RIP

Ben Lanzarone -- a composer behind music in hit shows like "The Love Boat" and "Happy Days" -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

Ben's wife, actress Ilene Graff tells TMZ ... Ben passed away peacefully in his sleep Friday after a battle with lung cancer.

Graff says she was with Ben -- to whom she was married for more than 45 years -- when he died.

While many people might not know Ben's name, they definitely know the music he helped create ... with his work appearing in many iconic shows from the '70s,'80s & '90s.

Among them ... "The Love Boat," "Happy Days," "Dynasty," "Mork and Mindy," "Laverne and Shirley," "The Tracey Ullman Show," "The Colbys," and "Mr. Belevdere."

Ben and Ilene met on the set of "Grease" -- where Ben worked on the music video for "Summer Nights" -- and later worked together on 'Belvedere' where Ilene played Marsha Cameron Owens for 118 episodes.

Ben was honored with the ASCAP's Most Performed Underscore Award in 1986 and is survived by Ilene and his daughter Nikka.

Ben was 85.

John Wayne Gacy, the notorious "Killer Clown," is set to be the subject of a new Peacock limited series -- news announced this week that's appalled one of his victims' family members.

Lorie Sisterman, sister of James Haakenson, who was identified as Gacy's 24th victim in 2017, 40 years after he went missing, tells TMZ she's not supportive of the project in any way, shape, or form ... and doesn't understand the need to rehash old wounds and drudge up a hurtful past.

To add insult to injury, she tells us no one reached out to her about the scripted series ... which is based on Peacock's 2021 docuseries "John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise."

Lorie reiterates the series should be off-limits 'cause there are people alive who are still grieving over Gacy's actions. You'll remember ... he was executed in '94 after being convicted of murdering 33 young men and boys during the '70s, burying most bodies under his Chicago-area home.

Among those grieving are members of Gacy's family ... and Lorie notes the new series isn't fair to them either -- especially for his children, who changed their names to start a new life.

Lorie also addresses the Hollywood treatment given to true crime stories, noting that the Evan Peters-starring Netflix series "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" would've been equally as horrible for the victims' families.

She didn't watch the 2022 show ... but she's worried JWG will be put up on a pedestal like Dahmer.

Some amazing Kobe Bryant items are looking for a new owner -- including a Draft Day ticket and gold-painted handprints -- and they're all going to go to the highest bidder at auction!!

The two rare pieces are a part of Goldin's "Iconic Collection Honoring Life & Career of Kobe Bryant" ... and the stub stands out, as it sparked the very beginning of Mamba's Hall of Fame career.

The Continental Airlines Arena ticket has the event date (6/26/96) etched on it ... as well as the customized NBA Draft in New Jersey logo.

Of course, the 1996 draft is considered one of the most talented in NBA history ... featuring Bryant (the 13th overall pick), Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Jermaine O'Neal, Derek Fisher and more -- so the original owner certainly saw a fair share of future greats.

Another cool item is the 33x25-inch framed clay handprints Kobe made during a tour of Paris in 2017 ... which were covered in gold paint as part of a project for French artist Sacha Schwarz.

There's also a photo to match the moment Bean put his paws in the molding to provide authentication.

We're told both items are estimated to sell in the thousands ... in fact, the gold-plated hands are expected to go for $20k!!

There are other great pieces as well -- things like game-used jerseys and unique trading cards.

New video from the Kansas City shooting appears to show the exact moments before shots started to ring out -- and as the cops have indicated, there are teenagers in the mix here.

TMZ has obtained footage that depicts the KC rally Wednesday at 1:48 PM CT -- right around the time the first reports of a shooting came in -- and eyewitnesses tell us that the young guys you see in the background got into a heated exchange with someone off camera.

There are a few key players to focus on -- a teen in red, who you can see get angry and throw his bag down as he argues with someone who's not in clear view. There's also another teen in all black with a satchel-like bag hanging from his side, who walks toward the action.

These 2, in particular, were recorded walking away from the shooting just moments later -- also seen in the footage we got -- and the young man in black looks to have been shot.

We're told by eyewitnesses who saw this that he appeared to have been shot in the face. If you look closely, his buddy in red is trailing close behind him as they beelined it outta there.

Going back to the main video ... there are a couple other dudes who were pointed out to us who also seem to have been involved -- one young guy in a brown jacket (who looks to be the same guy who got tackled in that now-viral video) and another guy in a black jacket and red beanie ... whom we're told appeared to be reaching for something in his coat.

