Everyone keep Amar’e Stoudemire in your prayers. The NBA star’s older brother Hazell Stoudemire died in a car accident early this morning in Florida.

The accident happened on Route 27 in Lake Wales. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Stoudemire was driving at a “high rate of speed” when he collided with the rear of a tractor trailer.

He died on the scene. The Florida Highway Patrol says 35-year-old Stoudemire was not wearing a seat belt when he smashed into the big rig … and they are unsure if alcohol was a factor.

[TMZ]

This is so sad to hear. Another young life gone too soon. RIP :(

The world of music has lost another legend.

“Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius was found dead at his home in Los Angeles early Wednesday morning (Feb 1), and cops believe it was from an apparent suicide.

According to the LAPD, police responded to a call of a shooting at Cornelius’ home this morning before they found him at around 4am PST with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was 75 years old.

Don Cornelius, a former DJ and radio reporter, premiered “Soul Train” — an R&B themed youth-oriented dance show — on Chicago’s independent TV network WCIU.

The show was moved to syndication the following year when stations in several other cities started to pick it up.

When “Soul Train” moved to Los Angeles, it became a national hit before becoming an international hit, running in syndication for 25 years before going off the year in 2006.

Cornelius ended his run as host of the show in 1993, but remained its executive producer.

Over the years, the Soul Train brand expanded, and had become more popular, with awards shows like the Soul Train Music Awards, honoring R&B, jazz and gospel performers, and the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, which focuses on female artists.

According to TMZ, Cornelius underwent a bitter divorce in 2009 and told an L.A. judge that he was experiencing “significant health issues” and wanted to finalize the divorce proceedings before he died.

The Los Angeles Times reported that there was no sign of foul play at the scene of his death, but they are still investigating.

In a 2010 interview with the Times, Mr. Cornelius said he was excited about a moving project he was developing about “Soul Train.”

“We’ve been in discussions with several people about getting a movie off the ground. It wouldn’t be the ‘Soul Train’ dance show, it would be more of a biographical look at the project,” he said. “It’s going to be about some of the things that really happened on the show.”

Soul Train, which ran for 35 years straight, is known as the longest-running first-run nationally syndicated show in television history.

In response to Etta James‘ passing today, Beyonce — who famously portrayed the legendary blues singer in a 2008 movie called “Cadillac Records” — has released a statement via her official website. The statement reads:

“This is a huge loss. Etta James was one of the greatest vocalists of our time. I am so fortunate to have met such a queen. Her musical contributions will last a lifetime. Playing Etta James taught me so much about myself, and singing her music inspired me to be a stronger artist. When she effortlessly opened her mouth, you could hear her pain and triumph. Her deeply emotional way of delivering a song told her story with no filter. She was fearless, and had guts. She will be missed.”

Beyonce’s version of “At Last” (Etta James’ most famous song) earned the R&B/Pop diva a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance.

Beyonce also performed the song at President Barack Obama’s historic inaugural ball in 2009, which was initially met with some criticism from the feisty and always outspoken James, who said at a concert, “That woman he had singing for him, singing my song … she’s going to get her ass whipped.”

But fortunately, Ms. James later came around, saying that she was just joking and her comments weren’t meant to be harmful.

Beyonce is currently at home resting after giving birth to her first child Blue Ivy Carter earlier this month.

Legendary blues singer Etta James has died following a lengthy battle with leukemia at her home in Riverside, California, her manager confirmed with multiple major media outlets today. She was 73 years old.

“This is a tremendous loss for the family, her friends and fans around the world,” James’ manager and longtime friend Lupe De Leon said. “She was a true original who could sing it all – her music defied category. I worked with Etta for over 30 years. She was my friend and I will miss her always.”

Over a career that spanned 50 years, Etta James won four Grammy Awards and 17 Blues Music Awards. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.

Born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles on January 25, 1938, the future music legend began singing in church before she was discovered in 1954 by bluesman Johnny Otis, who changed her name from “Jamesetta Hawkins” to “Etta James.”

James’ biggest hits to date include “Good Rockin’ Daddy,” “All I Could Do Is Cry,” her first hit “Wallflower,” and of course, the immensely popular “At Last.”

Throughout her career, Ms. James battled drug and alcohol addiction, and was in and out of rehab, including a 17-month stint in the mid-1970′s, without much success.

Finally, in 1988, when James admitted herself to the Betty Ford Clinic in 1988 for codeine addiction just before her 50th birthday, “I took back my life,” says James, who remained clean after that.

In the early 1990s, Jaguar licensed her song “At Last” to use in a television ad, giving the song way more exposure than it had when it was originally released in 1961, which gave her a career boost.

James continued to perform in the 1990′s, and she came into the spotlight again in 2008 when Beyonce portrayed her in the movie “Cadillac Records,” which was loosely based on Chess Records where James recorded in the 1960s.

While James says she enjoyed the movie, she thought that it “had some inconsistencies,” and for the most part, ignored the success she had on records and on black radio before she came to Chess Records in 1960.

The music legend praised Beyonce’s performance, although in 2009, she was disappointed that the White House invited Beyonce to sing “At Last” at President Obama‘s inauguration instead of her.

She also said that Beyonce “should get her ass whooped,” though she later said that she was joking.

In April 2009, Ms. James sang “At Last” on “Dancing with the Stars,” which would be one of her last performances.

Because of her ongoing health problems, James had slowed down with performing in 2010 when she was admitted to the hospital with a blood infection, among other ailments, including Alzheimer’s disease.

In May 2011, Ms. James was admitted to the hospital again with a urinary tract infection and “sepsis” (a blood infection), her son Sametto James explained to Reuters at the time.

Ms. Etta James is survived by her husband of 41 years Artis Mills, and their two sons.

Today marks what would have been Aaliyah‘s 33rd birthday.

It has been over 11 years since we lost Aaliyah Dana Haughton to a tragic plan accident, however her musical influence still resonates throughout the industry today.

Celebrities have taken to Twitter to honor her memory, including rappers Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Lil Kim and her biggest fan in recent times Drake.

Read their tribute messages below:

#HappyBirthdayAaliyah Thank u to all of Aaliyah fans 4 remembering the impact she has had on music! So appreciated!

January 16, 2012 12:38 AM via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite

@MissyElliott

Missy Elliott

Baby girl.

January 16, 2012 12:39 AM via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@Drake

Drizzy

#HappyBirthdayAaliyah My Angel!!!!! I Love U and Miss U So Much :( !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

January 16, 2012 3:47 AM via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@LilKim

Lil' Kim

happy birthday aaliyah babygirl i miss you

January 16, 2012 12:09 AM via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@Timbaland

Timbaland

R.I.P. Babygirl (Jan 16, 1979 – Aug 25, 2000)

The man who police believe shot and killed up and coming Brick Squad rapper Slim Dunkin has turned himself in to police in Atlanta, Georgia.

According to various confirmed reports, independent rapper Young Vito (born: Vinson Hardimon), surrendered to Atlanta police Monday afternoon (Dec 26) at around 3 pm.

Apparently, the rapper had cut his dreadlocks off and shaved his goatee in an extremely foolish effort to disguise his appearance while he was on the run.

He was taken to the Fulton County jail on murder and gun possession charges.

“We got a call from Mr. Hardimon’s attorney. They wanted to turn themselves in to me personally,” Detective David Quinn told WSBTV, adding that investigators are still searching for more information in the case.

Atlanta police had been looking for Hardimon, advising him to turn himself in because they had reason to believe that his life might be in serious danger.

Police say 28-year-old Hardimon fatally shot 24-year-old Mario Hamilton, known by his rap name “Slim Dunkin,” on Friday, December 16th at an Atlanta recording studio.

Witnesses say that Dunkin was shot in the chest during a fight that allegedly started over a stolen piece of candy.

Investigators believe Hardimon is the man who argued with Slim Dunkin, pulled out a pistol, and shot him in cold blood.

Though Hardimon is currently in police custody, law enforcement officials are still seeking more information about the incident.

“We did get some cooperation from witnesses but we’re still urging the public, whoever was at 1074 Memorial Drive on Dec. 16, to give us a call,” Detective Quinn said.

Hardimon, who was reportedly free on bond after police arrested him for pulling a gun out on two women back in April, is expected to appear in court sometime on Tuesday (Dec 27) to face his murder charge.

Slim Dunkin was laid to rest this past Friday (Dec 23) with a funeral service attended by family members and close friends in Atlanta.

[WSBTV]

According to the L.A. County Coroner, Hip-Hop pioneer Heavy D died from what is known as a pulmonary embolism, brought on by deep leg vein thrombosis.

In other words, Heavy D died on November 9th 2011 from a blood clot in his leg that traveled to his lungs, which in turn, restricted blood flow, resulting in his untimely death at just 44 years old.

TMZ reports:

Heavy D died from a pulmonary embolism caused by deep leg vein thrombosis … and a long flight back to L.A. from a Michael Jackson memorial concert may have been a contributing factor.

A pulmonary embolism is a blockage of one or more arteries in the lungs — most often caused by blood clots which travel in from other parts of he body. In Heavy’s case, the clot was formed in his legs.

Days before Heavy died, he was on a flight back from Europe, after performing at the Michael Jackson tribute concert in Wales.

Deep leg vein thrombosis is often associated with long plane flights, in which a clot can form due to prolonged immobility.

Officials from the L.A. County Coroner’s Office say Heavy also suffered from heart disease, which could have been a contributing factor in his death.

The Coroner’s Office has classified the death as “natural.”

