RIP

Toby Keith -- the iconic country music singer -- has died after a battle with stomach cancer.

Keith passed away Monday night while surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted to his Facebook page.

"He fought his fight with grace and courage," the message read, alluding to his serious health issues.

In June 2022, Keith announced he had been diagnosed with cancer the previous fall and was receiving chemo and radiation therapy, as well as having surgery.

At the time, he said he was doing well, but he needed time to "breathe, recover and relax."

As you know, Keith was one of the biggest names in country music. Throughout his three-decade career, he released 24 studio and compilation albums and 2 Christmas records, generating $40 million in worldwide music sales.

Keith also produced 61 tracks that appeared on the Billboard Hot Country Songs, with 20 of them hitting number one and 22 others landing in the top ten.

Some of his most recognizable tunes were "Who's Your Daddy?," "Made In America," "Should Have Been A Cowboy," "As Good As I Once Was," and "Beer for My Horses," a 2005 duet with Willie Nelson.

Born in Oklahoma, Keith landed his first record deal in 1993 after being employed as a rodeo hand, a roughneck and playing semiprofessional football. He worked around the clock, once telling former TV news anchor, Dan Rather, "I didn't take many vacations the first 20 years of my adult life."

Using his intense work ethic, Keith cranked out album after album and became a household name in 2002, when he released a controversial song, "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)." He wrote the tune in response to the 9/11 attacks and the death of his disabled veteran father in a vehicle accident the same year.

Keith went on to perform numerous shows for US military officers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as three former American presidents, namely Donald Trump, Barack Obama and George W. Bush. At his performances, Keith was known to dole out gifts to wheelchair-bound veterans wounded in combat.

In 2021, then-President Trump honored Keith with the National Medal of Arts award, which is "the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government," according to the National Endowment for the Arts.

Last September, Keith took home the Country Music Icon Award at the People's Choice Country Awards 2023. After accepting the statue, he gave a speech that brought some levity to his cancer diagnosis and stunning weight loss, saying, "Bet you thought you'd never see me in skinny jeans."

Fun fact for Swifties -- Taylor Swift was actually a huge fan of Toby's, and he played a big role in getting her career in country music started. Per reports, he helped sign her to her first record label, Big Machine Records, and was partially responsible for launching her career.

There's an old interview showing Taylor gush about Toby ... and how she'd always be star-struck by him.

Toby is survived by his wife, Tricia, and three children, Shelley, Krystal and Stelen. He was 62.

Toby Keith, el icónico cantante de música country, ha fallecido después de una batalla contra el cáncer de estómago.

Keith falleció el lunes por la noche mientras estaba rodeado de su familia, según un comunicado publicado en su página de Facebook.

"Peleó su batalla con gracia y coraje", rezaba el mensaje, en alusión a sus graves problemas de salud.

En junio de 2022, Keith anunció que había sido diagnosticado de cáncer el otoño anterior y que estaba recibiendo quimio y radioterapia, además de someterse a cirugía.

En ese momento, dijo que estaba bien, pero que necesitaba tiempo para "respirar, recuperarse y relajarse".

Como saben, Keith fue uno de los nombres más grandes de la música country. A lo largo de sus tres décadas de carrera, lanzó 24 álbumes de estudio y recopilatorios y dos discos de Navidad, generando 40 millones de dólares en ventas en todo el mundo.

Keith también produjo 61 canciones que aparecieron en la lista Billboard Hot Country Songs, 20 de ellas en el número uno y otras 22 entre las diez primeras.

Algunas de sus canciones más conocidas son "Who's Your Daddy?", "Made In America", "Should Have Been A Cowboy", "As Good As I Once Was" y "Beer for My Horses", un dúo de 2005 con Willie Nelson.

Nacido en Oklahoma, Keith consiguió su primer contrato discográfico en 1993, después de trabajar como peón de rodeo, en un pozo petrolífero y jugador semiprofesional de fútbol americano. Trabajaba sin descanso y una vez le dijo al ex presentador de televisión, Dan Rather: "No me tomé muchas vacaciones los primeros 20 años de mi vida adulta".