Our sources tell us all the young guys you can see on camera here all looked to be rolling together as a group -- and that they were bickering with a much taller and possibly older man off camera ... who our eyewitnesses say definitely fired the first shots at them.

It's not entirely clear if the young guys fired back, but we're told people there believe they might have ... although, you don't see them pull out or use a gun at all in these videos.

Of course, in the aftermath of this ... cops have only charged 2 individuals -- juveniles as they've been described -- with gun-related offenses, although more charges are likely to come.

The pieces of the puzzle are still falling into place ... and there are more questions than answers right now. From the looks of it -- this may have been an argument gone wrong.

Un nuevo video del tiroteo en Kansas City parece mostrar el momento exacto antes de los disparos, y como los policías han indicado, hay adolescentes involucrados.

TMZ ha obtenido imágenes que muestran la celebración del miércoles a las 1:48 PM CT, hora en que empezaron a llegar los primeros reportes de los disparos, y testigos presenciales nos dicen que los jóvenes que se ven al fondo se metieron en un acalorado intercambio con alguien fuera de cámara.

Hay unos pocos jugadores en los que concentrarse: primero, un adolescente de rojo, que se molesta y tira su bolsa al suelo mientras discute con alguien que no está a la vista. También hay otro adolescente vestido de negro con un bolso que camina hacia ellos.

Estos 2 en particular fueron grabados alejándose del tiroteo momentos después, cuestión que también se ve en las imágenes que conseguimos. El joven de negro, en tanto, parece haber recibido un disparo.

Testigos que vieron esto nos dicen que parece que le dispararon en la cara. Si se fijan bien, su amigo de rojo lo sigue de cerca mientras sale de allí.

Volviendo al video principal, hay un par de otros tipos que también fueron señalados y que parecen haber estado involucrados: un chico joven con una chaqueta marrón (que parece ser el mismo tipo que fue abordado en ese video ahora viral) y otro chico con una chaqueta negra y gorro rojo, de quien se nos dice que parecía estar alcanzando algo en su abrigo.

Nuestras fuentes dicen que todos los chicos en cámara andaban en grupo y estaban discutiendo con un hombre mucho más alto y posiblemente mayor fuera de cámara. Nuestros testigos dicen que este definitivamente habría disparado los primeros tiros contra ellos.

No está del todo claro si los jóvenes le devolvieron los disparos, pero nos han dicho que la gente del lugar cree que podrían haberlo hecho. Aunque no se los ve sacando o usando un arma en absoluto en estos videos.

Los policías solo han acusado a 2 individuos menores de edad por delitos relacionados con armas de fuego, aunque es probable que se vengan más cargos.

Las piezas del rompecabezas recién están cayendo en su lugar y siguen habiendo más preguntas que respuestas en este momento. Por lo que parece, esta podría haber sido una discusión que salió mal.

Otra tragedia ha golpeado a los fans de Taylor Swift, solo unos meses después de que otra fanática falleciera en uno de sus conciertos en Brasil.

La última mala noticia llegó el jueves cuando una adolescente murió mientras ella y su familia se dirigían al concierto de la superestrella del pop en Australia.

Mieka Pokarier, de 16 años, su madre y su hermana viajaban en un todoterreno desde Gold Coast hasta el concierto de Taylor a más de 1.700 millas de distancia, en Melbourne, cuando colisionaron con un semirremolque.

Mieka y su hermana de 10 años, Freya, resultaron gravemente heridas, mientras que su madre, Kim, también resultó herida.

Los servicios de emergencia acudieron rápidamente al lugar y prestaron asistencia médica a las hermanas, pero Mieka no logró sobrevivir y fue declarada muerta.

Freya fue trasladada a un hospital local, donde se encuentra en estado crítico. Kim, que conducía el todoterreno, también fue hospitalizada pero se desconoce su estado.

El conductor del camión también sufrió lesiones y fue llevado al hospital, donde fue listado en condición estable.

La policía está investigando la causa del accidente. Hasta el momento, nadie ha sido arrestado, acusado o multado.

En noviembre, otra Swiftie, Ana Clara Benevides Machado, murió después de que se derrumbara debido a un agotamiento por el calor en el concierto de Taylor en Río de Janeiro, Brasil. Taylor publicó un sentido mensaje en Instagram, honrando a Ana y posponiendo su show la noche siguiente.