To the rap world he was just starting to break into, he was known as Slim Dunkin. But to the close friends and family members who attended his funeral service at Berean Christian Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia (near Atlanta) on Friday (Dec 23), he was simply “Mario.”

Slim Dunkin pictured here with his best friend Waka Flocka Flame

Mario “Slim Dunkin” Hamilton was laid to rest in a touching, spiritual service that included biblical readings from the books of Isaiah and John, a prayer, a gospel solo, tributes from several individuals including his brother Marcus, a video presentation, a selection from the church’s choir, and to top it all off, a “message of Christian hope” from the church’s pastor, Rev. Kerwin B. Lee.

Rappers Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame, Travis Porter and Yung Chris were just a few of the notable names who showed up to pay their last respects to their fallen friend.

Hip-Hop Enquirer attended the service, and snapped a few emotional photos and captured video from inside the church.

At the beginning of the video is footage from after the funeral, where Slim’s mother Janet Hamilton made a plea to her son’s killer to come forward and turn himself in.

Mario Denzel Hamilton, also known as “Slim Dunkin,” was shot and killed on Friday, December 16th 2011 inside an Atlanta recording studio. The rapper’s shooting death was reportedly over a stolen piece of candy.

“To the person who killed my son, please turn yourself in, for the sake of our family,” Ms. Hamilton said after his funeral, fighting back tears.

According to Access Atlanta, noticeably absent from the funeral program was any reference to “Slim Dunkin,” or the rap music he was pursuing to make a name for himself, except for the flower spread on top of his coffin that had the words “Squad” spelled out with white flowers, in reference to the “Brick Squad” rap crew Dunkin was a part of, along with Waka Flocka Flame and several others.

The program was also nearly void of any stage names from the rappers who were a part of the ceremony.

It listed one of the honorary pall bearers as “Juaquin Malphurs” (Waka Flocka Flame), though it did refer to him as “Waka” in a special acknowledgement at the end. He, along with Gucci Mane, had reportedly helped foot the bill for the cost of the funeral.

In addition to talking about his love of basketball, and how he played with a semi-pro football team in Atlanta, the program also gave a detailed account of Mario Denzel Hamilton‘s life, including growing up in Detroit and New Jersey before he moved to Atlanta.

After the funeral, the silver casket carrying Slim Dunkin’s body traveled through the slain rapper’s old neighborhood (by means of a horse-drawn carriage) before he was buried at the Hillandale Memorial Gardens in Lithonia, Georgia, according to Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, who handled all of Slim’s funeral arrangements.

Look below for photos from the service, courtesy of Hip-Hop Enquirer:

[Access Atlanta, Photos & Video: Hip-Hop Enquirer]

Atlanta police say they have issued a warrant for the arrest of the man they believe murdered up and coming rapper Slim Dunkin 2 weeks ago in an ATL recording studio.

The warrant is for 28-year-old rapper Young Vito, whose real name is Vinson Hardimon, and police are urging the indie rapper (pictured to the right) to turn himself in ASAP, since they believe that his life might be in serious danger.

“We are urging Mr. Hardimon to turn himself in to authorities because we have reason to believe he may be in danger,” Atlanta police said in a release sent to local news.

A member of Waka Flocka Flame‘s Brick Squad Monopoly crew, Slim Dunkin (born: Mario Hamilton) was shot and killed on December 16th following an altercation in an Atlanta recording studio that reportedly began over a piece of candy worth less than 50 cents.

A public viewing for Slim Dunkin (attended by friends and family) was held at The Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, pictured here.

Slim Dunkin was mourned in a public viewing service in Atlanta Thursday night (Dec 22) at the Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, where friends and family paid their respects to the slain rapper.

Several Brick Squad rappers, including Wooh Da Kid and Waka Flocka Flame, were present for the viewing. Although Waka was noticeably upset, he also remained composed throughout the night, MTV’s Rapfix reported.

Slim Dunkin’s funeral was held the next day at the Berean Christian Church in Atlanta.

According to TMZ, Dunkin’s rap associates Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame footed most of the bill for the lavish funeral, which included a white horse drawn carriage, a dove release ceremony and huge floral arrangements.

While Atlanta police are still trying to figure out who shot and killed up and coming rapper Slim Dunkin last Friday (Dec 16) in an ATL recording studio comes disturbing and shocking new details from the initial investigation of the shooting.

According to Atlanta news station WSBTV, police say they believe a fight over a piece of candy may have led to the Waka Flocka Flame and Gucci Mane affiliate’s shooting death.

“The information we’re getting, it’s unconfirmed, but witnesses are saying this whole thing started over a piece of candy,” Atlanta homicide detective David Quinn told WSBTV.

According to statements from witnesses, Slim Dunkin, born Mario Hamilton, allegedly grabbed a piece of candy from another man while they were inside an Atlanta recording studio.

Words were exchanged and the two eventually got into a fist fight, which led to Dunkin being shot in the chest. He was then driven to Grady Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“The information we are getting — and it’s unconfirmed — but this whole thing was over a piece of candy,” Detective Quinn said. “The fight spilled out into this area where he was attacked and beat. Based on the evidence we have, whoever he was fighting with secured a weapon and shot him.”

Detective Quinn also told reporters that the Brick Squad Monopoly rapper stood at 6-foot-8 inches tall, and was substantially larger than the man who felt threatened enough to shoot and kill him over a piece of candy.

So far, no witnesses have come forward, and Detective Quinn says that because they weren’t able to go to the scene of the crime sooner to interview witnesses is going to make the investigation a little bit more difficult.

“There were at least 20-30 people in this studio at the time, the fact that Atlanta Police arrived on call to Grady Hospital first, we didn’t have the opportunity to speak to any of those people,” he said. “We came here almost an hour and a half later.”

Slim Dunkin was a rising star in Waka Flocka Flame’s Brick Squad Monopoly crew.

Besides making a few key appearances alongside Waka Flocka’s 2010 debut album “Flockaveli” and on Gucci Mane and V-Nasty’s newly released “BAYTL” LP, Slim was also beginning to gain momentum on his own as a solo artist.

Just this past Halloween, Dunkin released a 20-track mixtape featuring Gucci Mane, Roscoe Dash and Pastor Troy titled “Menace II Society.”

Slim Dunkin and Waka Flocka Flame were best friends and rapped together as a part of the Brick Squad Monopoly crew.

Right after his death was confirmed, members of the Hip-Hop community and those who were close to Dunkin gave their emotional reactions via popular social networking site Twitter, where Dunkin’s name was a trending topic for a moment.

“WISH IT WAS ME … MY F**KING RIGHT HAND IS GONE,” Waka Flocka Flame tweeted December 17th, the day after the murder.

“Never tell your problems to anyone…20% don’t care and the other 80% are glad you have them. #REALSH*T #F*CKDAWORLD … Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”

While funeral services haven’t been announced yet, there will be a public viewing for Slim Dunkin’s friends and family held Thursday (Dec 22) from 6pm to 9pm at Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, located at 1003 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard in Atlanta.

Anyone with any information, tips, or anything of value regarding this case, has been asked to call 404-577-TIPS.

Kim Jong Il — North Korea’s temperamental dictator — died over the weekend at the age of 69, the country’s state news agency confirmed Monday morning.

According to reports out of North Korea, Jong Il “passed away from great mental and physical strain” while riding a train on Saturday morning (Dec 17).

A separate news item reported that Kim, who had a stroke in 2008 but had appeared healthy recently, suffered an “advanced acute myocardial infarction, complicated with a serious heart shock.”

News reports state that his love of cigars, cognac and gourmet food led to heart disease and diabetes, and most likely, his death.

Just after midnight on Monday, the White House announced that President Barack Obama had spoken with South Korea President Lee-Myung-bak.

An official statement from the White House said, “The President reaffirmed the United States’ strong commitment to the stability of the Korean Peninsula and the security of our close ally, the Republic of Korea.”

Though Kim was admired as a man of almost superhuman talents by the local media in North Korea (one of the most isolated and impoverished countries in the world), the strange and barbaric leader, who came into power after his father Kim Il Sung‘s death in 1994, was widely mocked in other parts of the world, especially here in the United States.

Hilarious parodies on various U.S. comedy shows like “30 Rock” and “Saturday Night Live” regularly made fun of the bizarre leader, showing him as a self-obsessed, sociopathic, well-known film buff with up to 20,000 movies in his personal DVD collection, among other things.

As long predicted, the designated successor to Kim Jong Il’s throne will be his son Kim Jong Un, who is in his early 20s.

Analysts predict that due to the process of transitioning power from father to son is incomplete, Mr Kim’s death could bring about “very unstable times” in North Korea.

What are your thoughts on Kim Jong Il and his death?

Up and coming rapper Slim Dunkin — an affiliate of rappers Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame — died after he was reportedly shot and killed in an Atlanta recording studio Friday night (Dec 16).

Police said the rapper, whose real name is Mario Hamilton, was fatally shot in the chest after getting into an argument with another person. He was rushed to the Grady Memorial Hospital tonight where he was pronounced dead.

“It appears the victim was scheduled to do a video shoot,” Atlanta Police Department spokesman Maj. Keith Meadows said Friday.

“Before the video shoot took place, it appears the victim and suspect got involved in a verbal altercation. We don’t know what that altercation was about. The suspect produced a weapon, discharged that handgun one time, striking the victim in the chest.”

Rapper Slim Dunkin (real name: Mario Hamilton) was good friends with rappers Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame.

Slim Dunkin was a member of the Brick Squad rap crew that consists of Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame, OJ Da Juiceman and others.

According to MTV Rapfix:

Dunkin has appeared on a number of songs with Waka like “F–k the Club Up,” “Bang” and “Karma” all from Flocka’s 2010 debut Flockavelli.

