Celebrity Death

Hip Hop luminary and producer DJ Clark Kent died on Thursday evening after a lengthy fight with colon cancer ... his family confirmed today.

According to their statement, the 58-year-old tried-and-true NYC native -- born Rodolfo A. Franklin -- passed away surrounded by his wife Kesha, daughter Kabriah and son Antonio, AKA Mage.

The family revealed Clark Kent quietly fought colon cancer for 3 years but still managed to spread his love for rap throughout the globe, and asked for prayers and privacy as they grieve together.

Rudy May, a former New York Yankees pitcher who once led the American League in ERA, has died at the age of 80, the club announced on Friday.

While the cause of May's death isn't known, a report on social media indicates he was "suffering from diabetes for a long time."

May's passing comes just before the start of the most anticipated World Series in decades ... featuring baseball's two biggest stars, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, from arguably the two most popular teams.

Phil Lesh, co-founder and bassist for The Grateful Dead, has died ... his official Instagram account announced Friday.

According to the update, Phil, who worked closely with late frontman Jerry Garcia for 3 decades, passed away "peacefully" Friday morning surrounded by his family.

The statement continued ... "Phil brought immense joy to everyone around him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love. We request that you respect the Lesh family’s privacy at this time."

Matthew Perry's mom, Suzanne Morrison, is opening up about her bond with her late son -- revealing it had suddenly taken a turn for the better ... almost as if he had a premonition about what was coming.

In a preview of an upcoming episode of "TODAY," set to air in full on October 28 -- the one-year anniversary of Matthew's death -- Suzanne recalled a particularly touching conversation with her son, who told her, "I love you so much, and I'm so happy to be with you now."

Suzanne emotionally explained ... "It was almost as though it was a premonition of something. I didn't think about it at the time, but I thought, 'How long has it been since we've had a conversation like that? It's been years.'"

Nicole Scherzinger stayed friends with Liam Payne right up until his death ... with one of her Broadway colleagues revealing the two texted on the day he died.

Andrew Lloyd Webber -- famed composer of some of the biggest Broadway shows ever -- sat down for an interview with Billboard to talk about the "Sunset Boulevard" revival running on Broadway. Nicole stars in the show, and Andrew touted her for her composure.

Lloyd Webber says a chief example of this came on the day Liam passed ... saying Liam and Nicole were sending messages back and forth in the afternoon. She found out he passed just before the show -- but, still went out and put on a great performance for reviewers.

MLB great Pete Rose will be laid to rest in November ... with his family hosting a 14-hour visitation for fans at the Cincinnati Reds' Great American Ball Park.

The team revealed the plans on Thursday ... stating it will be an all-day event -- from 7 AM to 9 PM, symbolizing Charlie Hustle's jersey number.

It will be free and open to the public ... with the Reds saying they would like fans to "come together, honor his incredible legacy, and say their goodbye."

Ángel Salazar, who famously played Al Pacino's henchman Chi Chi in "Scarface," died from acute intoxication from drug use ... including cocaine, TMZ has learned.

A rep for the NY Chief Medical Examiner's office tells TMZ ... Salazar passed from the combined effects of cocaine, cyclobenzaprine -- a muscle relaxant -- and diphenhydramine, a type of antihistamine. However, arteriosclerosis, a type of vascular disease, and hypertensive cardiovascular disease were also listed as contributing factors in the actor's death.

Following these results, the M.E. ruled Salazar's death as accidental.

One small item found in Liam Payne's hotel room is getting a lot of attention from cops investigating his death, because it might unlock the mystery of who helped him score drugs ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources in Buenos Aires tell us ... authorities are now investigating the possibility a hotel employee delivered drugs to Liam, which has them focusing on a Dove soap box found in the room, and seen very clearly in a photograph taken after Liam's deadly fall.

The box was on the same table where cops also found drugs and paraphernalia -- tinfoil used to ingest drugs, as well as white powder.