Está por verse si Taylor seguirá el mismo camino con esta última tragedia.  Como ustedes saben, su concierto del día viernes estuvo agotado, con un total de 96.000 personas en el Melbourne Cricket Grounds.

Another deadly tragedy has struck Taylor Swift's legion of avid fans – months after one of her concertgoers died in Brazil.

The latest bad news came Thursday when a teenager was killed as she and her family were driving to the pop superstar's concert in Australia.

16-year-old Mieka Pokarier, her mother, and her sister were cruising in an SUV from the Gold Coast to Taylor's show over 1,700 miles away in Melbourne when they collided with a semi-truck.

Mieka and her 10-year-old sibling, Freya, were severely injured, while their mom, Kim, was also hurt.

Emergency Service units raced to the scene and provided medical aid to the sisters, but Mieka didn't make it and was pronounced dead.

Freya was rushed to a local hospital, where she was listed in critical condition. Kim, who was driving the SUV, was also hospitalized, but her condition was not known.

The truck driver also suffered injuries and was taken to the hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.

Police are investigating the cause of the crash. So far, no one has been arrested, charged or ticketed.

Back in November, another Swiftie -- Ana Clara Benevides Machado -- died after she collapsed from heat exhaustion at Taylor's concert in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Taylor posted a heartfelt Instagram message, honoring Ana and postponing her show the following night.

It remains to be seen if Taylor will follow the same playbook in this latest tragedy.  As you know, Taylor performed a sold-out concert in front of 96,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds Friday night.

Zak Bagans has a new cursed item going on display at his museum, one with a connection to recently deceased Playboy model Masuimi Max ... TMZ has learned.

The paranormal investigator tells us ... Charles Max, Masuimi's brother, met him at his museum in Las Vegas and was totally rattled by an innocuous-looking jewelry box he said once belonged to MM's mom.

After their mother died, Charles told Zak their father kept the jewelry box ... an odd move, because Charles says Korean people generally burn a loved one's possessions after they die.

Charles ended up taking the box, and quickly wished he hadn't -- he told Zak the box gives people amnesia, and detailed several other terrifying experiences with the creepy artifact.

For example ... Zak says Charles told him several mirrors in his house cracked when he put the box next to them, cold spots cropped up in different places in the home where Charles said he could see his own breath.

He even claims he would feel paralyzed at times, describing it as being grabbed by an unseen force.

Ultimately, Charles told Zak he gave the box to one of his sisters -- NOT Masuimi -- who swears she never gave it to Masuimi.

While the paranormal experiences stopped haunting Charles, the whole family has no explanation for how the box ended up in Masuimi's possession.

We broke the story ... Masuimi died last month at her Las Vegas-area home. Cops said no foul play was suspected at the time though her cause of death is still unclear. She was only 45.

On the same day she passed, Charles and his other sister went to her house, and found the jewelry box on the floor near the door -- again, shocking 'cause this other sister says she didn't give it to Masuimi.

Charles swears Masuimi would never have wanted the box -- she didn't have a good relationship with their mother, so there's no reason she'd covet it.

One more creepy fact/coincidence ... Masuimi died on the same date as her mother.

The Mahomes family is doing whatever it can to help following the Kansas City shooting ... with Patrick, Brittany and their foundation donating $50,000 to the Chiefs' fundraiser for victims and others impacted by the tragedy.

The Super Bowl champions launched the campaign with United Way on Friday ... kicking things off with a $200,000 contribution.

The three-time S.B. MVP and his wife were quick to join in, too ... with their names and the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation popping up under the top donors list.

Patrick called on his followers to also chip in if they're able ... saying, "Just like #ChiefsKingdom has always been there for me and my family, we want to be there for them.❤️"

"The @Chiefs have launched #KCStrong, an emergency response fund supporting victims and their families, violence prevention and mental health services, and first responders."

T-Mobile threw in $20,000, too ... bringing the total to $345,500 just one hour after Patrick posted on X about the fundraiser.

The gesture comes on the heels of Patrick and Brittany's visit with shooting victims in the hospital ... and Taylor Swift's $100,000 contribution to support the family of Lisa Lopez-Galvan, who was killed in the tragedy.

The team spoke about the campaign ... saying, "We've all been affected by this moment -- and if you’re compelled to act, we encourage you to turn your outrage into action and contribute to this fund and share it with others."