He was also featured heavily on Waka’s mixtapes like Twin Towers, Twin Towers 2 (No Fly Zone) and LeBron Flocka Flame 3.

Dunkin was on his solo grind as well.

This past Halloween the street bred MC released Menace II Society, a 20-track mixtape which featured Gucci Mane, Roscoe Dash and Pastor Troy.

Several of Slim Dunkin’s Hip-Hop associates have been taking to Twitter sending their condolences, including fellow Brick Squad rapper Wooh da Kid who tweeted the following:

RIP TO MY NIGGA DUNK

December 16, 2011 6:56 PM via TweetCaster for AndroidReplyRetweetFavorite

@WoohDaKidBSM

WOOH DA KID

Slim Dunkin was only 24 years old.

[MTV, AJC, AP]

John Atterberry, the music executive who was shot in the face during Friday’s shooting in Hollywood, has died, according to published reports.

Atterberry, 40, was sitting in his silver Mercedes-Benz coupe Friday by the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street when the gunman shot him three times in the face and neck.

He was taken to Cedars-Sinai hospital, where he remained in critical condition until Monday afternoon. He was pronounced dead at 4:51 p.m.

Atterberry is a longtime recording industry manager and promoter and has been involved with acts like the Spice Girls and Jessica Simpson.

He most recently was senior partner and chief financial officer at the GridLock Group, an event promotions company. According to his bio on the firm’s Facebook page, the Los Angeles native got his start in A&R at Tabu Records.

He then did a stint in fashion, working for Cross Colours and Karl Kani as head of marketing and promotions, before returning to the music business as vp at Death Row Records, home to such acts as Tupac Shukar, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.

Read More at The Hollywood Reporter »

Bobby Brown pictured with his father "Pop Brown" in December 2005 at the VH1 "Big in 05" Awards.

Bobby Brown‘s dad passed away today after a long bout with cancer … sources close to the family tell TMZ.

According to a family source, Herbert Brown — known affectionately as Pop — had been ill of quite a while. He was 82.

Pop was seen often on the reality show “Being Bobby Brown.”

[TMZ]

Comedian Patrice O'Neal speaks onstage at Comedy Central's Roast of Charlie Sheen held at Sony Studios on September 10, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.

Comedian Patrice O’Neal died this morning due to complications from a stroke he had last month.

O’Neal, who was 6-foot-5 and weighed more than 300 pounds, had long battled diabetes.

Among other things, the 41-year-old funnyman was a regular at TV and comedy roasts, and last appeared at the Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen back in September 2011.

Patrice O’Neal had also been a regular in the New York City comedy scene, as well as on the “Opie and Anthony” radio show on SiriusXM satellite radio.

“Yes it’s true that our pal Patrice O’Neal has passed away” host Opie (real name: Gregg Hughes) tweeted today confirming the sad news. “The funniest and best thinker I’ve ever known PERIOD. #devastated”

His booking agent Matt Frost said in a statement released today:

“It is with terrible sadness we must report that Patrice O’Neal has passed away this morning at 7:00am due to the complications of the stroke he suffered on October 19. Many of us have lost a close and loved friend; all of us have lost a true comic genius. His mother, who was also his best friend, was at his side. Patrice is survived by his wife, Vondecarlo; his step daughter Aymilyon, sister Zinder, and his mother Georgia. The family wishes to thank all of the fans and friends who have expressed an outpouring of love and support for Patrice these past weeks. We ask that you please respect the family’s request for privacy at this difficult time.”

Dr. Conrad Murray was sentenced to four years in jail today for his role in the death of Michael Jackson. But the (former) doctor will reportedly only serve half of his sentence at the L.A. County Jail due to overcrowding.

Just three weeks ago, Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter following a 6-week trial in which prosecutors successfully argued that Jackson’s shocking 2009 death was the result of Murray’s reckless use of the surgical anesthetic propofol to help the singer sleep.

Testimony during the trial revealed that Murray told detectives he had been giving Jackson nightly doses of propofol to help him sleep as he prepared for a series of comeback concerts in London due to kick off the next month.

Propofol is an anesthetic drug to be used in hospital settings and has never been approved for at-home sleep treatments, yet Murray clearly admitted to giving it to the King of Pop (without proper monitoring equipment), then leaving the room the day he died.

attended the proceedings.

In a lengthy statement delivered before Murray’s sentencing — attended by several members of Jackson’s family, including mother Katherine and siblings LaToya, Jermaine, Randy and Rebbie — Judge Michael Pastor said that he felt as though he had a significant responsibility to utilize his sense of “fairness and decency” in determining the appropriate sentence for Murray.

Judge Pastor also said that in his decision, he had considered not only the entire “book” of Murray’s life, but also the “book of Michael Jackson’s life.”

“Regrettably, as far as Dr. Murray is concerned, the most significant chapter, as it relates to this case, is the chapter involving the treatment, or lack of treatment, of Michael Jackson.”

Jackson died “not because of an isolated one-off occurrence or incident,” Pastor said. “He died because of a totality of circumstances which are directly attributable to Dr. Murray … because of a series of decisions that Dr. Murray made.”

He also cited Murray’s “pattern of deceit and lies. That pattern was to assist Dr. Murray.”

Pastor noted that a tape recording of Jackson’s slurred voice (due to him being drugged up) was Murray’s “insurance policy” that was “designed to record his patient surreptitiously at that patient’s most vulnerable point. I can’t even imagine that happening to any of us because of the horrific violation of trust.”

He said he wondered whether or not Murray would have sold the tape, had Jackson not died and the two had a falling out later on down the road.

Prosecutors said in a sentencing memo filed with the judge last week that Murray had “displayed a complete lack of remorse” about Jackson’s death, adding that he is “even worse, failing to accept even the slightest level of responsibility.”

The Judge also made note of Murray’s critical comments about MJ in his recently aired documentary, while prosecutors cited Murray’s decision to not testify in his own defense, even though he gave interviews for the documentary that aired days after the verdict, in which Murray says, “I don’t feel guilty because I did not do anything wrong.”

“In each of these interviews, the defendant has very clearly stated that he bears no responsibility for Michael Jackson’s death,” the prosecutors said. “Moreover, the defendant has continued to express concern only for his individual plight and portrays himself, not the decedent, as the victim.”

“Finally, the defendant consistently blames the victim for his own death, even going so far as to characterize himself as being ‘entrapped’ by the victim and as someone who suffered a ‘betrayal’ at the hands of the victim,” the prosecutors said.

In addition to asking the Judge to sentence Murray for the maximum four years, prosecutors also asked for Murray to be ordered to pay Jackson’s 3 children Prince, Paris and Blanket more than $120 million in restitution.

Murray is unlikely to ever practice medicine again, so it is very doubtful that he will be able to pay any of this money out of his own pockets.

But the fact that he owes so much money will prevent him from reaping any major financial benefits from the sell of any books, interviews, film/TV projects, etc. in the future.

Pallbearers help carry the casket of rapper Heavy D at his funeral service at Grace Baptist Church on November 18, 2011 in Mount Vernon, New York.

Heavy D, who died at age 44 in Los Angeles from what his family said was complications from pneumonia, was laid to rest in a star studded funeral service in his hometown of Mount Vernon, New York on Friday (Nov 18).

A-List stars like like Jay-Z, Will and Jada Smith, Diddy, Queen Latifah, John Legend, Usher, Samuel L. Jackson and many more were all in attendance at the rap legend’s two-and-a-half hour funeral service at Grace Baptist Church, which was reportedly filled to capacity.

A mourner holds the program for Heavy D's funeral service at Grace Baptist Church on November 18, 2011 in Mount Vernon, New York.

Heavy D’s 11-year-old daughter Xea Myers spoke briefly during the service, telling the mourning attendees that her father was “still here, not in the flesh, but in the spirit.”

Diddy also talked about his late friend, including how he helped give him his start in the music industry, and how their longtime friendship continued up until Heavy D’s death.

“He became my friend. He became my brother, and I’m not talking about friend-brother like we cavalierly use the word, I’m talking about a real friend, a real brother,” Diddy said. “Somebody I shared my dreams and my secrets with, somebody that’s been there for me at my lowest point, my darkest hour when nobody wanted to be beside me.”

President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama even offered a few words of encouragement to Heavy D’s family in the form of a note, which was read aloud by Rev. Al Sharpton:

“We extend our heartfelt condolences at this difficult time. He will be remembered for his infectious optimism and many contributions to American music. Please know that you and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers.”

A memorial fund has been set up to help financially aid Heavy D’s young daughter Xea. Details can be found on the website: http://rememberheavyd.com

Ilya Zhitomirskiy, the co-founder of up and coming social networking site Diaspora, was found dead at his home in San Francisco over the weekend.

Police confirmed Monday that the young entrepreneur’s death was a suicide. “In this case it appears to be a suicide,” Officer Alvie Esparza told CNN. “However, the medical examiner’s office will make the final decision.”

New reports suggest that Zhitomirskiy’s mother hadn’t heard from her son in several days. So she contacted his roommate, who then broke down his bedroom door to find Zhitomirskiy dead. He was 22 years old.

“Ilya was a great guy,” said Peter Schurman, a spokesman for Diaspora. “He was a visionary, he was co-founder of a company that hopes to bring a better social networking experience and we are all very sad he is gone. It is a huge loss for all of us, including his family,”

CNN Reported:

Diaspora — positioned as an open-source, decentralized alternative to Facebook — came into public view last year. Zhitomirskiy and three other New York University students announced the project on April 24, 2010, seeking donations through microfunding site Kickstarter.

