RIP

The Mississippi State football team will pay tribute to the late Mike Leach during its bowl game on Monday ... by wearing custom pirate helmets in honor of the legendary college coach.

The Bulldogs just unveiled the special lids to pay tribute to the coach's famous "Pirate" nickname ... hours before they play Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

The maroon and white helmets feature a flag with a skull and an eye patch ... with Leach's initials "ML" centered in between two swords.

Mississippi State released a hype video ahead of Monday's contest ... showing off the helmets with the caption, "Swing. Your. Sword."

The stadium's iconic pirate ship also has a memorial set up for Coach ... including flowers and a framed picture.

As we reported, the legendary head coach died in December ... due to complications from a heart condition. He was 61. The loss shocked the entire football community ... with former players, coaches and colleagues sharing their condolences.

The school is encouraging fans to arrive at the stadium early ... as officials plan to honor Leach's life and legacy throughout the game.

Boosie Badazz is offering a very unique -- but also uneducated and uninformed -- take on America's opioid epidemic ... urging drug users to revert back to crack, instead of fentanyl, which might be connected to rap's most recent loss.

The outspoken Louisiana rapper hopped on social media to urge addicts to stick to crack ... claiming they live longer and are even better comedians than your average junkie.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl helped increase drug overdoses by 22% in 2021, while also driving down the U.S. life expectancy to its lowest point since 1996.

Boosie didn't mention her by name, but posted his video shortly after it was confirmed Three 6 Mafia member Gangsta Boo died in Memphis.

Sources close to the trailblazing female rap legend told TMZ Hip Hop police are investigating a possible drug overdose related to a fentanyl-laced substance ... but can't be sure until an official autopsy is conducted.

Boosie's ridiculous video doesn't account for the fact many fentanyl overdoses occur when users don't even know it's been laced in a different drug.

Thousands of fans poured into Brazilian streets on Monday morning to pay their respects to Pele -- as the funeral for the late soccer legend got underway at a famed football stadium in Santos.

People decked out in #10 jerseys and clad in yellow and green attire lined up to get a glimpse of the former footballer's coffin at Urbano Caldeira Stadium ... and some camped out for hours to be the first allowed into the ceremony.

For the services, Pele's body was placed under a tent on the field at the venue -- the same place where he scored hundreds of goals for Santos FC for nearly two decades.

Early on, Pele's family members were seen standing by his casket -- hugging and kissing him.

Many soccer stars from across the globe are expected to attend the funeral later on.

The whole ceremony is being live streamed ... and is expected to last several hours before Pele is laid to rest at the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica cemetery.

As we reported, Pele died at a hospital in Sao Paolo on Thursday ... after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Lola Mitchell, AKA Gangsta Boo -- a former member of Three 6 Mafia and a pioneer of female rap -- has died.

The hip hop star's passing was confirmed by her former labelmate DJ Paul -- who threw up a photo of her on IG ... seemingly as a tribute. Several prominent artists commented with messages of condolences. The exact circumstances surrounding her death are unknown.

Gangsta Boo's career officially started in the '90s, when she linked up with Paul, Juicy J and other founding members of the rap group -- which included the likes of Lord Infamous, Crunchy Black, Koopsta Knicca and more. Gangsta Boo was one of the only female rappers with the crew, but she held her own and paved her own lane for years as part of T6M.

In addition to her own solo albums that she was cranking out at the time -- to much acclaim -- Gangsta was also featured on Three 6 Mafia's first 5 studio albums ... including their debut record in '95's "Mystic Stylez" ... as well as other notable projects like 'Chapter 1,' 'When the Smoke Clears' and even the 'Choices' album that served as the soundtrack to the movie.

Gangsta Boo left Three 6 in the early 2000s, but went on to have a notable career thereafter -- cranking out another solo studio album, and several mixtapes through the rest of the aughts and 2010s. This, of course, doesn't include the countless features she's been a part of -- working with rap titans like Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, OutKast, E-40, T.I., The Game and more.

