Celebrity Death

Betty Wright, a supremely talented R&B singer who popularized the phrase, "No pain, no gain," has died.

Wright's cause of death was not announced when her niece confirmed the passing. Something was clearly wrong though because 2 days ago, Chaka Khan made a plea ... "Calling all my #PrayWarriors. My beloved sister, Betty Wright @MsBettyWright, is now in need of all your prayers."

Wright, whom some in the music industry called one of the most underrated singers of her time, was recently honored on TV One's, "Unsung."

Betty recorded so many songs, including her 1971 hit, "Clean Up Woman. She was only 18 when the song was released, and it turned out to be her biggest song ever. Other hits included "Let Me Be Your Lovermaker," "Shoorah Shoorah," "Tonight is the Night," and "Where is the Love."

Betty made a bold move in the '80s, launching her own independent label ... it had not been done before by a female artist. That's when she recorded "No Pain (No Gain)." Ever heard that phrase? Later she recorded "Mother Wit," and it went gold -- the first time an African-American female singer went gold on her own record label.

Wright became an inspiration to so many singers, including Mary J. Blige, The Roots and Joss Stone. Wright performed with Joss on her song, "The Art of Love and War."

In 2005, her 21-year-old son, Patrick, was shot and killed. She had 4 other children.

Betty was 66.

RIP

Little Richard, a giant in the early stages of Rock 'n' Roll and beyond, has died.

Richard had enormous influence over the genre, with insanely popular hits like the fantastically frenetic, "Tutti-Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally." The Beatles have credited Richard as being inspirational to the Fab Four.

Richard's bass guitarist, Charles Glenn, tells TMZ ... Richard had been sick for 2 months. He died at his Tennessee home, surrounded by his brother, sister and son. Glenn says he spoke with Richard March 27 and the singer asked him to come over and visit, but he couldn't because of the pandemic. Glenn says Richard was like a father to him. Richard would sometimes tell him, "Not to take anything away from your dad, but you're my son."

Richard was born Richard Wayne Penniman in 1932. Ironically, he was born in a depression and died in what feels like a depression.

His dad had disdain for Richard's sexuality and threw him out of the family home when he was just 13.

Richard's music was heavily influenced by the church. He sang gospel and learned the piano at his house of worship.

His first break came in 1951, when he performed at an ATL radio station and it caught the ear of record execs. Richard was signed to RCA. He didn't become successful while at the label, but it was a start.

But then, in 1955, Richard signed with Specialty Records, where he recorded "Tutti-Frutti" which became an immediate hit.

So many hits followed -- "Long Tall Sally," "Good Golly Miss Molly" and "Send Me Some Lovin'".

And, Richard tried his hand at movies, appearing in rock films like "Don't Knock the Rock," "The Girl Can't Help It" and "Mister Rock 'n' Roll."

In 1957, Richard shocked the world by quitting the rock biz and became part of the ministry, recording gospel. He recorded an album, "God is Real," in 1959.

He couldn't stay away for long. Richard came back in '64, after The Beatles re-recorded his hit "Long Tall Sally" with great success.

In 1964, following the Beatles’ recording of “Long Tall Sally,” Little Richard plunged back into rock music. Over the ensuing decades, Little Richard would continue to perform and record, but the public response failed to match the enthusiasm that greeted his earlier success.

Although he didn't achieve great success after that, his influence is irrefutable. He was one of the original inductees into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in '93, and got the Pioneer Award from the Rythm & Blues Foundation.

Richard suffered a heart attack in 2013. BTW, he took a baby aspirin and doctors told him that saved his life. He credited his survival to a higher power, saying, "Jesus had something for me. He brought me through."

Andre Harrell, a legendary music exec who gave Diddy his big break and, among many other accomplishments, ran Motown Records, is dead.

DJ D-Nice broke the news Friday night on Instagram Live. The cause of death is not yet known, but the day before his death Andre posted this ... "Whoever need a ride to 2021 ... we leave tomorrow morning," and ... "Skip the virus and Let's Pick it up again at the top of the year."

