day, your existence, your LIFE!! Live.Laugh.Learn.Love! 🙏🏾❤️🤴🏾👑 bronny #YoungSimba🦁"

Melania Trump referred to her husband's alleged mistress, Stormy Daniels, as "the porn hooker" ... while talking to a friend, who was secretly recording her for a book.

The First Lady's former BFF and adviser, Stephanie Wolkoff, just released the audio, recorded in 2018, and you hear Melania going off about the fact Stormy was getting A-list treatment with a Vogue cover story. The September 2018 issue was a big deal at the time of this recording because it's when the Stormy hush-money scandal was making headlines

Anyway, Melania says ... "Go Google and read it, Annie Leibovitz shot the porn hooker, and she will be in one of the issues" Wolkoff responded with confusion about the term "porn hooker," forcing Melania to say Stormy's name.

The recording, which Wolkoff reveled on Michael Cohen's 'Mea Culpa' podcast, shows Melania had the exact kinda disdain you'd expect her to have for Stormy.

This is just the latest embarrassing convo Melania was recorded having with Wolkoff -- who's been slowly releasing the audio clips to pimp out her own tell-all book about her relationship with Mrs. Trump.

The insults are flying between Mark Cuban and Ted Cruz (again!) -- complete with cuss words and personal attacks -- and it's all over the NBA Finals ratings.

This time, Cruz -- the republican senator from Texas -- kicked things off by tweeting out a headline from Sean Hannity's website that reads, "NBA Finals Game 3 'Least Watched in Recorded Ratings History.'"

The article says the NBA Finals ratings are down 45% from 2019.

Cruz added a comment ... "Not surprising. Personally speaking, this is the first time in years that I haven’t watched a single game in the NBA Finals. #GoWokeGoBroke."

Enter Cuban -- owner of the Dallas Mavericks -- who clapped right back.

"A US Senator with 3 @NBA teams in his state, employing thousands of people and he is rooting for their businesses to do poorly.  This is who you are @tedcruz. Every minute of your life, this is exactly who you are."

Think Cruz was going to let that lie? NO WAY!

"I love @HoustonRockets & have rooted for them my entire life. I happily cheer for the Spurs & Mavericks against any non-TX team.  But @mcuban the NBA is engaged in a concerted effort to (1) insult their fans & (2) turn every game into a left-wing political lecture. That’s dumb."

Cuban did not take kindly to that ... and shot back with an expletive.

"You are so full of sh*t. You haven't watched a game of the finals, how would you know what is being said or done? Since when is a desire to end racism an insult to anyone or political? And you don't think using #GetWokeGoBroke is a partisan insult?  Again, this is who you are."

The spat continued ... with Cruz criticizing Cuban over the NBA's relationship with China.

"I wish @mcuban loved his fans as much as he loves Chinese money."

Cuban again responded -- "Shame on me for putting American Civil Rights and Justice, creating jobs, growing our economy and healthcare reform over twitter proclamations."

Donald Trump's takeaway from COVID ... hey, the flu kills people and we learned to live with it, so why not do the same with coronavirus?

It's unbelievable, but maybe not. Trump grossly exaggerated the number of flu-related deaths ... he says annually it's 100,000, but it's WAY less than that.

And, the most fundamental point ... do people with the flu go to Walter Reed and have more than a dozen doctors try to keep them alive by pumping them with experimental drugs and oxygen?

If it's just like the flu, why did Trump gasp for air after climbing a single flight of stairs when he returned to The White House?

It's clear ... Trump is actually doubling down with his head-in-the-sand approach to COVID. What's worse ... he's needlessly exposing White House staff to the virus. The idea that he took his mask off the second he arrived is just beyond any sense of compassion or basic human responsibility.

By the way ... in case you didn't hear, The White House is not doing any contact tracing for the Amy Coney Barrett event at which nearly a dozen people ended up with COVID.