She continued rapping into the 2020s as well ... often collaborating with Killer Mike and El-P in their hip hop duo Run The Jewels. Gangsta Boo was also continuing to partner up with different media outlets to put out music, such as UPROXX and others.

Gangsta Boo was a staple in the Memphis community and music scene -- and seems to have been beloved by the people there. She was active on social media quite recently.

She was 43.

RIP

Anita Pointer, one of the founders of the iconic group bearing her name, has died.

Anita's rep tells TMZ ... her death was the result of a "somewhat lengthy and heroic battle with cancer." We're told she died peacefully at home Saturday, surrounded by her family.

The Pointer Sisters formed in the late '60s after Anita quit her job as a secretary and formed the soon-to-be-famous group with her sisters Bonnie, June and Ruth.

They became one of the most popular groups in the '70s, with iconic hit after hit.

To name a few ... "I'm So Excited," "Jump," "Slow Hand," "Fire," "He's So Shy," and "Neutron Dance." If you haven't heard all these songs, you should take a listen, because they're awesome.

The group won Grammys and many other awards, and they were the first African American group to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.

Anita's sister and group member Ruth, along with brothers Aaron and Fritz, said,  "While we are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter, Jada and her sisters June & Bonnie and at peace."

They went on ...  "She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long. Her love of our family will live on in each of us. Please respect our privacy during this period of grief and loss. Heaven is a more loving beautiful place with Anita there."

Jeremiah Green, co-founder and drummer for Modest Mouse, has died just days after the band announced he was battling stage 4 cancer.

The group made the announcement on New Year's Eve, saying ... "I don’t know a way to ease into this: Today we lost our dear friend Jeremiah. He laid down to rest and simply faded out. I’d like to say a bunch of pretty words right now, but it just isn’t the time. These will come later, and from many people. Please appreciate all the love you give, get, have given, and will get. Above all, Jeremiah was about love. We love you."

As we reported, Jeremiah was in treatment for cancer and all indications were it was going well. The band had asked fans to think of Jeremiah because they felt the positive energy would work.

Jeremiah and Isaac Brock found the group in 1992 and for the most part -- except for a short break in 2003 -- Green stayed in the band.

He was listed as #37 of the top 50 best rock drummers by Stylus Mag.

The band had success ... it was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the Grammys in 2005.

Modest Mouse released 7 albums, including "This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About." Music aside, it's one of the best titles ever! Some of their songs, including, "Lampshades on Fire," "Float On," "Ocean Breathes Salty," and "Dashboard" were especially popular.

Taylor Hawkins' death has loomed large in the world of the Foo Fighters for much of 2022 -- but as the new year fast approaches, the band says they're moving forward as a unit.

A message was posted to FF's socials Saturday, serving as a tribute to their late drummer ... who died earlier this spring while overseas. It's a heartfelt note honoring Taylor, but it also seems to be a sign of the next chapter for Dave Grohl and co. as they head into 2023.

Their post reads, "As we say goodbye to the most difficult and tragic year that our band has ever known, we are reminded of how thankful we are for the people that we love and cherish most, and for the loved ones who are no longer with us."

They go on to explain that their band was formed 27 years ago as a representation of what it has come to be through their fanbase and peers -- a music community for people to express all the highs and lows of life ... for which Foo Fighters say they're eternally grateful.

FF adds, "Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were -- and without Taylor, we know we're going to be a different band going forward. We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he meant to you. And we know that when we see you again -- and we will soon -- he'll be there in spirit with all of us every night."

In other words, Foo Fighters is going to continue performing ... and it appears they're going to replace Taylor on percussion. As for who that may end up being, it remains to be seen.

The band has been doing several shows over the past few months to pay their respects for Taylor ... and there have been a lot of drummers who've filled in, including Dave himself ... and even Taylor's own son, Oliver, stepped up during one performance.

The tribute shows have spanned the globe, but now ... it appears Foo Fighters is ready to turn the page. It's a tough decision obviously -- while they could just as easily shutter the band, the fact is ... they're still incredibly popular and in high demand among music lovers.