The founders surpassed their $10,000 fundraising goal in 12 days, and they raised a total of $200,000 from 6,500 donors in 39 days — including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The Diaspora announcement was well-timed, as it launched while Facebook was dealing with bad press about its confusing privacy controls. Diaspora also raised money from high-profile venture capitalists including Fred Wilson.

Diaspora posted its source code in September 2010 and launched a commercial version of its network a few weeks later. But after that, the buzz began to fade.

A Diaspora blog post last month pleaded for more donations, but on October 19 the cofounders said “PayPal mysteriously and arbitrarily decided to freeze everyone’s donations.” PayPal later said it had released the funds.

Over the weekend, dozens of people commented on the news of Zhitomirskiy’s death — first reported by TechCrunch — via a forum on startup incubator Y Combinator’s site.

“Ilya was an incredible person,” wrote one user. “His heart was truly driven by bringing about positive change in this world. Diaspora was only the beginning.”

The day before Heavy D suddenly collapsed and died at the young age of 44, the rapper knew something was wrong with his health, so he went to the doctor for a check-up with “what appeared to be like flu-like symptoms,” Ed Winter, Assistant Chief of the L.A. County Coroner’s office said.

Heavy D, whose real name was Dwight Arrington Myers, had just come back from a trip to England. “He said he had a touch of pneumonia, maybe from traveling,” his cousin Ruddy Phillips told The New York Daily News.

Myers had just returned home from a shopping trip when he started experiencing shortness of breath and collapsed in a hallway outside his condo building.

He was rushed to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and died an hour and a half later, Lt. Mark Rosen of the Beverly Hills Police Department said.

“There doesn’t appear to be any foul play. We believe it was medically related,” Rosen said.

When officers first arrived at his home after a 911 call was made, Myers was conscious and talking, but having difficulty breathing.

An autopsy was performed last Wednesday, but investigators declined to release a preliminary cause of death until toxicology tests are performed. The tests could take up to six weeks to complete.

Dwight Arrington Myers, born in 1967 in Jamaica and raised in Mount Vernon, rose to fame in the 1990′s as the front-man for the group “Heavy D and the Boyz.”

Alongside his bandmates G-Whiz, Trouble T. Roy and Eddie F., Heavy D made Hip-Hop history with hit songs like “Now That We Found Love” and “Nuthin But Love.”

He also is credited for rapping on the theme songs for “In Living Color” and “Mad TV,” and was also featured on the song “Jam” with his good friend Michael Jackson.

Heavy D has also had featured acting roles on movies and TV shows like “The Tracy Morgan Show,” “Boston Public,” “Life,” “The Cider House Rules” and most recently had a cameo in the new movie “Tower Heist,” starring Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller.

Heavy D last performed in October at the BET Awards and with LeToya Jackson at the Michael Jackson tribute concert in Wales, where he and the Late King of Pop’s sister performed “Jam.”

He leaves behind a 13-year-old daughter, whom he was extremely close with, the rapper’s cousin Ruddy Phillips said.

“He was a really great dad. Everybody is wondering how she’s going to take it now that he’s gone. She loves her dad so much,” Phillips said. “And his mother is taking it really hard. He’s the third brother in the family to die. Everybody is stunned. No one can believe it. He was so young.”

Funeral services for the late rapper will be held over a period of two days in his hometown of Mount Vernon, New York this coming Thursday and Friday.

A public viewing is scheduled for Thursday (Nov 17) from noon to 6 p.m., while a private service for family and close friends will follow the next day.

Heavy D, known as one of the most influential rappers in the early stages of Hip-Hop, unexpectedly died today.

According to TMZ, the rap legend was found passed out outside of his Beverly Hills home at around 2:30 PM EST and someone called 911.

When emergency personnel arrived on the scene, Heavy D (real name: Dwight Arrington Myers) was conscious and speaking. He was then immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where he died a short time later.

He was pronounced dead at 1 PM Eastern time. He was 44 years old.

Heavy D’s shocking death comes after the rapper performed with LaToya Jackson at the Michael Jackson Tribute Concert in Wales on October 8th.

A week before that, he performed a medley of his chart-topping hits at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta, dancing up a storm and looking pretty healthy.

Watch that performance below:

Boxing legend Joe Frazier died today after a brief battle with liver cancer, according to his agent.

His family released the following statement late Monday night:

We The Family of the 1964 Olympic Boxing Heavyweight Gold Medalist, Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion and International Boxing Hall of Fame Member Smokin’ Joe Frazier, regrets to inform you of his passing. He transitioned from this life as “One of God’s Men,” on the eve of November 7, 2011at his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We thank you for your prayers for our Father and vast outpouring of love and support.

Respectfully, we request time to grieve privately as a family. Our father’s home going celebration will be announced as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

“Smokin Joe,” a small yet ferocious fighter, is credited as the first man to beat Muhammad Ali back in 1971 in what was considered the “Fight of the Century.” It was Frazier’s devastating left hook that dropped Ali in the 15th round at Madison Square Garden in 1971.

Frazier’s agent Darren Prince reported that the boxing champ was surrounded by his family when he passed away at around 10:00 pm EST Monday (Nov 7) at his home in Philadelphia.

Frazier had been under the care of a home hospice after being diagnosed with the disease just 3 weeks ago.

He was 67 years old.

[ABC]

Following a six-week trial and two days of deliberation, the jury in the Michael Jackson manslaughter case against Dr. Conrad Murray reached a verdict Monday (Nov 7).

Dr. Conrad Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Los Angeles County Superior Court for the death of Michael Jackson. Jackson’s immediate family, including parents Joe and Katherine, and sister LaToya, were present in the court room as the verdict was read.

Prosectors say Murray caused Jackson’s death through acts of “criminal negligence” when he used a hospital-grade drug for insomnia in Jackson’s home without the proper monitoring and resuscitation equipment (like a defibrillator, for instance).

Murray also acted negligently by waiting 20 minutes before calling 911, incompetently administering CPR, and failing to tell EMS workers who arrived on the scene that he had used Propofol, the drug that killed Michael Jackson.

Murray also failed to fulfill a doctor’s legal duty to care for a patient by acted negligently in delaying 20 minutes before calling 911, attempting CPR incompetently and failing to tell rescue personnel he had used propofol, prosecutors said.

Dr. Conrad Murray will be sentenced at a later date, and faces up to 4 years behind bars. He could also lose his medical license.

CBS icon Andy Rooney died Friday (Nov 4) after complications following minor surgery, the network said in a statement last week.

Rooney’s death comes just a little over one month after the “60 minutes” regular made his final appearance on the show.

Jeff Fager, executive producer of “60 minutes” said, “It’s a sad day for everybody here at CBS News … it’s hard to imagine not having Andy around. He loved his life and he lived it on his own terms. We will miss him very much.”

The NY Times reported:

In late September, CBS announced that Mr. Rooney would be making his last regular weekly appearance on “60 Minutes” on Oct. 2. After that, said Jeff Fager, the chairman of CBS News and the program’s executive producer, he would “always have the ability to speak his mind on ‘60 Minutes’ when the urge hits him.”

But a little more than three weeks after that appearance, CBS announced that Mr. Rooney had been hospitalized after developing “serious complications” from an unspecified operation.

Andy Rooney was 92 years old.

In the months following the death of Amy Winehouse, the troubled (but also talented) singer’s official cause of death has been revealed by the coroner.

Upon her death, many speculated on what caused it, citing her drug/alcohol abuse as a likely cause. Well, as it turns out, Amy did, in fact, drink herself to death.

Describing the situation as “death by misadventure,” Coroner Suzanne Greenaway noted that Winehouse voluntarily drank excessive amounts of liquor in the hours leading up to her death on July 23rd.

According to the coroner’s report (via TMZ), Winehouse had more than 4 times the legal driving limit in her system at the time of her death.

Amy’s family has released a statement regarding the situation:

“It is some relief to finally find out what happened to Amy. We understand there was alcohol in her system when she passed away, it is likely a build up of alcohol in her system over a number of days.

“The court heard that Amy was battling hard to conquer her problems with alcohol and it is a source of great pain to us that she could not win in time. She had started drinking again that week after a period of abstinence. It underlines how important our work with the Amy Winehouse Foundation is to us, to help as many young people and children as we can in her name.

“It means a lot to us and from the overwhelming messages of support we have had since Amy died, we know she meant a great deal to people all over the world. We want to thank everyone for that and for their continuing enthusiasm for the Foundation.”

Amy Winehouse was only 27 years old at the time of her death.

Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Michael Dell and U2 lead singer Bono were among the key figures from technology, entertainment and politics who all attended a memorial service for Apple co-founder Steve Jobs held on the campus of Stanford University Sunday night (Oct 16).

While there were few details available about who spoke at the memorial, the British actor and technophile Stephen Fry, who knew Mr. Jobs, posted a note to Twitter Sunday evening describing his reaction to a memorial, though he didn’t say explicitly that it was the event to honor Mr. Jobs. “I don’t know that there was ever a more beautiful memorial service,” Mr. Fry wrote. “Everyone who spoke did so with such passion and love and simplicity.”

[LAT]

Steve Jobs died of respiratory arrest on October 5th after battling pancreatic cancer for many years. He was laid to rest in a small, private gathering attended by his family and close friends 2 days later at an undisclosed location.

It was announced by California governor Jerry Brown Friday (Oct 14) that the following Sunday had been declared as “Steve Jobs Day” in the state.

Apple will be holding a private event for their employees this Wednesday (Oct 19) to honor Mr. Jobs on the company’s campus in Cupertino, CA.