Etterlene DeBarge -- gospel singer and matriarch of the legendary DeBarge family -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

The mother-of-ten passed away peacefully in her sleep at Berkley Post-Acute in Woodland Hills Friday morning -- this according to her daughter Etterlene "Bunny" DeBarge. A cause of death has not yet been announced, but sources tell us EDB was ill and battling dementia.

Bunny broke the news online -- posting a short message to social media, simply announcing her mother's death to fans of the group ... noting she was in a better place now.

Etterlene met Robert DeBarge -- her future husband -- back in 1952 and married him the following year. They built a huge family, complete with 10 different children  ... seven of whom went on to play in the Motown super group DeBarge.

The Grammy-nominated group was active from 1979 to 1989 before the lure of solo contracts for Bunny and El DeBarge helped lead to the group splitting up. There were other factors that ultimately ended the family band.

Etterlene and Robert divorced in 1974, and Etterlene chronicled their marriage and her children's rise to fame in the book "Other Side of the Pain." She married George Rodriguez in 1980 -- a pairing that lasted the rest of her life.

Etterlene is survived by George, eight of her children, and numerous grandchildren. One of her sons, Robert DeBarge Jr., passed away in 1995 while Tommy DeBarge passed away in 2021. Obviously, her legacy and impact in music lives on through her children.

Etterlene was 88.

El hermano de Snoop Dogg Bing Worthington ha fallecido y su famoso hermano lo está conmemorando en sus redes sociales.

Snoop compartió un par de post en Instagram para honrar el fallecimiento de su hermano menor: en uno de ellos aparecen en un camerino juntos y el otro es un video donde ambos están pasando el rato con su otro hermano Jerry en un cementerio.

Snoop Dogg escribió: "Siempre nos hizo reír 💙🙏🏾😢 u bac with moms" (vuelve con mamá).

Bing, que era medio hermano de Snoop Dogg por parte de madre, trabajó años con Snoop, primero como roadie en sus giras y luego como tour manager.

Bing también lanzó música con su propia banda Lifestyle. Hicieron un par de álbumes juntos e incluso una de sus canciones apareció en la banda sonora de "Van Wilder 2". A pesar de ello, Bing se dio cuenta de que disfrutaba más el trabajo de negocios tras bambalinas y renunció a sus sueños como rapero.

Hace unos años, decidió emprender su propio camino y se trasladó a Canadá para abrir un estudio de música y una productora, una fusión entre su propio Dogg Records y el sello canadiense de hip hop Urban Heat Legends.

Bing tenía 44 años.

Snoop Dogg's brother Bing Worthington has died ... with his famous sibling commemorating him on social media.

Snoop posted a couple times on Instagram to honor his younger brother's passing ... sharing a pic of them in a dressing room and also posting a clip of him and Bing hanging out with their other brother, Jerry, in a cemetery.

SD wrote in the caption for the clip, "always made us laugh 💙🙏🏾😢 u bac with moms."

Bing -- who was Snoop Dogg's half-brother on his mother's side -- worked with Snoop over the years, starting as a roadie on Snoop's tour before taking over as tour manager.

Bing also released music with his own group, Lifestyle ... they made a couple albums together and even had a song appear on the 'Van Wilder 2' soundtrack -- but Bing said he realized he enjoyed the behind-the-scenes business work more and gave up his rapper dreams.

A few years ago, Bing decided to strike out on his own and moved to Canada to open up a music studio and production company -- a merger between his own Dogg Records and Canadian hip hop label Urban Heat Legends.

Bing was 44.

Teresa Smith -- AKA, Queenzzielocthevoice, on TikTok -- has died after a tough battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned.

Teresa's daughter Yolundria Rooks, tells us the viral star -- famous covering Billie Eilish's 'What Was I Made For?' -- that her mom passed away at home Wednesday in Stockton, CA ... where we're told she was surrounded by family and loved ones.

We're told Teresa had been dealing with ovarian cancer of late, and it had recently spread to her lungs. Yolundria says her mother didn't tell her family she had cancer till November 2023 when she was sick in the hospital ... adding she had been in considerable pain since.

She adds ... the coroner came to the home to get her mother's body ... and her family now wants to have Teresa's remains flown back to Macon, GA, to be buried next to her son Josiah -- which Yolundria is now raising money to cover the costs for on GoFundMe.

Yolundria writes, "It is with a heavy heart to announce that my mother The Icon, The Diva, Miss Teresa Smith also known as 'Queenzzielocthevoice' has suddenly passed away."

She adds ... "As the eldest child I will now be taking on full responsibility of all my younger siblings so anything that is donated beyond the funeral cost and expenses will be invested in them, their needs, and their future," she continued. "As I have to prepare and get ready to send my Queen home, I just want to thank all those who loved my mom!"

Teresa enjoyed TikTok success after going viral for her cover of Billie's 'Barbie' song. She was also known for her catchphrase, "Be who you are for pride," and her bright-colored hair.

She was 48.

RIP

Taylor Swift abrió su billetera para ayudar a la familia de la mujer que fue asesinada durante el tiroteo en Kansas City, desembolsando seis cifras para ella justo antes de comenzar sus shows en Australia.

El jueves se había creado un GoFundMe para Elizabeth "Lisa" López-Galván, en concreto, para ayudar a sus seres queridos a crear un monumento para ella, así como asistencia financiera en general. Ella dejó a su marido y dos hijos y el objetivo fue fijado en $75.000.

Taylor aportó un total de $100.000 solo de su bolsillo, que llegó en forma de dos contribuciones diferentes de $50k cada una, que ella puso a su nombre.

También dejó una dulce nota junto a sus donaciones que decía: "Mi más sentido pésame por su devastadora pérdida. Con amor, Taylor Swift".

Las ofrendas en efectivo se realizaron en la noche, justo antes del primer concierto de Taylor en Melbourne. Ella ha pasado un par de días allá para prepararse para una serie de conciertos como parte de su gira "Eras". Taylor no se refirió al tiroteo durante su actuación.

Pero esta donación dice mucho y deja claro que está muy consciente de lo que pasó.

Taylor Swift opened up her wallet to help the family of the woman who was killed during the Kansas City parade shooting -- forking out six figures as she started her Australia shows.

A GoFundMe had been set up Thursday for Elizabeth "Lisa" Lopez-Galvan -- specifically, to assist her loved ones in setting up a proper memorial for her, as well as general financial assistance. She left behind a husband and two kids ... and the goal set was $75,000.

Taylor gave an assist and then some -- chipping in a total of $100,000 just from herself alone -- which came in the form of two different $50k contributions, which she put in her name.

She also left a sweet note along with her donations, writing ... "Sending my deepest sympathies and condolences in the wake of your devastating loss. With love, Taylor Swift."

The cash offerings generated overnight, just ahead of Taylor's first concert in Melbourne -- where she's been the past couple days to prepare for a string of shows there as her "Eras" tour ramps up again. Taylor did not address the shooting during her performance.

Still, this donation speaks volumes ... and makes clear, she's well aware of what happened.

New video of the Kansas City shooting shows some of the injured children trying to escape the horrific scene -- and we've learned new info about what sort of weapon police believe the shooter used.

TMZ obtained this never-before-seen footage ... a new angle of Wednesday's shooting as the Chiefs Super Bowl celebration wrapped, and now you can see exactly where the shooting started ... and how the injured -- including a handful of kids -- reacted.

Police have said 9 minors were among the 23 victims who suffered gunshot wounds yesterday, and here you can see a few of them hobbling away -- but heroically, also helping each other -- immediately after the barrage of gunfire outside Union Station.

You can also hear someone yelling, "It's fireworks!" -- a mistake several witnesses have said people were making amid the chaos and confusion immediately following the shots.

Remember, cops have come out and said this didn't appear to be a terroristic act, but rather, a possible dispute between parties ... which killed at least one person.

As for the investigation ... cops have only said they have 3 persons of interest in custody, and 2 of them are juveniles -- but our sources, with direct knowledge of the investigation, say cops also know there were an estimated 40 shots discharged on the scene.

We're also told cops recovered at least 3 weapons -- one of them is an AR-style pistol, and 2 others are handguns with extended magazines. It's unclear if all those weapons were fired during the shooting.

Our sources say cops believe the violence was set off by a confrontation between 2 males and one female -- and it's possible there was more than one person who opened fire in the dense crowd.

As of now, no one's been charged in the mass shooting ... and we're told the 3 persons of interest are being held in separate jails while police question them and gather more information.

Time will tell if/when more info comes to light ... but for now, we have this intel.

BTW, vigils are going on in Kansas City Thursday night to honor the victims of the shooting -- and a lot of public officials are out there ... as are citizens to pay their respects, as well as to send their prayers.