Police in Argentina are moving full steam ahead in the Liam Payne death investigation ... raiding the hotel where the former One Direction singer plunged to his death.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops in Buenos Aires showed up at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel Wednesday night to review electronic and paper records following the October 16 tragedy in which Liam fell from the third-floor balcony of his room into a courtyard.

Our sources say Liam's initial autopsy results revealed he had "pink cocaine" in his system, a dangerous cocktail of various drugs such as meth, ecstasy and ketamine, as well as other narcotics.

Ron Ely -- star of the 1960s TV show -- "Tarzan" has died ... this, according to a statement from his daughter Wednesday.

Ely's daughter, Kirsten, tells TMZ he passed away at home at the age of 86 peacefully surrounded by family on September 29th ... and went on to pay an emotional tribute to him in a lengthy IG post, remembering him as one of the greatest men to ever live -- and, a personal idol of hers.

She says her dad always brought a wave of positivity with him wherever he went ... saying his life story was one of relentless perseverance to do what was right, adding she's doing her best to walk in her father's footsteps.

Liam Payne’s heartbroken girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, shared an emotional tribute to the late star, revealing she and the “love of her life” were planning to tie the knot next year.

Kate dropped a carousel of pics of her and Liam on IG Wednesday, along with a heartfelt message saying just weeks earlier he had given her a note he told her not to open at the time -- declaring he hoped to marry her within a year.

Kate wrote, "Liam, I know we'll be together forever, but not in the way we planned. You'll always be with me. I've gained a guardian angel."

Liam Payne's father is offering to help police in Argentina get to the bottom of his son's death.

Geoff Payne has been in Buenos Aires since Friday, flying in from the United Kingdom two days after his son's death, and visiting the memorial to the late One Direction singer.

Argentina's National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office No. 14 announced Tuesday that Liam's father met with officials and was briefed on the investigation ... and they say Geoff told them he would be willing to tell them everything he knows about his son's life in order to help the investigation.

Michael Newman, best known for his role as lifeguard Mike "Newmie" Newman on "Baywatch," has died ... 18 years after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

He died from heart complications Sunday night, surrounded by family and friends -- with the tragic news confirmed Tuesday by his friend Matt Felker, who helmed Hulu's recent "Baywatch" documentary.

Matt told PEOPLE, "I got to see Mike the last time he was conscious, and he looked [at] me and in typical Mike fashion said, 'You're just in time.'" Felker also posted a lengthy tribute to Michael on his IG.

Liam Payne had multiple substances in his system when he died in Argentina, including a mix of drugs known as "pink cocaine" ... according to the initial results from his autopsy.

Law enforcement sources in Buenos Aires tell TMZ ... the toxicology results for the late One Direction singer are in, and they show he had cocaine and crack in his body when he fell to his death from a third-floor balcony at a Buenos Aires, Argentina hotel.

Forensic examiners, we're told, also found "Cristal" in his blood, which is the Argentinian version of methamphetamine. ABC News first reported the news, adding that ketamine, ecstasy and "pink cocaine" were also part of the drug cocktail in his system.

Justin Bieber is thinking of Liam Payne and his fans in the days following the One Direction alum's death ... encouraging those who love the singer to grieve as they see fit.

The pop star posted on his Instagram Stories Monday, where he addressed Liam's passing by sharing a fan video featuring the many vigils assembled in LP's honor.

A caption on the clip read ... "Rest Easy Liam."

Cops in Argentina are digging deep to get answers in Liam Payne's death, and TMZ has learned they're questioning all the employees at the hotel where he fatally fell from his third-story balcony.

Law enforcement sources in Buenos Aires tell TMZ ... cops are focusing on one hotel employee in particular who they suspect might have supplied the late singer with anti-anxiety meds reportedly found in Liam's room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel.

We’re told police are investigating to determine whether the employee supplied Liam with any of the drugs found in his system -- including cocaine, crack, ketamine, ecstasy and a form of crystal meth called "cristal" -- according to initial autopsy results.