Taylor died in Colombia in March. Medical experts say a number of substances were found in his system, and his death was reportedly ruled as an overdose by the authorities there.

He was 50.

Former Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has died after a battle with health issues due to his advanced age.

95-year-old Benedict passed away on New Year's Eve morning inside his home at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican City, just outside Italy.

The Vatican did not provide a specific cause of death ... but several days ago the current Bishop of Rome -- Pope Francis -- publicly stated Benedict was "very sick."

Benedict's body will be on display in the church of Saint Peter's Basilica the morning of January 2 ... "so the faithful can bid farewell," a Vatican official said. Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced in the coming hours.

Benedict was elected pope in 2005, but he stepped down from the papacy in 2013 at 85, citing his old age and fragility. He was the first pope in 600 years to resign from the office. But, he was also the longest-living pope, springboarding over Pope Leo XIII in 2020.

During his tenure, Benedict was best known as a top theologian in the church and was branded "God's Rottweiler" because of his staunch conservative Roman Catholic beliefs. He was adamantly opposed to secularizing the church, promoting women as priests and "normalizing" homosexuality.

In addition, he took an historic trip to Ground Zero in NYC to pray with the families of the victims who perished during the 9/11 attacks.

After his retirement, Benedict continued to advise his more liberal successor Pope Francis, who had shown an interest in helping the LGBTQ community. In 2016, Benedict's conservative influence seemed to take hold of Francis, who, suddenly, became a hard-liner on the issue of schools teaching kids they can choose their gender.

“We must think about what Pope Benedict said — ‘It’s the epoch of sin against God the Creator,’” Francis said at the time.

Born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger on April 16, 1927, Benedict grew up under Nazi rule in Marktl, Germany. He was against Hitler, but, as a teen, forced to join the "Hitler Youth" and subsequently enlisted in the German army. He was sent to the front lines to fight in World War II, but he deserted his post as Germany fell to the Allies.

He returned home and entered a seminary, starting him down the path toward becoming the pope. He was ordained as a priest on June 29, 1951.

He was 95.

Barbara Walters -- one of the biggest and most recognizable news anchors in the world -- has died.

We're told she died at her home, surrounded by loved ones. Barbara had been in declining health for several years.

The legendary ABC broadcaster passed away Friday in New York City. Barbara had receded from public view the past several years, opting to live a private life. She hadn't been seen out and about since at least 2016.

Barbara's 60-plus-year career was in part catapulted by her coverage of President John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963. She came on-air to report on the story alongside anchor Hugh Downs, giving a man-on-the-street perspective from New York City.

Of course, she went on to become one of the longest-serving journalists in the game -- first working for NBC's "Today" show as a writer and researcher, and working her way up in the network through the '60s and early '70s, eventually becoming their first female cohost.

In 1976, Barbara jumped over to ABC ... landing a job on their "Evening News" program. She was the first woman to anchor a network news show, but her cohost was not having it and it made success almost impossible. Not long after, she became a fixture and regular contributor and the eventual host of the network's "20/20" newsmagazine program and appeared on the show for decades.

Some of her biggest interviews were featured on "20/20," as well as other shows, which included notable face-to-face convos with folks like Katharine Hepburn, Fidel Castro, Monica Lewinsky, Michael Jackson, Patrick Swayze, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, Oprah, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, China's ex-secretary of the Communist Party, Jiang Zemin, Vladimir Putin, John Wayne, Mike Tyson, Barbra Streisand, Lucille Ball, Muhammad Ali, Fred Astaire, Henry Kissinger, Ringo Starr, Walter Cronkite, Willie Nelson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Christopher Reeve, Hugo Chavez, Tom Cruise, Anna Wintour, Justin Bieber, Syrian Prez Bashar al-Assad and every single American President. The list goes on and on and on.

If you can think of a famous person, Barbara probably interviewed them, plain and simple.