Andre's career began as half of the rap duo, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, back in 1981. Andre and Russell Simmons worked together and Andre ultimately became a veep for Def Jam Records.

But by 1986, Andre became restless and wanted a label of his own, and he did just that with Uptown Records. It was enormously successful, with artists like Teddy Riley, Al B. Sure, Heavy D and many others. He signed Mary J. Blige when she was a teenager. And, get this ... his former intern helped jump-start the label ... an intern named Sean "Puffy" Combs, who quickly became an exec for the label.

And, as they say, the rest is history. Combs discovered Notorious B.I.G., but it was short-lived. Combs was fired in '93 and created Bad Boy Records, bringing Biggie along for the ride. But, Andre and Diddy stayed close over the years. Andre was Vice-Chair of Revolt.

Andre made another move in '95, when he became the head of Motown.

But, there's more ... Andre went on to become E.P. of the series, "New York Undercover."

Tributes are pouring in ... Mariah Carey said, "Why Andre ... My heart is breaking and I can't stop crying. He was an amazing friend and I will miss him forever." DJ D-Nice said, "Truly heartbroken. Rest peacefully, Andre Harrell." Viola Davis ... " RIP Andre Harrell ... thank you for the gift of so many incredible artists. Gone too soon." And, Ava DuVernay tweeted, "Saluting Andre Harrell. The architect of so much music, so much culture."

Andre is survived by partner Wendy Credle and a son, Gianni Credle-Harrell.

Chris Cornell's widow, Vicky, is threatening members of her late husband's band, accusing them of making a fortune off Chris' back and then viciously attacking her and her kids and screwing them out of what's rightly theirs.

Vicky's lawyer, legal pit bull Marty Singer, fired off a blistering letter to the remaining members of the group, expressing outrage at their latest legal move -- accusing Vicky of stealing money from the Chris Cornell Tribute Concert. Singer says the claim is BS, noting almost 2 million bucks went to charity and overhead was only $43k.

Singer also claims the tribute to Chris lined the pockets of the band members, who demanded reimbursement for expenses. Singer clearly doesn't buy the "expenses" argument.

The demand letter, obtained by TMZ, calls the allegations against Vicky "mean spirited drivel." Singer says band members have tried to "brow-beat her into giving up the rights to her late husband's copyrighted works" by initiating a hate campaign, enlisting "cyber-stalkers and trolls" to harass not only Vicky but her kids.

The letter notes band members have liked defamatory, social media allegations ... like suggesting Vicky operates a brothel from her home and that she "pimped out" her daughter.

Vicky's lawyer succinctly said, "Shame on you and shame on your clients [who] have made millions of dollars off of Chris Cornell's hard work and talent."

The letter ends with a threat of a malicious prosecution lawsuit against not only the band members but their lawyer as well ... that is, unless the band immediately drops its fraud claim against Vicky.

Originally Published -- 6:15 AM PT

Brian Anthony Howe, the former lead vocalist for Bad Company, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Howe passed away Wednesday at his home in Florida. One of his relatives told TMZ ... Howe died from cardiac arrest ... possibly on his way to the hospital. He had heart issues ... the singer had a heart attack in 2017.

The 66-year-old singer's career launched when he worked on Ted Nugent's 1984 "Penetrator" album.

Howe replaced Paul Rodgers as the lead vocalist for Bad Company. Howe, who was also a songwriter, handled most of the writing for the album, "Holy Water," back in 1990 ... it made the top 40 and attained platinum status. It was the most successful album for the group, helped along by the hit song, "If You Needed Somebody."

The group's last album for Howe was in 1992 ... "Here Comes Trouble." The album went gold with a top 40 hit, "How About That." Howe left the group in 1994.

Howe went on to have a solo career, but it never reached the level of Bad Company.

Howe was 66.

He is survived by his sister Sandie and her husband, his son Michael and daughters Victoria & Ella, along with 3 grandchildren Kira, Alexandria, and Aurora.