A live stream of the event will be shown at Apple’s many retail stores around the world, which will all be shut down for about an hour to allow employees to view the service privately.

According to numerous reports, the official death certificate of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs shows that he died at around 3 p.m. on October 5th at his home in Palo Alto, California of respiratory arrest caused by a pancreatic tumor.

His occupation was listed as “entrepreneur” in the “high tech” business.

Bloomberg reports:

The Santa Clara County Public Health Department in San Jose, California, issued the document yesterday, listing respiratory arrest as the immediate cause of death, with “metastatic pancreas neuroendocrine tumor” as the underlying cause. There was no autopsy performed.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) announced Oct. 5 that Jobs, 56, died without providing any details about the time and place. The iconic chief executive officer of the iPhone maker resigned his position Aug. 24. He had been diagnosed in 2003 with a neuroendocrine tumor, a rare form of pancreatic cancer, and underwent a liver transplant in 2009.

Jobs was buried at a non-denominational cemetery in Santa Clara County on Oct. 7. The name of the person who filled out the certificate was blacked out.

The company is planning an event on Oct. 19 to honor Jobs for employees, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said yesterday in an e-mail to employees.

“I have experienced the saddest days of my lifetime and shed many tears during the past week,” Cook said in the note, which was posted on the website 9to5Mac.

Mrs. Jobs’ health in the days leading up to his death was so fragile that just a few days before his death, Apple notified the Palo Alto, California police department and told them that their founder was expected to die, so that they could have patrols ready in case mourners decided to gather outside his home.

The day before his death, Apple announced the upcoming release of the iPhone 4S, the newest generation of iPhones, marking the first time Jobs wasn’t on hand to present the popular touch screen phone to the public.

The iPhone 4S won’t be released until this Friday (Oct 14), and pre-orders have already exceeded sales expectations. Apple reports that over 1 million devices have been pre-ordered so far, and analysts predict that because demand for the phone is so high … the company could see sales of more than 3 million during the first weekend of official sales.

Steve would be proud.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was laid to rest via a “small private gathering” at an undisclosed location this past Friday (Oct 7), the Wall Street Journal reports.

While neither Apple nor the Jobs family is planning a public memorial service, Tim Cook (Apple’s new CEO) noted in an e-mail to employees last week that Apple will hold an event soon for Apple staff to “celebrate Steve’s extraordinary life.”

Apple.com memorialized their late founder on their homepage shortly after announcing his death, while fans of Apple and Steve jobs have set up impromptu memorial displays (teddy bears, flowers, messages, pictures, etc.) outside Apple retail locations across the world.

In related news, it was reported shortly after Jobs’ death that his passing would not directly impact the creativity behind Apple for at least the next few years.

According to the Daily Mail, Steve, being the forward thinking individual that he was, left behind at least 4 or 5 years’ worth of product plans across Apple’s product lines, including the iPod, iPad, iPhone and Macbooks.

He has also been overseeing the development of the oft-delayed iCloud project, which will allow users to store their music, photos and other documents remotely and access them from any Apple device.

Steve Jobs will be greatly missed, but thanks to him always being two (or three) steps ahead of everyone else, we will all be able to reap the benefits of his creative genius unique attention to detail until at least 2015.

With the passing of Steve Jobs, the man who co-founded Apple — one of the world’s most popular and richest companies — and helped make Disney’s Pixar into what it is today, the world has lost an inspiring innovator, and not only that, but an amazing person. He was 56 years old.

In a statement released by Apple, Mr. Jobs’ family said he “died peacefully today surrounded by his family.”

Below are several statements from key figures in the tech/Internet industry:

Apple’s statement to customers:

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

Here’s the statement from Jobs’ family:

Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family.

In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve’s illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories.

We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief.

Here’s another statement from President Barack Obama:

Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.

By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity.  By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun.  And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last.  Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.

The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve’s wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him.

And here’s the memo sent to staff from Jobs’ successor and Apple CEO Tim Cook:

Team,

I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.

No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.

And here’s another statement from Microsoft co-founder (and Jobs’ former rival) Bill Gates:

I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work. Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives. The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.

And do you want to know what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had to say about Steve Jobs? Read below:

Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.

A statement from Lance Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer:

Devastated [to] hear about the passing of Steve Jobs. Was blessed [to] have the opportunity to spend time with him on several occasions. May he RIP. “A computer is the most remarkable tool that we’ve ever come up with. It’s a bicycle for our minds” – Steve Jobs

AOL Co-Founder Steve Case had this to say:

I feel honored to have known Steve Jobs. He was the most innovative entrepreneur of our generation. His legacy will live on for the ages.

Here’s a statement from Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, where Jobs was a member of the board:

Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined. Steve was such an “original,” with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started. With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.

And a statement from Google co-founder Sergey Brin:

From the earliest days of Google, whenever Larry and I sought inspiration for vision and leadership, we needed to look no farther than Cupertino. Steve, your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an Apple product (including the macbook I am writing this on right now). And I have witnessed it in person the few times we have met.  On behalf of all of us at Google and more broadly in technology, you will be missed very much. My condolences to family, friends, and colleagues at Apple.

And another statement from Google co-founder and CEO Larry Page:

I am very, very sad to hear the news about Steve. He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance. He always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it. His focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me. He was very kind to reach out to me as I became CEO of Google and spend time offering his advice and knowledge even though he was not at all well. My thoughts and Google’s are with his family and the whole Apple family.

Below are statements from celebrities:

Arnold Schwarzenegger:

“Steve lived the California Dream every day of his life and he changed the world and inspired all of us. #ThankYouSteve”

Jane Lynch:

“We will miss you, Steve Jobs. Sent lovingly from my iPhone.”

Paris Hilton:

“So sad to hear about Steve Jobs. He was a genius and one of the most innovative people on earth. He changed the world in so many ways. RIP.”

Jimmy Fallon:

“Thank you, Steve Jobs, for all of the fun and amazing ways you made our lives better….Sent from my iPhone.”

Eva Longoria:

“My heart goes out for the family of Steve Jobs. What an inspiration he was to us all and a creative visionary for the world! You will be missed.”

Ashton Kutcher:

“We have all surfed on the wake of Steve Jobs ship. Now we must learn to sail, but we will never forget our skipper.”

Ricky Martin:

“Where is the excitement gonna come from. We won’t see another you in this lifetime. Thank you for everything Steve!”

LeAnn Rimes:

“RIP Steve Jobs…..what an innovator. This world will miss him.”

Questlove of the Roots:

“Adopted. DropOut. FontLover. LSDlover. Dreamer. Innovator. Fired from his own Apple 1ce. Pixarlogist. 338 PATENTS! philanthropist. #JOBS.”

Swizz Beatz:

“RIPS STEVE JOBS THE GREAT! HE CHANGED OUR WORLD IN MANY WAYS NOW HE IS GOING 2 ANOTHER WORLD OF GREATNESS I GUESS HE GRADUATED WITH HONORS.”

Nicki Minaj:

“Contributed so much to this generation & beyond. RIP Steve Jobs.”

Russell Simmons:

“Steve Jobs was a prophet of that uniquely American genius, the Creative Entrepreneur — something no one can copy, no one can outsource, no banker can hire — a visionary who created a movement that changed generations through painstaking tenacity, even after he was fired in 1985 from the company he founded for thinking too far forward.

“He gambled everything, over and over, on his vision. We owe him not just our respect and our love, but also we need to take away the lesson: never give up, never compromise your dream, never forget how you can change the world in this incredible country. This is what hip-hop has always been about. Never giving up. I can give him no greater a tribute than quoting him to the GlobalGrind generation: “Your time on this earth is limited, don’t live someone else’s life, live by your vision.”

As you can tell by the statements from the many statements above … Steve Jobs was known and respected by a wide variety of people from different walks of life, further proving his position as an world renown innovator and creator.

He will be greatly missed.

Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, and the visionary responsible for world-changing products such as the iPod, iPhone, iPad and an extensive line of Mac computers, died Wednesday (Oct 5) at the age of 56 years old following a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

“Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives,” Apple said in a statement. “The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.”

Jobs had been battling a rare form of slow growing pancreatic cancer for years, and even took a medical leave from Apple back in January so that he could focus on his health.

But when things didn’t get better for Jobs, he stepped down as Apple’s CEO in August because he could “no longer meet (his) duties and expectations.”

After dropping out out of Reed College in Oregon after one semester, Jobs took some time out to find himself by designing video games for Atari, backpacking across India and working for Hewlett Packard.

It was at HP where he befriended a guy named Steve Wozniak, who would later go on to co-found Apple with him in 1976 when Jobs was just 21 years old.

Apple was the first company to develop what is known today as the “personal computer,” and Jobs was among the first engineers to recognize that using a GUI (graphical user interface) with a mouse would be appealing to users, who could now operate computers by clicking on images instead of writing text/code.

Apple’s first marketable computer was launched in early 1984 during the Super Bowl and 2 years later, after numerous fights and a power struggle with chairmen and board members, Steve Jobs was fired from the company he started.

After getting fired from Apple, Steve founded NeXT Computer, whose pricey computers never caught on with consumers.

He later bought Pixar Animation Studios before the company made it boy with “Toy Story,” and Jobs helped the company grow into what it is today.

In 1996, Apple, a struggling company at the time, bought NeXT and along with that purchase came, of course, Steve jobs, who was welcomed back to the computer company with open arms as CEO. 5 years later, in 2001, Jobs introduced the original iPod, which has gone on to transform portable music and kick-started Apple’s big comeback.