Gracias a su intensa ética de trabajo, Keith produjo un álbum tras otro y se convirtió en un nombre muy conocido en 2002, cuando lanzó una controvertida canción, "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)". Esta canción la escribió en respuesta a los atentados del 11 de septiembre y a la muerte de su padre, un veterano discapacitado, en un accidente vehicular ese mismo año.

Keith ofreció numerosos conciertos para militares estadounidenses que sirvieron en Afganistán e Irak, así como para tres ex presidentes de Estados Unidos: Donald Trump, Barack Obama y George W. Bush. En sus actuaciones, Keith era conocido por repartir regalos a veteranos en silla de ruedas heridos en combate.

En 2021, el entonces presidente Trump honró a Keith con el premio Medalla Nacional de las Artes, que es "el más alto galardón otorgado a artistas y mecenas de las artes por el gobierno de los Estados Unidos", según la Fundación Nacional de las Artes.

El pasado mes de septiembre, Keith se llevó a casa el premio Icono de la Música Country en los People's Choice Country Awards 2023. Después de aceptar la estatuilla, dio un discurso para alivianar el peso de su diagnóstico de cáncer y su impresionante pérdida de peso: "Apuesto a que pensabas que nunca me verías en jeans ajustados".

A Toby le sobreviven su esposa Tricia y sus tres hijos Shelley, Krystal y Stelen. Tenía 62 años.

Steve Harwell and C-Knight's omissions from the Grammys' "In Memoriam" segment Sunday was rude and disrespectful ... according to their nearest and dearest.

Robert Hayes, a rep for Smash Mouth's late lead singer, is hurt over the snub ... though he tells TMZ it didn't surprise him because the Recording Academy never acknowledged Steve when he was alive ... so why would they honor him when he passed?

Smash Mouth was nominated for a Grammy once, in 2000, but didn't win.

His remarks were cutting ... asking who even bothered to watch the Grammys anymore -- and expressing his belief the award ceremony hadn't been good in more than 20 years.

Steve left a lasting influence in the music industry before he passed away in Sept 2023 ... and only 2 months later, fellow artist C-Knight also died, having been taken off life support following complications from diabetes.

C-Knight's brother George Lee Blount echoed similar feelings of hurt and outrage over the "In Memoriam" exclusion.

George tells TMZ ... while C-Knight and his band The Dove Shack never scooped a Grammy, their impact on G-funk and hip hop is undeniable -- adding he was a hip hop legend, and the least they could've done was give him a mention.

George is hoping the same mistake doesn't happen again, urging the Grammys to do more research into artists to understand the hard work and sacrifice they put into their music careers.

Sylvester Stallone is speaking on Carl Weathers' sudden death -- and it couldn't be more emotional and heartfelt .... yeah, this one's a tear-jerker.

The actor posted a video Friday just hours after news broke that his 'Rocky' costar had passed away the day prior -- and you can tell Sly is absolutely torn up about it ... fighting back tears as he honors his longtime friend and companion in the ring.

Sly says he owes so much of his career and success to Carl ... noting the man had a magnetism and energy about him that made him so special -- especially for the 'Rocky' franchise. SS recounts first meeting Carl ... and knowing right away, this guy's a star.

This video was actually filmed with Sly standing in front of the famous painting that was commissioned to recreate the end of 'Rocky III,' where they face off in the ring anew.

Sylvester ends his gut-wrenching remarks here with a special message for his good friend -- "Apollo, keep punching."

He also adds this of the late Weathers ... "We lost a legend yesterday. My life was forever changed for the better the day I met Carl Weathers. Rest in power."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

Sylvester Stallone está hablando sobre la repentina muerte de Carl Weathers, y no podría haber sido más emotivo y sincero.

El actor publicó un video el viernes, unas horas después de que se conociera la noticia de que su compañero de reparto en "Rocky" había fallecido el jueves, y se puede decir que Sly está absolutamente destrozado por ello, luchando por contener las lágrimas mientras honra a su viejo amigo y compañero en el ring.

Sly dice que le debe mucho de su carrera y de su éxito a Carl, y que este tenía un magnetismo y una energía que lo hacía único, especialmente para la franquicia "Rocky". Sylvester Stallone cuenta que cuando lo conoció inmediatamente supo que era una estrella.