RIP

Ashley Ross -- AKA Ms. Minnie from "Little Women: Atlanta" -- was all over the road before she struck another driver in the opposite lane, and ultimately suffered fatal injuries ... TMZ has learned.

We got a hold of the crash report, and it shows -- based on eyewitness testimony and the responding officer's observation ... Minnie lost control of her car while traveling southbound on one side of a highway, causing her to jerk the steering wheel right. Cops say she went off-road briefly before violently swinging back to the left and colliding with another vehicle in the opposite lane. Neither she nor the other driver were ejected.

The other driver was taken to a hospital with complaints of pain -- but the cops note, Minnie was unresponsive on the scene. She would later be pronounced dead.

The report also indicates that no drug or alcohol tests were administered to either driver. It does say, however, that Minnie was determined to be at fault in the crash.

As for cause of death ... the Fulton County Medical Examiner tells us there was no autopsy performed on Minnie, and no report is forthcoming either. We're told she'll likely be listed as having died from blunt force trauma from the accident.

Minnie's family is holding a memorial for her this weekend -- which only 10 of her closest loved ones will be able to attend in person due to quarantine guidelines. Everyone else can pay respect through a live stream, and the family is accepting flowers, cards and donations via different platforms.

We're also told her 'Little Women' costars plan to properly honor her on the show once they're up and shooting again.

Minnie was 34.

RIP

Vanessa Bryant was able to open one last letter from Kobe on her birthday ... revealing she waited until her special day to read an unopened envelope from her late husband.

"Yesterday I found an envelope labeled To: The Love of my Life. From, Tu Papi," Vanessa said. I waited to open one more letter on my birthday."

"It gave me something to look forward to today.❤️"

It's Vanessa's first birthday without the Lakers legend and their daughter, Gigi ... whose 14th birthday would have been May 1.

Vanessa's friends were quick to comment messages of support, including Lala Anthony who said:

"That's beautiful V. Today is your day. We celebrate you. We love you. We got your back forever. Happy happy birthday."

Michelle Williams from Destiny's Child added, "Sending you love today!! Happy birthday Vanessa."

Just a few days ago, Bryant asked friends, family and fans to show support for her daughter's birthday last week by wearing Gigi's favorite color, red.

Kobe and Gigi -- along with John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan -- were killed in a helicopter crash on January 26.

In her IG caption, Vanessa added, "Missing the Love of my Life and my sweet little Mamacita- my fellow Taurus. Grateful to wake up to my 3 sweet girls today. Wish we were all together."

Don Shula -- the NFL coaching legend who famously led the Miami Dolphins to a perfect season in 1972 -- has died at 90 years old.

"[Shula] passed away peacefully at his home this morning," the Dolphins said in a statement.

A cause of death was not immediately known.

"Don Shula was the patriarch of the Miami Dolphins for 50 years," the team said.

"He brought the winning edge to our franchise and put the Dolphins and the city of Miami in the national sports scene."

"Our deepest thoughts and prayers go out to Mary Anne along with his children Dave, Donna, Sharon, Anne and Mike."

Shula is one of football's all-time greats ... after a playing career as a defensive back in the NFL in the 1950s -- he went on to become a Hall of Fame coach.

Shula, the head man in Baltimore from 1963 to 1969 and then in Miami from 1970 to 1995, owns the record for most wins by an NFL coach EVER ... piling up 347 in his 33-year career.

Shula also won two Super Bowls as the coach of the 'Fins ... and is still the only man to ever coach an undefeated NFL team.

Don was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

RIP

Shula had a major impact on a ton of famous people. Some of them are posting tributes on social media including:

NFL commish Roger Goodell -- "Don Shula will always be remembered as one of the greatest coaches and contributors in the history of our game. He made an extraordinarily positive impact on so many lives."

"His iconic legacy will endure through his family and continue to inspire generations to come."