Over the next decade, Apple began to introduce a number of ground-breaking products, like iTunes (2003), the iPhone (2007), the App Store (2008) and the iPad (2010).

By the late 2000s, Apple was considered a top tier American business, and today, the company operates more than 300 retail stores in 11 countries, and has sold more than 275 million iPods, 100 million iPhones and 25 million iPads worldwide.

This past summer, it was reported that Apple had more money than the U.S. Treasure and the company even briefly surpassed Exxon Mobil as the most valuable company in the world.

But Jobs’ ongoing health problems sometimes cast a dark shadow over the success of his company.

In 2004, Jobs announced to Apple employees that he was being treated for pancreatic cancer. Over time, he lost weight and sparked concern amongst Apple fans with his unhealthy appearance.

During a 6-month medical leave of absence from Apple in 2009, Jobs had a secret liver transplant in Tennessee to help combat the cancer that had spread to other parts of his body.

In January of 2011, he took another medical leave of absence and helped put together his first authorized biography, scheduled to be published this November.

In August 2011, Jobs announced that he would be stepping down from his position as Apple’s chief executive officer, sparking more concern amongst Apple fans, who feared the worst.

After a lengthy battle with cancer, Jobs died surrounded by his close family and friends Wednesday, October 5th 2011.

A message posted to Apple.com paying tribute to Jobs’ legacy reads:

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

Steven Paul “Steve” Jobs (born February 24th 1955) is survived by his wife of 20 years, Laurene, and four children, including one from a previous relationship.

Did Amy Winehouse die from trying to save her life?

Her father Mitch Winehouse says the troubled singer may have suffered an overdose from a powerful anti-anxiety drug and suffered a seizure during detox.

“Everything Amy did, she did to excess,” Winehouse said at a taping of Anderson Cooper’s show Anderson, which debuted Monday. “She drank to excess and did detox to excess.”

The final cause of death will be determined after an official inquest.

Mitch Winehouse said previously that no illegal drugs were found in his daughter’s system after she died at age 27 in July.

Article Republished from: People.com

Kenni was a dedicated member of GOT’s staff between 2009 and 2010, but had recently fallen ill and was unable to contribute on a regular basis.

Still, despite his illness, Kenni remained on our staff as a part-time writer, and contributed when he felt up to it, something we definitely appreciated then, and now, more than ever.

We recently learned that Kenni died at the young age of 21 on June 30th 2011 after a 2-year battle with a rare, terminal form of kidney cancer.

Kenni, a huge fan of Beyonce and Harry Potter, was our film & music editor, and was known to spark many a debate with his sharp, informative and witty movie, music and album reviews, and editorial features.

He would be thrilled to know that Beyonce and Jay-Z are finally having a baby, and the last installment in the “Harry Potter” movie series — “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ — quickly went on to become a record-brealing, history-making, billion-dollar success shortly after its release in July 2011.

We will miss Kenni greatly, and hope that you all will continue to think of him, just as we will, as Gossip On This sadly continues our journey forward without him. Though he is no longer with us in his physical form, we believe that his spiritual form will remain with us forever.

“His departure from us was devastating, and still is,” Kenni’s father told Gossip On This, on behalf of his family. “We are baffled by the whole scenario culminating in his untimely and unfair death. He had so much to offer the world as he was just preparing. Unfortunately that is not to be.”

Mr. Nwajagu continued, “It’s two months now since [Kenni] departed this world, and the pains of the loss is still very fresh to all of us. I do not know if the pains will be diminished with time. We are looking on to God for true consolation.”

Kenni is survived by his father and mother, Boka and Onedu Nwajagu, as well as his sister Sandra and his brother Emeka.

While Kenni was blogging for Gossip On This, he was also a student at Fairfield University in Connecticut, with dreams of becoming a well-known Hollywood film producer and director.

Continuing to show his passion for what he loved, Kenni even wrote, produced and co-directed a movie from his sick bed. The film, titled “This is Me,” went on to win an award at his University, and Kenni was present to accept the award in May 2011.

For more on Kenni and his life, please refer to his biography below:

Kenechukwu “KC” Nwajagu, or Kenni, as he was fondly called, was born on March 17, 1990 at the Samaritan Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria. As early as age 6, he had become a star actor in his school, and was nicknamed “Kiri Kiri Star” by his Principal at St. Paul’s Nursery and Primary School Achara Layout, Enugu.

A year later, he relocated to the United States of America with the rest of his family. In the USA, he quickly settled down and endeared himself to his teachers and schoolmates. Refusing to be a spectator, he became fully involved in various character building activities inside and outside of the schools he attended.

As a proactive student, his leadership potential was rewarded in school with numerous awards and accolades. His academics were not lagging as he was an A student. He was actively involved in church activities, culminating in co-leadership of the praise and worship team of his local church in the USA until he left home to attend Fairfield University in Connecticut, USA in 2008.

In the fifth grade, he joined the Original Works Inc. a privately organized after school program for budding actors. At Original Works, he wrote, directed, and acted in a number of plays and movies, notably “Possessed I & II” which were highly rated.

In the two years he spent at Fairfield University before he was incapacitated by terminal cancer with matastases, he had carved a niche for himself as a writer, director, producer and actor of films and movies. As one of his colleagues said, “We adore Kenni.”

He was a voracious reader, as evidenced by his huge library of read books and novels. He was also a prolific writer and had written and scripted a number of stories, plays, and movies which he planned to produce. Hopefully, his friends and colleagues will complete some of these works in progress.

This was a young man “destined” for a brilliant career in the movie world. He was looking forward to graduating from the university with a number of movies to his credit, and then move on to Hollywood to pursue his passion. The last movie he produced and co-directed at Fairfield University was titled “This is Me.” With the help of his colleagues, he continued the production of this movie from his sick bed.

The movie won Best Picture Award at the University’s Cinema Fiesta in May 2011. He was given a standing ovation. With the help of his co-director, Victoria, he weakly walked up the stage to receive the award.

A day after the award ceremony, he boarded a Lufthansa flight with his parents on his way to Nigeria in search of divine healing and natural remedy for the debilitating terminal cancer that had ravaged his young body since his diagnosis in November 2009.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA, arguably the best in the world for treating cancer, had in vain used all the arsenal of drugs and treatment at their disposal to contain the rare incurable cancer that suddenly rampaged his body. The Good Lord finally took him home on June 30, 2011 after a heroic fight.

In the words of a family friend Dr. Kasumu Salawu, Kenni was an unusually brilliant child and he was destined for great things, but here we are.

KENNI’S TESTIMONY BEFORE HIS DEATH:
On Sunday night, June 26, 2011, during a night vigil prayer session, Kenni revealed that Jesus was sitting behind him dressed in sparkling white apparel with a laptop in His lap. So we agreed that his Maker God Almighty had decided to call him Home.

R.I.P. Kenni Nwajagu

March 17, 1990 - June 30, 2011

Today marks a sad day in the music industry: the 10th anniversary of Aaliyah’s tragic death.

10 years ago today, Aaliyah Dana Haughton, the young R&B singer known worldwide as Aaliyah, was tragically killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas, putting a sad end to a promising career.

Just before her untimely passing, Aaliyah (born in Brooklyn, and raised in Detroit) had just released her third, self-titled album and had filmed the music video for the project’s second single “Rock the Boat.”

She was also in the middle of filming a new movie “Queen of the Damned,” following her blockbuster debut in “Romeo Must Die.” (FYI: Aaliyah was also in negotiations to star in the “Matrix” as well as “Honey” and a re-make of “Sparkle.”)

But all of that was cut short on August 25th 2001 when Aaliyah, who was 22 at the time, and members of her entourage died after their plane crashed shortly after take-off from the Bahamas following the “Rock the Boat” video shoot.

Though Aaliyah was only able to release three albums during her short time here with us, each one left a significant impact on the music scene then, and still shows its influences today.

Read below to see what her follow musicians and colleagues (some who knew her personally, some who didn’t) had to say about Aaliyah:

Brandy

“I met Aaliyah when I was about 15 [yrs old]. It was I think at a rehearsal for the Soul Train Awards and someone introduced us. I was so excited to meet her because she was the first girl on the scene. She came out before Monica and I did, she was our inspiration. At the time, record companies did not believe in kid acts and it was just inspiring to see someone that was winning and winning being themselves. When I met her I embraced her, I was so happy to meet her. I told her how much I loved her. She said the same thing about me and we connected. It was a great moment I’ll never forget.

“We [later] performed at a radio event together. I remember going on before her and I could see her in a section where they kept the artists and she was just bobbing her head, really being supportive. It felt like [there] was no competition, or any of that. She was just very, very supportive. Then when she got on to perform, the entire place was singing her songs word for word, and so I was I. I was trying to sing louder than everybody else so she can hear that I knew her stuff and that I was being just as supportive as she was to me.

“There was a moment when I won at, I think, [Soul Train] Lady of Soul [Music Awards]. She sent me flowers saying how proud she was and ‘congratulations.’ I just thought that was so angelic and sweet of her. People say that Aaliyah is angelic and that just made me feel like ‘wow, that’s a moment.’ Other artists supporting another artist when everybody’s trying to put you against each other, which was very special. I was like ‘whoa, that’s really big of her.’”

Monica

“The first time I met her, she was extremely quiet. You [weren't] going to get a lot of words out of Aaliyah in a first meeting. It takes a lot of time for her to warm up to people because she had this shyness… I’ve never seen [Missy Elliott] in the type of turmoil and pain that she was in after Aaliyah passed because there’s no replacing the type of friendship that her and Missy had.”

Ciara

“She was true to who she was and she didn’t seem to care about it. The core of her art is to me, heavily, heavily, urban based… It never felt like she was trying to reach across or do anything more than just keep that cool, soulful, heavy, urban core about it… I really respect that and I appreciate that.”

Estelle

“Her purity of voice was incredible… Her vocals and style is what had her stand out above and beyond everyone. When I listen to her voice now, I think, ‘She was killing it. She was a beast.’”

Keyshia Cole

“When I found out that she [had] passed that night, I just cried [while] on the tour bus. That’s amazing for someone to have that affect on other people’s lives. I think why it affected me so much without me knowing her is because she seemed to have a beautiful soul.

“[There was] something about her spirit. She connected before reality TV, before any of that happened in our era. It was something about her that made you connect to her. She seemed like she had a beautiful soul.”

Missy Elliott (via Twitter)

“Aaliyah til this very day u r still in your own lane! Ure music is timeless! We miss u!”

Drake (via Twitter)

“Rip baby girl… In my ear at every show letting me know the next move I should make. Love you.”

Damon Dash

“She was always working and shooting movies. She was always gone for like four months at a time, then come back and be gone for another month. She had to rehearse and I was doing my own thing, so it was really hard for us to get long stretches of time together. When you’re with someone like that you buy into a life of being separate, but again, I couldn’t help my feelings.

“The energy we created together for people to observe was kind of crazy. We’d be in a room full of people talking to each other and it felt like everyone was listening but it would be just us. It would be like we were the only ones in the room. It was like something was going down in history every time I was with her. Every time I was around her I felt it was the place to be.

“Our time together meant so much that when we got more time, we felt like that [engagement] would be next. She was one of the best people I ever met. Even with the pain I felt, I would do it all over again.”

Ginuwine

“The state of R&B in the ’90s, where she stood, she was second to none. She was pretty much the top female. It was a new sound, the production from Timbaland. Everyone had to pay attention. That was just a time I would love to go back to you. Everything was all about us, and it was all about Aaliyah. It would just set her apart from everyone in the ’90s…we came at a great time.”

DMX

“When I was on tour her and Joel Silver came to my dressing room to see if I wanted to be a part of the movie. Most people would have their people call, but she came herself.

“I’m like, ‘Is this a trick question? You have to ask me if I want to be in a movie with Aaliyah? Hell yeah.’ We [then] met up in Vancouver to [do] Romeo Must Die. She had a presence on TV that was incredible. It was sexy but kind of gangster.

“We did the [Back in One Piece] video in Mount Vernon and Yonkers. I got to bring Aaliyah to the hood. Not many people can say that. She was easy to talk to and down to earth. Aaliyah made you feel comfortable, with her and with yourself. That’s one hell of a combination.”

“Half these chicks that are doing it right now wouldn’t be doing it [if she were still here]. Aaliyah would be on top. As far as I’m concerned she’s still on top.

“Thank you,” DMX says she would tell Aaliyah if still here. “Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you for memories. They’re all priceless.”

Nick Ashford, one-half of the legendary Motown songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson, died after losing a battle with throat cancer Monday at age 70.

Ashford and his wife Valerie Simpson are best known for writing classic Motown hits such as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand,” but they also wrote a few hits for themselves, like the 80′s hit “Solid As A Rock” for instance.

Ashford and Simpson’s longtime relationship goes way back to 1964 when they met at a Harlem church and started writing songs together. At the time, Valerie was 17 and Nick was 21. They married 10 years later.

After scoring their first hit with Ray Charles in 1966, Motown quickly signed them to write for Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and their relationship with that label lasted for 7 years before they moved to Warner Bros. and started producing albums for other artists.

Under the name Ashford & Simpson, the hit-making duo penned songs for Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston and others.

Besides his wife Valerie Simpson, Nick Ashford is survived by their two daughters, Nicole and Asia, his brothers, Paul Albert and Frank, and his mother Alice Ashford.

Russell Armstrong

Armstrong, 47, was found hanged in the bedroom of a friend’s home in Los Angeles and was pronounced dead at the scene, reports RadarOnline.com.

“He hung himself with no suicide note found,” Ed Winter of the L.A Coroner’s Office told Radar Online.

Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding Armstrong’s death and are trying to figure out why he committed suicide, though his motivations may never become 100% clear.

A source close to the situation tells Radar that Taylor “has been up all night. She is hysterical, and can barely speak. She has no idea why Russell would do this. She doesn’t know how she is going to be able to tell her daughter, Kennedy.”

Taylor and Russell’s marriage had been in trouble for some time, with Russell moving out of their home several months ago, and Taylor having recently filed for divorce.

The estranged couple had worked with a marriage counselor to save their marriage, and it all was documented for the upcoming season of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” However, there is no word on if Bravo will still air those sessions in light of Russell’s suicide.

“I am shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the untimely death of Russell. My condolences go to his family and loved ones. My immediate concern is for Taylor and her daughter to make sure they get the support they need to get through this difficult time,” board certified psychiatrist Dr. Charles Sophy, who worked with Taylor and Russell Armstrong as they tried to save their marriage, told RadarOnline.com exclusively.

Russell Armstrong leaves behind he and Taylor’s 4-year-old daughter Kennedy, along with two sons (11 and 13 years old) from previous relationships.

While no further details regarding Russell’s deatg have been released, the couple made headlines last month when Taylor filed for divorce on claims that Russell had physically abused her.

“She was struggling with a lot of things in her life, but she was a real artist. She was like a little sister to me. We had the same birthday so she just had this big, big spirit for this little body. I wish she was here today. God bless her soul,” he told show host, Rocsi.

The Illmatic rapper also gave a small hint as to what his work with Dr. Dre on his Detox album sounds like. Without giving away much of anything at all, he said it’s “a nice record.” (And we can’t wait to hear it!)

Peep the footage from the interview below:

Reasons for Amy Winehouse’s death are still unknown and police say it could take up to four weeks to get to the bottom of it.

However, Amy’s family members believe that her quitting alcohol cold turkey could have been what caused her sudden death. Her father Mitch said:

“Three years ago, Amy conquered her drug dependency, the doctors said it was impossible but she really did it. She was trying hard to deal with her drinking and had just completed three weeks of abstinence. She said, “Dad, I’ve had enough of drinking. I can’t stand the look on your and the family’s faces any more.”

Speaking with the daily Star Dr. Julian Spinks, who gave the singer a clean bill of health the day before her untimely death, said, “If you go from very high alcohol consumption to nothing you can get the DTs and fits that can leave you unconscious, in danger of stopping breathing and dying because of that.”

On July 28th, Amy’s father and her mother Janis returned to her North London home with their son Alex to look at tributes left outside. They are currently observing the Jewish tradition of Shiva, which is a period of mourning and is part of the customs of bereavement in Judaism.

In a moving eulogy, Winehouse’s father Mitch read “Goodnight my angel. Sleep tight. Mommy and Daddy love you ever so much.”

People reports:

Her father’s eulogy was “funny.” He was “telling stories about her childhood, people were laughing like a celebration – like they all remembered the stories themselves.

The hour-long memorial service, meant to celebrate the Grammy winner’s life, was partially in Hebrew because of her Jewish heritage. “It was emotional, it was happy and it was sad,” her rep said. “It was everything really.” One mourner told People, “It was very moving yet quite very humorous at times. It was a wonderful tribute to Amy.”

When the memorial closed at 1:15 p.m., Carole King’s “So Far Away,” one of Winehouse’s favorite songs that she had once performed as a duet with her father, was played. “Mitch encouraged everyone to sing to it and they did,” the rep told People. “People sang.”

Mourners then headed to the Golders Green crematorium, where the family is following custom by having Winehouse cremated. “I think because her grandmother was cremated at the same place, so it was a family tradition to be cremated,” the rep told People.

Shiva, a Jewish grief custom, starts at 5 p.m. Tuesday, and guests were seen holding postcard-sized invitations with a black-and-white picture of Winehouse on them.

Among the crowd were good friends Mark Ronson (producer of her 2006 hit album Back to Black) and Kelly Osborne.

Due to the star’s difficult past involving drugs and alcohol, reports surfaced all over the world that she had died of an overdose. However, it has emerged that the “Rehab” singer’s cause of death is unknown after an autopsy was conducted on Monday.

According to the Metropolitan Police, no cause of death for Amy Winehouse has been established yet, and further toxicology tests will be needed to determine how she died. The results aren’t expected to come back for another 2 – 4 weeks.

Speaking with MTV News on Monday Winehouse’s rep Chris Goodman gave details of the singer’s sudden passing. He said, “She was in her bedroom after saying she wanted to sleep, and when he went to wake her he found she wasn’t breathing. He called the emergency services straight away. He was very shocked. At this stage no one knows how she died. She died alone in bed.”

A private funeral service for Amy Winehouse was held today in London.

In tribute of Amy Winehouse‘s death … M.I.A. has released a track in her loving memory.

Take a listen to “27″ below:

[See post to listen to audio]

It’s being reported that Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London apartment earlier today.

The “Back to Black” singer’s body was discovered at around 4 PM UK time (11 AM EST), and her death is currently unexplained.

Winehouse’s name wasn’t specifically mentioned in a statement from the Metropolitan Police, which read:

“Police were called by London Ambulance Service to an address in Camden Square NW1 shortly before 16.05hrs today, Saturday 23 July, following reports of a woman found deceased. On arrival officers found the body of a 27-year-old female who was pronounced dead at the scene. Enquiries continue into the circumstances of the death. At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained.”