En el video, Sly aparece delante del famoso cuadro que se encargó para recrear el final de "Rocky III", donde se enfrentan de nuevo en el ring.

Sylvester termina sus emocionantes declaraciones con un mensaje especial para su buen amigo: "Apollo, sigue pegando".

También añadió: "Ayer perdimos a una leyenda. Mi vida cambió para siempre y para mejor el día que conocí a Carl Weathers. Rest in power".

Nosotros no podríamos haberlo dicho mejor.

Olivia Newton-John was apparently a Swiftie -- at least that's what her rep says, telling us the late singer would've gotten a kick out of these Taylor Swift's 'Grease' throwback photos.

Michael Caprio, Olivia's publicist of 25 years and counting, tells TMZ ... Olivia "would be tickled" to see all the childhood pics of young Taylor playing Olivia's famous character in a school production of the hit musical ... which just surfaced earlier this week.

Olivia's publicist adds ... she "had the greatest respect for Taylor as an artist and she was a fan of her talent." So, the fact Taylor was paying homage to her in her youth is kismet.

As we reported ... some old photographs of Taylor in character as Sandy is making the rounds ... it's from June 2000, long before Taylor was the biggest star in music.

Funny enough, Olivia and Taylor actually crossed paths when ONJ was still alive ... Michael says Olivia took a group of girlfriends to see a Taylor concert in Miami in 2010, with Olivia raving about Taylor's performance.

Michael recalls Olivia telling him she thought "Taylor was such a sweet, talented and smart girl."

Sounds like the feelings are mutual ... Michael says Taylor's got a vintage concert t-shirt from Olivia's 1982 Physical Tour in her wardrobe. On its face, they were big fans of the other.

Rick Harrison's family is starting an education fund for the child of his own late son, but it's not out of necessity ... it's actually to appease friends and fans who want to help.

Here's the deal ... in the wake of Adam Harrison's death last month, the Harrisons have been inundated with pleas from people far and wide who've been asking how they can support in the family's time of need.

A Harrison family rep tells us that Adam's ex-wife, Jennifer, also has had tons of people contacting her asking for ways they can help her in this difficult time.

In light of this influx of people wanting to chip in and provide assistance -- we're told the Harrisons decided to create an outlet where folks can solicit gifts if they feel so inclined ... benefitting Adam and Jennifer's son, Colton. Colton is a young kid in elementary school ... and the fund created will go toward his future educational endeavors.

The rep tells us this seems to be the best way to make sure people's goodwill and charitable efforts are put to the best use.

TMZ broke the story ... Adam tragically died from a fentanyl overdose last month. Adam's father, Rick, told us the fentanyl crisis in our country must be taken more seriously ... as it seems the drug is continuing to flow over the border.

Thousands of fans have sent their condolences to the Harrison family ... including two of Donald Trump's sons, who gave Rick a personal phone call following Adam's passing.

Bruce Springsteen's mother Adele has died ... this according to Springsteen himself.

The 74-year-old singer-songwriter announced the news Thursday in a heartfelt Instagram post ... saying his mother passed away Wednesday and sharing some lyrics from his song "The Wish."

The lyrics talk about Mother's Day and the memory of listening to his mother get ready for work in the morning ... perfectly complimenting a short video of the pair dancing to big band music on the porch of a large estate.

The pair twist and dance around before Mama Springsteen plants a sweet kiss on her son's cheek in the clip, bopping to Glenn Miller's "In The Mood."

Dancing was the main reason so many Springsteen fans knew Adele ... fans spotted her dancing at her son's shows constantly -- a fun pastime she engaged in since the early '90s according to reports.

While Bruce didn't reveal his mother's cause of death, The Boss did talk a lot about Adele's battle with Alzheimer's during 2018's "Springsteen on Broadway" ... saying she was diagnosed around 2011 but dancing still meant a ton to her, calling it "more powerful than memory."

Adele was 98.

La madre de Bruce Springsteen, Adele, ha muerto, según informó el propio Springsteen.

El cantante y compositor de 74 años anunció la noticia el jueves en un sentido post de Instagram, en el que dijo que su madre había fallecido el miércoles y compartió algunas letras de su canción "The Wish."