The Cleveland Browns -- who drafted Shula in 1951 -- shared the team's condolences ... saying, "We're proud of the fact that his football foundation was built in Ohio, starting at Harvey High School in Painesville, playing collegiately at John Carroll and then being drafted by the Browns."

"Coach Shula's contribution to our game are unmatched. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the entire Shula Family."

Magic Johnson -- "RIP NFL Hall of Fame Coach and 2X Super Bowl champion Don Shula! My prayers go out to his family."

Andrea Kremer -- "My deepest condolences on the passing of Don Shula ... As a professional I worked w/ him & got to know him well, even naming my dog Zonk, just like he did. RIP Coach."

Gov. Ron DeSantis -- "Coach Don Shula leaves behind an incomparable legacy as the NFL’s winningest coach and as the one who put Miami sports on the map."

Bill Cowher -- "We lost one of the most iconic men in the history of NFL coaching in Don Shula. His leadership and wisdom helped to guide me and many others who have made a life in coaching football. Thank you Coach Shula. May your spirit and legacy live on forever."

Former Oakland A's pitcher and "Real Housewives of Orange County" star Matt Keough has died.

His former team made the announcement that Matt passed on Saturday. The team did not reveal the cause of death.

Matt pitched for Oakland for 7 seasons. He received some notable awards ... 1978 All-Star rookie, 1980 American League Comeback Player of the Year. In addition to Oakland, Matt pitched for the Cardinals, Cubs, Astros and Yankees.

Matt was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in '81 with the other "Five Aces" ... 4 other members of the A's.

After baseball, Matt ventured into reality TV with his then-wife, Jeana ... they were cast members on "Real Housewives of Orange County." They married in 1984 and separated 20 years later. Despite the separation, they continued living together during the early seasons of "RHOC."

Matt had his share of legal trouble. He racked up 2 DUI's ... the second of which earned him a 1-year jail sentence. Interesting ... Jeana testified on Matt's behalf, even though their marriage was over, asking the judge to give him probation.

It's especially tragic for the family ... a few weeks back their daughter, Kara, had a son who died during childbirth from complications ... shoulder dystocias and a compressed umbilical cord.

Kara posted a tearful message ... "Daddy, please take care of my son. Teach him the circle changeup and how to find forever friends. You're on grandpa duty in heaven now. Xoxo, Hammerhead."

Matt leaves behind 3 kids. He was 64.

Sam Lloyd -- best known for playing kooky lawyer Ted Buckland on "Scrubs" -- has died.

Lloyd was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in January 2019 -- just weeks after he and his wife, Vanessa, welcomed their first child, Weston. After a year and a few months, he succumbed to the disease.

"Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence paid tribute to the actor Friday, saying ... "Thinking a lot about Sam Lloyd today. (Ted). Truly such a kind, sweet guy. He will be missed by so many."

Along with playing Ted, Lloyd was known for his roles on "Desperate Housewives," "Happy Together," "Shameless," "The West Wing" and "Modern Family." He also had guest spots on "Spin City" and "Seinfeld," and notable credits in films like "Galaxy Quest" and "Flubber."

Sam reprised his Ted character on another Lawrence show, "Cougar Town," as well.

And, get this ... the quartet he belonged to -- The Blanks, which was featured on "Scrubs" -- gained popularity from the show and toured after it ended.

The actor was also working on his own musical for over a decade before his brain tumor diagnosis -- called "With Pam & Gil."

Lloyd was 56.

Irrfan Khan -- Bollywood icon and star of films like "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Life of Pi" -- has died after battling cancer.

The Indian actor died Wednesday in a Mumbai hospital after being admitted to the ICU for a colon infection earlier this week.

His rep says ... "Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him."

Khan revealed in March 2018 that he had been diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine tumor, an abnormal growth that begins in the body's specialized neuroendocrine cells. We're told he'd been getting chemotherapy in London and traveling back and forth to India in recent months.

Khan is one of India's most famous and beloved actors, and has more than 150 Bollywood and Hollywood credits to his name.