Her achievements go well beyond just that though -- Walters also co-created and cohosted ABC's popular daytime talk show, "The View," which became one of her main focuses professionally after semi-retiring from hosting "20/20" in 2004. She stayed on "The View" through mid-May 2014, and continued to make guest appearances after her official send-off.

Barbara's final on-air interview was with Donald Trump for ABC News in 2015. Her last public appearance was reportedly in 2016 -- she hadn't been seen much since then. The last time we got her on camera was in 2014 when she graciously signed autographs.

She'd been married four times and had dated some very high-profile people, including notorious McCarthy-era attorney Roy Cohn, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, U.S. Senator John Warner, Senator Edward Brooke, Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Neil Butler.

She had one daughter with Lee Guber, Jacqueline Dena Guber.

Barbara was a staple in pop culture too -- often portrayed on 'SNL' by several different cast members over the years. She also once spoofed herself by appearing on 'Weekend Update.'

She was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1989 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in '07. Barbara has won countless Daytime and Primetime Emmy Awards over the course of her career, as well as many other lifetime achievement accolades.

Barbara's publicist, Cindi Berger, tells TMZ ... "She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists but for all women."

Barbara Walters was 93.

Coolio's family got a supercool headstone so they can pay their respects to the rap legend ... and it includes an homage to his most famous song.

The late rapper was cremated, but we're told his family wanted to make a headstone so they had a physical place to go to remember him.

The family enlisted Cemetery Tim, who has also done headstones for Nate Dogg, Eazy E and Anthony Johnson.

Cemetery Tim tells TMZ ...  he was put in touch with Coolio's girlfriend Mimi about making a headstone, and he delivered it this week to the family and it's since been set in the ground at an undisclosed location in Los Angeles.

As you can see, the headstone has a few images of Coolio plus a Hollywood Walk of Fame star ... and the bottom reads, "I'm home now in gangsta's paradise."

We're told Coolio's headstone is in a private area that's not open to the public, so the family can pay their respects.

Tim says he does a lot of headstones for folks who are cremated ... the reason being families like to create a marker or memorial for a loved one who isn't buried.

YouTube powerhouse Keenan Cahill, famous for his lip-synch videos with celebrities, has died.

Keenan's manager, David Graham, tells TMZ ... Keenan had open heart surgery on Dec. 15 but there were complications from the procedure and he was put on life support. We're told Keenan died Thursday afternoon in a Chicago hospital after being taken off life support.

Keenan had a huge following on social media ... we're told he was one of the first YouTube influencers to rack up over 500 million views on his channel.

50 Cent actually helped take Keenan's career to the next level ... they did a surprise collab on the rapper's "Down On Me" song, opening the door for Keenan to work with other celebs.

Keenan's Rolodex was pretty impressive ... he also worked with Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, David Guetta, Britney Spears, Jason Derulo, LMFAO and Tyra Banks, just to name a few.

Keenan was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder when he was a baby, Maroteaux–Lamy syndrome, a progressive condition that causes organs and tissues to enlarge, become scarred or inflamed. Some people who have Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome can also have heart issues, which appears to be the case here.

He was 27.

Actor Bob Penny, who scored minor roles in the films "Forrest Gump" and "Sweet Home Alabama," has died.

Bob passed away in Huntsville, Alabama on Christmas Day, according to an online obit from Laughlin Service Funeral Home. His cause of death was not disclosed.

Penny was a bit part actor in dozens of films and TV shows during his long career stretching back to the '80s. Some of his movie credits include, “Mississippi Burning,” “My Cousin Vinny” and “The Legend of Bagger Vance." He played a “crony” in “Forrest Gump,” and a bumbling, small-town lawyer in “Sweet Home Alabama." He also landed a role in the TV series “In the Heat of the Night.”

He began his acting career doing TV commercials for a local department store and ad campaigns for The United Way.

Bob was 87.

Sonya Eddy's dead, but her Twitter account is still very much alive ... her page is posting cryptic tweets every day, and the company behind it says its hands are tied.

The late "General Hospital" actress has an app linked to her Twitter account that automatically posts her horoscope every day ... and it's still churning out tweets despite her recent death, with confused fans replying to her tweets in droves.

Some of the horoscopes are pretty creepy, like this one from three days after her death ... "Today could reveal some unexpected rewards."

The app Sonya's official Twitter account is using is called Twittascope ... and honchos at the company that owns Twittascope say they can't do anything to stop the tweets.

For Sonya's account to stop posting daily horoscopes, we're told someone with access to her page will have to manually go in and disable the Twittascope app in her account settings.

As we reported ... Sonya died Dec. 19 after being hospitalized with a serious infection.

The past year will be remembered for many shocking events ... but this time, we remember celebrities who tragically died in the year 2022.

The Hip Hop world took a huge hit when Takeoff was shot dead ... same with PnB Rock, who was gunned down earlier this year. Coolio's death also came as shock to many.

Aaron Carter left the world too soon, when he was found dead in his bathtub ... and the death of actress Anne Heche rocked all of Hollywood and beyond, when she crashed her car into a home, causing a massive fire and trapping her inside.

Leslie Jordan also died behind the wheel, after investigators believe he suffered some sort of medical emergency ... leaving a huge hole in all of comedy. As did Louie Anderson and Bob Saget, who was found dead in his hotel room.

The list, unfortunately, continues with Olivia Newton-John, who died after losing her battle with cancer ... ditto for Kirstie Alley and Tom Parker.

Hollywood also suffered a huge loss when Stephen "tWitch" Boss died by suicide.

Others who are gone but not forgotten include ... Naomi Judd, Ray Liotta, "Friends" actor Mike Hagerty, "Toddlers & Tiaras" star Kailia Posey, Ivana Trump, André Leon Talley and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Of course, the longest-serving monarch in British history, Queen Elizabeth II, left her legacy behind when she died, this year, at the age of 96.

Vivienne Westwood -- whose fashion designs are largely credited for bringing punk styles to the mainstream -- has died.

A statement from Westwood's team announced she died Thursday peacefully and surrounded by loved ones in South London. The statement reads, "Vivienne continued to do the things she loved, up until the last moment, designing, working on her art, writing her book, and changing the world for the better."

It continues, "She led an amazing life. Her innovation and impact over the last 60 years has been immense and will continue into the future."

The statement says, "Vivienne considered herself a Taoist. She wrote, "Tao spiritual system. There was never more need for the Tao today. Tao gives you a feeling that you belong to the cosmos and gives purpose to your life; it gives you such a sense of identity and strength to know you're living the life you can live and therefore ought to be living: make full use of your character and full use of your life on earth."

Finally stating, "The world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better."

Westwood got her first recognition thanks to a boutique she and Malcolm McLaren, who managed the Sex Pistols, ran in the UK called SEX. From there, she continued to open shops in London and then around the world.

Later on in her career, she collabed with Pharrell Williams, wedding looks for Princess Eugenie and even designed uniforms for Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic crew.

Westwood was 81.

Brazilian soccer legend Pelé -- arguably the greatest football player ever -- has died.

The three-time World Cup winner passed away at a hospital in Sao Paulo surrounded by loved ones following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Pelé was initially diagnosed with the disease in 2021, and had been in and out of medical facilities over the past year to help him fight it. But, sadly, his condition worsened recently ... forcing him to spend the last two months in a hospital bed.

Pelé was able to watch the 2022 World Cup in his final days ... and even penned a congratulations post on his social media page to Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe after the epic Argentina vs. France final last weekend.

He had also written an emotional note to Neymar after a huge performance for Brazil earlier in the famed tournament.

Pelé joined Brazil's national team when he was just 16 years old ... and won his first-ever World Cup at age 17 in 1958. He went on to lead Brazil to two more titles in the event, winning it all in 1962 and 1970.

He's widely regarded as one of the best goal scorers ever -- with Cristiano Ronaldo previously calling him "the greatest player in football history."

He was 82.