La letra habla sobre el Día de la Madre y el recuerdo de escuchar a la suya preparándose para ir al trabajo por la mañana, algo que calzaba perfectamente con un breve video que subió de ambos, donde aparecen bailando al ritmo de la música en el porche de una finca.

La pareja se retuerce y baila antes de que la mamá de Springsteen le dé un dulce beso en la mejilla a su hijo. Todo al ritmo de "In The Mood" de Glenn Miller.

El baile era la principal razón por la que muchos fans de Springsteen conocían a Adele. Ellos la habían visto bailar en los espectáculos de su hijo constantemente, un pasatiempo al que se dedicaba desde principios de los 90, según los informes

Aunque Bruce no reveló la causa de muerte de su madre, The Boss habló mucho sobre la batalla de Adele contra el Alzheimer durante "Springsteen on Broadway" en 2018, diciendo que fue diagnosticada por ahí por 2011, pero que bailar todavía significaba mucho para ella y que era "más poderoso que la memoria".

Adele tenía 98 años.

2:24 PM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... early toxicology results from this investigation suggest traces of cocaine and fentanyl were found in the deceased's systems. A full toxicology report has yet to be released -- but for now, we're told these are substances that cops have detected early on, and there may be others that surface when the official results come out.

The mysterious deaths of 3 Chiefs fans might soon be cleared up -- and early signs point to it being drug-related ... so says an attorney repping one of the families of the deceased.

We talked to Tony Kagay -- a lawyer who's been hired by the mother of Clayton McGeeney, who was one of the three who were found dead in Jordan Willis' backyard -- who joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to tell us what he knows about the investigation thus far.

Kagay was certainly trying to keep his cards close to the vest here -- but based on a meeting he says his client, Nancy Bossert (Clayton's mom), had with authorities Wednesday ... it sounds like what people have suspected will soon be confirmed.

Namely, he seems to be suggesting that the autopsies are complete and early toxicology tests have been run ... and while he doesn't reveal the exact results, he does say he's privy to the fact that there may (or may not) be substances that were discovered in their bodies.

We pushed Kagay to tell us what he knew -- but he was being careful with what he said, and how he said it ... but you can read between the lines here and figure out what's what.

Basically, Kagay acknowledges that drugs may have played a part in the 3 men's deaths -- but there are still questions that need to be answered ... including how any substances may have gotten into their system, and what exactly played out over the course of 2 days.

Cops so far have reiterated that there's no evidence of foul play, and that they're not investigating this as a homicide --- something Kagay confirmed with us as well.

Like we said, there's still a lot to uncover ... but Kagay tells us he believes the autopsy/toxicology results will be released soon (even as early as Thursday) -- which will hopefully shed some light on this tragedy. In the meantime, his client has asked for privacy.

Nancy did say this about her son ... "Clayton was a beloved son ... Clayton was a caring father. Clayton was a loving partner to his fiancée, April Mahoney. His death under any circumstances would have been painful to everyone his life had touched. Under these unusual and confusing circumstances, it is even more difficult for the family to deal with."

We reached out to Kansas City PD and they told us they weren't aware of toxicology results coming anytime soon -- and simply said the case remains under investigation.

2:24 PM PT -- Fuentes con conocimiento directo le dicen a TMZ que los primeros resultados toxicológicos de la investigación sugieren que se encontraron rastros de cocaína y fentanilo en el cuerpo de los fallecidos. El informe toxicológico completo aún no se ha publicado, pero por ahora nos dicen que estas son las sustancias que han detectado los policías y pueden aparecer otras cuando salgan los resultados oficiales.

La misteriosa muerte de los 3 hinchas de los Chiefs podría ser aclarada pronto, y los primeros indicios apuntan a que estarían relacionadas con las drogas, así lo dice un abogado que representa a la familia de uno de los fallecidos.

Hablamos con Tony Kagay, un abogado que fue contratado por la madre de Clayton McGeeney, uno de los tres amigos que fueron encontrados muertos en el patio trasero de Jordan Willis y que se unió a nosotros en "TMZ Live" este jueves para decirnos lo que sabe acerca de la investigación hasta el momento.

Kagay ciertamente estaba tratando de ser discreto, pero de acuerdo a una reunión que su cliente, Nancy Bossert (la madre de Clayton), tuvo con las autoridades el miércoles, parece que las sospechas de la gente pronto se confirmarán.