[TMZ]

Winehouse’s sudden death comes just one month after the Grammy award winning singer canceled her European tour following a performance in Serbia where she seemed to be completely “out of it.”

Amy Winehouse was just 27 years old.

Jesus please take the wheel……

A Florida teen has been arrested and charged with murder after beating his parents to death with a hammer, hiding their bodies in their bedroom, and then throwing a house party!!! (WTF??????)

Relatives of Tyler Hadley are stunned after police say the Florida teen beat his parents to death with a hammer and then threw a house party while their bodies remained in a locked room.

Mark Ankrom, a nephew of Tyler’s father, told CBS affiliate WPEC that there were no warning signs before the murder and that the family rarely fought.

“You can’t explain it, you don’t think it would happen to you,” Mark Ankrom told CBS affiliate WPEC. “Everybody is devastated. Just trying to figure out why this would happen. What is wrong with the kids these days? It doesn’t make sense.”

Hadley was arrested and charged with counts of first-degree murder and is being held without bond. Police say he will be charged as an adult.

Port St. Lucie police spokesman Tom Nichols said police were dispatched to the scene at 4:20 a.m. Sunday on a tip that the 17-year-old had murdered his parents and the bodies remained inside the house, reports WPEC.

Police arrived and were greeted by a “nervous and panicky” Hadley and evidence of a house party, said police Capt. Don Kryak. Hadley reportedly told police that his parents were out of town. After Hadley was transported to police headquarters for questioning and a search warrant obtained, police found behind the locked master bedroom door the bodies of Blake, 54, and Mary-Jo Hadley, 47, Tyler’s parents. The bodies were partially buried under household items with a hammer between them.

Police believe the hammer was the murder weapon. The parents’ bodies had wounds to the head and torso.

“It was a merciless killing,” Kryak said, describing the injuries as “brutal.”

Police say the party was held Saturday night beginning about 9 p.m. and 40 to 60 people attended. An invite was posted to Hadley’s friends on Facebook about 1 p.m. Saturday. It’s not clear how the anonymous tipster came to suspect the bodies of Hadley’s parents were in the home.

An autopsy on the parents’ bodies is scheduled.

SOURCE

Here is a picture of the parents:

Everyone keep the relatives of the Hadley family in your prayers…..we hope this little sicko never gets to the light of day!

A 15-year-old boy who was hit by a vehicle carrying NBA player Lamar Odom has died after sustaining multiple injuries from the accident.

The crash happened last week in New York, where Odom and his wife Khloe Kardashian were in town to attend a funeral for the basketball player’s cousin. Odom had hired a car service to drive him around, and the car crashed into a motorcyclist and the the teenager as he was headed to a barbershop in his old Jamaica Queens neighborhood.

The teenager was rushed to the hospital and emergency surgery was performed in an effort to save his life, but his injuries were too severe and the boy died the following day. The boy’s family told TMZ that he had sustained “major head injuries” in the collision, and his funeral took place yesterday.

Sources close to Lamar said that he was “devastated” by the tragedy. Yesterday he wrote on Twitter:

“Thank you for your support and prayers! My thoughts and prayers are with the young boys family…”

Offering her own condolences, Odom’s wife Khloe tweeted:

“My heart/soul goes out 2every1 in pain from any suffering. Pray 4all of the angels surrounding us constantly. May our spirits stay strong.”

A fake taxi cab used by the Canadian version of the (somewhat) popular TV game show “Cash Cab” accidentally ran over and killed a 61-year-old man over the weekend as a producer was driving the vehicle to a storage lot shortly after filming.

A 61-year-old Surrey man is dead after being struck Friday night by a replica taxi used in the production of the television show Cash Cab. The man, struck in the 200-block East Cordova Street, was taken to the hospital but died shortly after, said VPD spokesman Const. Lindsey Houghton.

“There were no witnesses,” he said, adding that investigation is ongoing and no charges have been recommended yet. The vehicle and driver were not part of an active television production at the time of the crash, Houghton said. He said the driver of the vehicle remained at the scene of the accident and the fake taxi is now in possession of investigators.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and his friends and his family,” said Andrew Burnstein, the president of Castlewood Productions which films Discovery Channel’s Cash Cab. “My heart also goes out to the driver of the vehicle, a member of our technical staff, who is shaken and devastated by this tragic accident, and our entire team,” he said in an emailed statement.

The taxi was disguised to look like a Yellow Cab, “but it wasn’t a Yellow Cab. It was for production,” said Yellow Cab GM Carolyn Bauer. “It wasn’t one of our drivers, it wasn’t one of our taxis,” Bauer said, adding that her company provided written permission to the production company to use the Yellow Cab logo and company information on the vehicle.

SOURCE

For those of you not familiar with the “Cash Cab” game show, passengers in a specially outfitted taxi are surprised and offered the chance to win money by correctly answering a series of trivial or general knowledge questions on the way to their destination.

This is so tragic…….

A 10 year-old girl died from suffocation after accidentally locking herself in a trunk during a game of hide and seek.

A girl of 10 died after becoming trapped in a trunk during a late-night children’s game of hide-and-seek.

The youngster, who was found the following morning, is believed to have suffocated while the adults of the household were asleep.

She is thought to have had a history of hiding in unusual places during games.

The death occurred on Monday night in Phoenix, Arizona, where the girl, who has not been named, lived with her grandmother, aunt and uncle and several siblings.

It has been reported that the girl was playing hide-and-seek at night with her cousins, who were visiting the home.

After the adults went to bed, the children’s game continued in and around the house, late into the night.

The girl could not be found during the game, but a search was conducted yesterday morning and she was found in a footlocker-style container around 8am.

Although her guardians administered CPR, they could not revive her. They called the local fire service, who pronounced the girl dead at the scene.

She is thought to have died of suffocation or positional asphyxiation, but a police spokesman said they were ‘waiting for the medical examiner to do an autopsy,’ the results of which will be available later in the week.

He emphasised that the police ‘found no indications of foul play,’ and were treating the death as a ‘tragic accident’.

After police obtained a search warrant for the home, according to the spokesman, ‘the inside of the house was found to be in considerable disarray,’ and they therefore asked local child protection services to monitor the household.

It is believed the children frequently played hide-and-seek, and this girl took the game very seriously.

‘She has hidden before and took pride in not being found,’ said the police spokesman. ‘She once hid beneath a barbecue unit, once hid in a dryer.’

This incident is similar to the case of Sonny Gibson, a four-year-old boy from Derbyshire who died last year after hiding in a tumble dryer.

As in this case, Sonny was left unsupervised overnight as his mother was away from home.

SOURCE

We hope this is a message to all parents that children should be watched at all times. Accidents can happen any moment!

A 16-year-old who was “too sick to fly” lost both of her parents and all five of her siblings after they died in a plane crash in Alabama Saturday. The family was on their way home to Florida following a family reunion in St. Louis.

A family of seven on board a small plane were killed when it crashed in Alabama after an engine failed – leaving behind a teenage daughter who was too sick to fly, authorities said.

The Teutenberg couple and their five young children were returning to Florida from a family reunion in St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday night when the crash happened, authorities said.

Fred and Terresa Teutenberg died, but her oldest child, Ashlei Bruewer, 16, was not on the plane because she was too ill to fly at the time.

Ashlei lives in St. Louis and was planning to join her mother and stepfather in Florida, a coroner said.

Mr Teutenberg owned a software design and consulting company and his wife owned an academy.

They tried landing the Cessna C421 at an airport in Demopolis, Alabama, after it lost its right engine, but the plane crashed in a densely wooded area nearby.

The coroner identified the dead as Fred Teutenberg, 42; his wife, Terresa, 36; their daughter Emma, 2; son Peyton, 4; daughter Ellie, 6; son Brendon, 9; and son Will, 10.

They were from area of Destin, Florida.

Ashlei told the Northwest Florida Daily News that the children were ‘bright and always laughing’.

‘My mum was always smiling and extremely caring,’ she said. ‘My stepdad was a great dad and was always helping people in any way he could.’

Marengo County Coroner Stuart Eatmon said that relatives told him the Teutenbergs were flying back to Saturday so they could make it to church the next day.

‘I thought I had seen it all, up until this. I’ve seen small plane crashes with one person, but not a whole family,’ said Mr Eatmon, who was a paramedic for 23 years.

The plane was found upside-down and a wing had broken off – apparently as it crashed into trees. Searchers located it early on Sunday morning. The crash site is only accessible by all-terrain vehicle.

Official records show that the plane was built in 1978 and it is registered to Advanced Integrated Technology Solutions LLC in Niceville, Florida.

Mr Teutenberg ran a company of the same name. It was a software design and consulting firm, reported the New York Times.

A message left seeking comment from the company wasn’t immediately returned.

Friends told The Northwest Florida Daily News that Fred Teutenberg did volunteer work and played bass guitar every Sunday with the church band at First United Methodist Church of Niceville.

‘He not only played with our band, he played with other church bands elsewhere,’ said Bob Webb, a friend and member of the church.

‘He told me one time he even toured a while. So he had a lot of interests.’

Mr Eatmon told CNN that Mr Teutenberg was thought to have been flying the plane.

He also revealed that it took rescuers hours to recover the bodies from the wreckage because they had to wait for the plane to cool down.

Officials had to use an infra-red camera to locate the bodies which were burned ‘beyond recognition’.

Nick Worrell, from the National Transportation Safety Board which is investigating the crash, revealed it would take a long time to investigate the incident because the wreckage was so deep in the woods.

Mrs Teutenberg owned Discovery Learning Academy in Bluewater Bay. An academy spokesman said she was an ‘excellent leader and role model’ and will be ