RIP

BeatKing, a beloved Houston rapper and producer, has died ... and TMZ has learned what caused his death.

A rep for the rapper tells us ... BeatKing passed away in a Houston hospital Thursday after suffering a pulmonary embolism. We're told the rapper was doing a morning takeover at the Urban One/Radio One station, when he fainted and was rushed to a nearby hospital.

He passed away later that same day with his 2 daughters by his side.

Scott Bloomquist -- one of the greatest dirt track racers of all time -- has tragically passed away after his plane crashed near his home in Tennessee.

He was just 60 years old.

The incident happened on Friday at around 8 AM in Mooresburg, when Bloomquist was flying "his vintage airplane," according to Moberly Motorsports Park.

Jasveen Sangha, the alleged "Ketamine Queen" arrested in connection to Matthew Perry's death, is well-versed in the world of crime ... thanks to her obsession with the Mafia.

Before she was arrested for allegedly providing the "Friends" star with the ketamine that killed him last October, Jasveen was a Mafia superfan ... who created her own website paying tribute to the life of organized crime.

Check it out ... Jasveen describes her "love" of Mafia history in a bio on the site, where she explains her fascination kicked off after viewing films like "Scarface" and "The Godfather" at a young age.

Jack Russell, the former front man for the rock band Great White, is dead.

Jack died Thursday, surrounded by his family ... including wife Heather Ann and son Matthew Hucko, plus his cousins and some friends ... according to his band.

Russell family spokesperson K.L. Doty tells TMZ … Jack died as a result of Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy.

5:57 PM PT -- Jasveen Sangha, AKA "The Ketamine Queen," and Dr. Salvador Plasencia appeared in court Thursday and pleaded not guilty.

Sangha was jailed without bond and the judge set Dr. Plasencia's bond at $100,000. Her trial is set for October 8, while his is set for October 15.

4:07 PM PT -- A third person has copped a plea deal in the case ... Dr. Mark Chavez.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Chavez pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine. He was facing up to 10 years in prison.

Chavez admitted to selling ketamine to Dr. Plasencia ... and prosecutors claimed Chavez got the drugs by writing a fraudulent prescription in another patient's name.

10:35 AM PT -- Matthew Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, and Erik Fleming, who prosecutors say helped broker the drug deals, already copped plea deals.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Iwamasa pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death and serious bodily injury.

Fleming, meanwhile, pled guilty to a pair of charges ... conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death and serious bodily injury.

Iwamasa was facing up to 15 years behind bars and Fleming was staring down up to 25 years in prison ... but in exchange for their plea agreements, prosecutors agreed to seek reduced sentences based on their acknowledgement of responsibility and cooperation with the investigation.

Matthew Perry's family is still grappling with his death ... but they're grateful to learn justice is being served after 5 people were arrested in connection to the actor's ketamine death.

The "Friends" star's loved ones -- including stepdad and "Dateline" correspondent Keith Morrison -- spoke out after U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada confirmed multiple people were booked for supplying MP with ketamine prior to his sudden passing in October 2023.

The family noted in a statement ... "We were and still are heartbroken by Matthew’s death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously. We look forward to justice taking its course."

"General Hospital" star Johnny Wactor's murder case has been solved, at least according to cops, because cops have served search warrants early Thursday and are in the process of making "multiple arrests" ... TMZ has learned.

LAPD has ID'd members of the Florencia 13 gang in connection with Johnny's murder outside Level 8 in downtown L.A., where he worked.

We're told fingerprints found at the scene helped crack the case.

Peter Marshall -- a longtime game show host best known for his time on "Hollywood Squares" -- has died, TMZ has confirmed.

The host passed away from kidney failure at his Encino home Thursday surrounded by his loved ones, according to a statement posted by his publicist.

The family's been saying goodbye to Peter over the past few days, and he was able to speak with them right up until he passed.

Rock legend Greg Kihn -- the guy behind "Jeopardy" and "The Breakup Song" -- has died after a fight with Alzheimer’s.

The tragic news was shared on his official blog ... revealing he died Tuesday ... with the tribute, "Rest in peace, dear Greg. Your music, your voice, your stories, your spirit and your passion will forever echo in our hearts and inspire countless souls."

Born in Baltimore, Greg made his mark in the SF Bay Area music scene ... really hitting it big in the ’80s with his unique mix of rock, folk, blues and pop with The Greg Kihn Band.

Gena Rowlands, who famously played Allie in "The Notebook," is dead ... TMZ has learned.

The retired actress died Wednesday afternoon at her home in Indian Wells, CA ... where she was surrounded by family, including her husband, Robert, and her daughter Alexandra Cassavetes.

We're told her son, director Nick Cassavetes, had also been at the home frequently this week.

Wally Amos, the founder of the Famous Amos Cookies brand, has died ... his children, Shawn and Sarah Amos, confirmed.

According to the cookie king's children, Wally passed away in his home in Honolulu, Hawaii on Tuesday after suffering from complications from dementia.

Wally became a prominent name in the food world after he turned a $25K loan into the Famous Amos Cookies empire. WA shook up the baked goods game by using a recipe from his aunt, which included real ingredients -- no added chemicals or coloring.

Disney's playing a stunning wild card in its face-off against a man suing over the death of his wife ... claiming the guy's Disney+ subscription prevents him from taking the Mouse House to court.

According to new court documents obtained by TMZ ... Disney has asked for the wrongful death lawsuit to be kicked out of court, because the plaintiff, Jeffrey Piccolo, agreed to arbitrate all disputes against Disney when he signed up, back in 2019, for a one-month trial to its streaming service.

What the hell does TV streaming have to do with Piccolo's wife, Kanokporn Tangsuan, dying in 2023 from a food allergy reaction at Disney World? Disney says the answer's in their fine print.

Ángel Salazar -- famous for playing Al Pacino's trusted sidekick "Chi Chi" in "Scarface" -- was filming an indie spin-off of the iconic gangster movie when he died ... and we've got the first look at him in action.

Director Eric Spade Rivas tells TMZ … Ángel seemed fatigued when shooting scenes in New Jersey back in April, but he was still getting ready to film more scenes later this year in Miami.

The movie is called "The Brooklyn Premiere" ... and it also features Steven Bauer, who plays Manny Ribera in the OG "Scarface." The film's about a Brooklyn film director facing a midlife crisis who sets out to make a "Scarface" parody comedy to revive his career.

Rachael Lillis, the voice actor best known for voicing Misty, Jessie and Jigglypuff in the "Pokémon" franchise, has died ... her sister, Laurie Orr, confirmed.

The veteran performer passed away peacefully in her sleep Saturday evening ... after battling breast cancer. Laurie -- who shared the news on the GoFundMe launched for her sister's care -- said she was unable to be by Rachael's side when she passed, but assured fans RL died "without pain."

She added ... "It was just this past week that she was starting to decline. This was unexpected and we are completely grief-stricken. We ask for peace, for now, as her family grieves this loss."

Ángel Salazar -- best known as Al Pacino's trusted sidekick "Chi Chi" in the iconic gangster film "Scarface" -- has died, TMZ has learned.

Salazar's rep and closest friend, Ann Wingsong, tells TMZ ... the actor passed away in his sleep at his friend's Brooklyn home over the weekend.

On Sunday morning, Wingsong said, the friend went to check on Salazar in a room and found his body in bed. A cause of death was not disclosed, but the rep said Salazar suffered from heart issues.

Early in his acting career, Salazar landed the role of Chi Chi, the devoted henchman of Pacino's famous Tony Montana character in the 1983 Brian DePalma-directed film "Scarface."

Fans of the legendary movie will never forget Chi Chi saving Tony's life during the so-called "chainsaw scene." They will also never forget Chi Chi's bloody demise at the end of the flick when his back gets riddled with bullets from a hit squad hired by drug kingpin Alejandro Sosa.

Of course, Tony Montana also goes down in hail of bullets at the hands of Sosa's gun-wielding assassins.

Horrifying scene down in Brazil ... a passenger plane crashed in the middle of a residential neighborhood Friday ... and the crash and fiery aftermath was all caught on video.

Incredible footage from Brazil's Sao Paulo state shows Friday's plane crash ... you see a huge commercial airliner in free-fall, spiraling out of the sky and crashing to the ground as locals look on in horror.

A huge smoke plume rises into the air just seconds after the crash, and additional videos show the burning wreckage on the ground.