Con esto, parece estar sugiriendo que las autopsias y las primeras pruebas de toxicología se han ejecutado, y aunque no revela los resultados exactos, dice que está al tanto de que se pueden (o no) haber descubierto sustancias en sus cuerpos.

Presionamos a Kagay para que nos dijera lo que sabía, pero fue muy cuidadoso con la forma y contenido de sus palabras, pero algo se puede leer entre líneas.

Básicamente, Kagay reconoce que las drogas pueden haber jugado un papel en la muerte de los tres hombres, pero todavía hay preguntas que necesitan respuestas, incluyendo el hecho de cómo pueden haber entrado las sustancias en su sistema, y lo que exactamente pasó en el transcurso de esos dos días.

Hasta ahora, la policía ha reiterado que no hay evidencia de juego sucio y que no están investigando esto como un homicidio, algo que Kagay también confirmó con nosotros.

Como les hemos contado, aún queda mucho por descubrir, pero Kagay cree que los resultados de la autopsia/toxicología se darán a conocer pronto (incluso el jueves), lo que esperamos arroje algo de luz sobre esta tragedia. Mientras tanto, su cliente ha pedido privacidad.

Nancy dijo esto acerca de su hijo: "Clayton era un hijo muy querido ... Clayton era un padre cariñoso. Clayton era un compañero amoroso de su prometida, April Mahoney. Su muerte habría sido dolorosa en cualquier circunstancia para todos los que su vida tocó. En estas circunstancias inusuales y confusas, es aún más difícil para la familia de lidiar con eso".

Film producer Bradley Thomas -- who helped make "Killers of the Flower Moon" -- has suffered an unimaginable tragedy ... his wife took her own life this week, TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Isabelle Thomas jumped from a balcony at the Hotel Angeleno in the West L.A. area Monday night -- and we're told she was discovered dead at the scene when first responders arrived. Our sources tell us she leaped from a high-up floor.

Our law enforcement sources also say no suicide note was left behind.

Her death case is currently with the Medical Examiner's Office -- and they list it as a suicide. The official cause is attributed to multiple traumatic injuries ... consistent with a major fall.

Isabelle and Brad had been married since 2018, and they share two young children together -- and they were even pictured as recently as Jan. 13 at a public event.

It's a tragic turn of events for BT, no doubt, who's in the middle of Oscar season thanks to a movie he produced that's up for Best Picture -- namely, "Killers of the Flower Moon." He's produced tons of other movies over the years ... "Dumb and Dumber," "There's Something About Mary," "Kingpin," "Shallow Hal," "All the Money in the World," "Triangle of Sadness," etc.

Isabelle is survived by her husband and their two children. She was only 39.

RIP

El productor de cine Bradley Thomas, que ayudó a hacer "Killers of the Flower Moon", ha sufrido una tragedia inimaginable: su esposa se quitó la vida esta semana, según ha averiguado TMZ.

Fuentes policiales nos dicen que Isabelle Thomas saltó desde un balcón del Hotel Angeleno en el área de West L.A. el lunes por la noche, y nos dicen que fue encontrada en la escena cuando llegaron los primeros auxilios. Nuestras fuentes dicen que saltó desde un piso alto.

También dicen que no se dejó ninguna nota de suicidio.

Su caso se encuentra actualmente en la Oficina del Médico Forense y está siendo calificado como un suicidio. La causa oficial se atribuye a múltiples lesiones traumáticas a causa de una caída importante.

Isabelle y Brad estaban casados desde 2018 y tienen dos hijos pequeños. Fueron fotografiados juntos tan recientemente como el 13 de enero en un evento público.

Se trata de un giro trágico para Bradley, sin duda, que se encuentra en plena temporada de Oscar gracias a "Killers of the Flower Moon", una película producida por él que opta a Mejor Película. Thomas ha producido montones de otras películas a lo largo de los años, como "Dumb and Dumber", "There's Something About Mary", "Kingpin", "Shallow Hal", "All the Money in the World", "Triangle of Sadness", etc.

A Isabelle le sobreviven su marido y sus dos hijos. Solo tenía 39 años.

Que en paz descanse.

Kevin Conroy fans are fuming over Batman's death in a new video game, but the voice behind the Caped Crusader knew the hero's fate ... and gave the role everything he had.

The late actor's publicist, Gary Miereanu, tells TMZ ... Kevin performed his Batman lines in "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League" with "the same verve with which he approached every Batman role, always being faithful to the words on the page and the direction from the other side of the glass."

Kevin recorded his lines for the dying Batman before his own passing in 2022 ... and some fans feel the video game death is a disrespectful way to leave Conroy's legacy as the Dark Knight.

But Kevin's rep doesn't see it that way ... telling us, "I'm also certain that, while recording, Kevin’s own death never entered his mind."

Another Batman voice actor, Jason O'Mara, tells TMZ ... Bruce Wayne's going to come back in some way, shape, or form in a different story, just like Superman and many other beloved characters.

Jason is sure Kevin knew the script called for Batman to die, and says ... "No matter the scenario, he never let any Batman fan down."

Since the initial fan outrage, it's been revealed there's at least one more performance of Kevin as Batman the vault.

Al parecer, Alec Baldwin no quería pasar por el circo de Zoom en Nuevo México para hacerle frente a los nuevos cargos en su contra, así que está dando una declaración desde una distancia aún mayor.

El actor renunció a su aparición que se fijó para el jueves por la mañana, donde estaba previsto que se presentara en un tribunal en el condado de Santa Fe para decirle a la corte cómo se siente acerca de la acusación de homicidio involuntario que se volvió a presentar en su contra en las últimas semanas.

En su lugar, acaba de presentar una declaración de no culpabilidad a través de sus abogados, optando hacerlo de manera virtual. Tiene sentido, ya que ha señalado a través de sus abogados que quiere que todo esto se haga rápidamente y fuera del centro de atención.

Recordemos que Alec dejó claro la semana pasada que tiene derecho a un juicio rápido, haciendo hincapié en el hecho de que no quiere alargar esto más de lo necesario. Hay algunas condiciones de liberación que tiene que cumplir, no consumir alcohol, no sustancias ilegales y no armas de fuego y no salir de los EE.UU. sin permiso por escrito... lo de siempre.

Ahora que se ha declarado inocente, el caso puede continuar, y finalmente tendrá que venir a la corte para el juicio. Teniendo en cuenta que Alec ha negado cualquier delito desde el principio, todos apunta a que la lucha contra final será frente a un jurado.

Alec ha recibido apoyo últimamente, en concreto, de SAG-AFTRA, que emitió un comunicado diciendo que no es el trabajo de un actor comprobar las armas de fuego en el set.

Recuerde, la oficina del fiscal allí ya intentó procesarlo una vez - pero retiró los cargos ... solo para resucitar de nuevo a través de un gran jurado, presumiblemente en nuevas pruebas que piensan que hace que su caso sólido.

Alec Baldwin apparently didn't want to go through the circus of Zooming into New Mexico to face the renewed charges against him -- so, he's skipping it, and entering a plea from an even further distance.

The actor waived his appearance that was set for Thursday morning, where he was due to beam into a courthouse in Santa Fe County and tell the court how he feels about the involuntary manslaughter charge that was re-filed against him in recent weeks.

Instead, he just submitted a not-guilty plea through his attorneys ... opting to pass on a virtual pop-in. Makes sense -- he's already telegraphed his game plan, signaling through lawyers that he wants this all done quickly and out of the spotlight.

Remember, Alec made clear last week that he has the right to a speedy trial ... emphasizing the fact he does NOT want to drag this out any longer than it needs to be. There are some conditions of release he has to abide by too -- no consuming booze, no illegal substances and no firearms and no leaving the U.S. without written permission ... the usual.

Now, that he's pled not guilty ... the case can continue, and he'll eventually have to come to court for the trial itself. Considering Alec has been denying any wrongdoing from the start -- all signs point to him fighting this thing to the very end, in front of a jury.

Alec has gotten some support lately on this front -- specifically, from SAG-AFTRA ... which put out a statement saying it's not an actor's job to check firearms on set.

Remember, the D.A.'s office there already tried prosecuting him once -- but dropped the charges ... only to resurrect them again through a grand jury, presumably on newer evidence they think makes their case solid.