He attended the National School of Drama in New Delhi and started his acting career soon after, playing mainly supporting roles for more than a decade. He had his big break in early 2000s, though ... racking up awards for his starring role in the 2003 film, "Haasil."

Irrfan went on to star in other award-winning films such as "Like In A….Metro" before busting onto the international scene in 2008 when he appeared in the Oscar hit, "Slumdog Millionaire."

He then landed a starring role in the acclaimed "Life of Pi," and would go on to appear in movies like "The Amazing Spider-Man," "Jurassic World" and "Inferno."

Sadly, the actor's mother also died last week, but he was unable to attend her funeral due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.

Priyanka Chopra is one of many Bollywood stars to post a tribute to Khan.

Irrfan is survived by his wife and 2 children.

He was 53.

All eyez are on Tupac Shakur in Kentucky ... where he's alive and well, and waiting on an unemployment check.

An unemployed Kentucky resident was accused by Gov. Andy Beshear of pulling an unemployment benefit prank, but it turns out the guy really does bear the famous rapper's name, and he really is down on his luck.

The Governor called out Pac Monday night, saying someone applied for unemployment for Tupac Shakur in his state. Beshear scolded "bad apples" for playing jokes and holding up people's money -- but now he's got egg on his face.

Kentucky's Tupac isn't trying to live the thug life ... he's just a 46-year-old Lexington resident who lost his restaurant gig due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sorry, Guv ... he's had the famous name since the late '90s, so he's not using it just to fool the system.

Tupac, who prefers his middle name, Malik, says he was hurt, embarrassed and shocked by the Governor's comments -- but says Beshear called him Tuesday to apologize and all is forgiven.

He understands Beshear's dealing with a lot -- nearly 24 percent of the state's workforce has filed for unemployment -- and mistakes happen. Still, Pac says he's still waiting on a check, and it's been over a month since he filed.

Shakur legally changed his name, and says people get a kick out of it and think it's cool ... but he never envisioned it would hold up an unemployment check.

C'mon Kentucky ... hit him up!!!

"Little Women: Atlanta" star Ashley Ross -- better known as Ms. Minnie -- has died from injuries suffered in a car accident ... but TMZ has learned there's a dispute about what caused it.

Minnie's management team says the reality TV star "succumbed to injuries from a tragic hit and run car accident." The wreck reportedly happened around 11 PM Sunday outside Atlanta. While the rep is saying it was a hit-and-run, cops investigating the accident tell TMZ ... it appears Ms. Minnie lost control of her Nissan Sentra and swerved into opposing traffic.

Cops say she struck a Ford Focus, and the driver of that car suffered minor injuries. Ms. Minnie was seriously injured and transported to Grady Memorial Hospital. She died there nearly 24 hours later.

Her family confirmed her passing with a statement posted on her Instagram account. Ross had been on Lifetime's spinoff of "Little Women: LA" since it started in 2016. Several of her cast members posted condolences and memories of her after hearing about her death.

Minnie is survived by her mother, grandmother, aunt, uncle and other family members.

She was 34.

Bill Withers died after suffering a cardiopulmonary arrest, which was complicated by COPD and arrhythmia ... according to his death certificate.

According to the doc, obtained by TMZ, the iconic soul singer's immediate cause of death is a cardiopulmonary arrest. The underlying causes are listed as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bradyarrhythmia.

Withers died on March 30 at 10:44 AM at Providence Tarzana Regional Medical Center. The doc also notes he had 49 years in the entertainment biz, and says he was laid to rest at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in L.A.

As we reported, at the time of his death, Bill's family described him as ... "A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other."

Well, that he absolutely did ... with a string of hits including "Lean On Me," "Lovely Day" and "Ain't No Sunshine."

Bill's death came just as people were leaning on the 3-time Grammy Award winner's music ... finding inspiration in quarantine. In particular, there have been spontaneous neighborhood sing-alongs of "Lean On Me" lifting spirits.

Bill was 81.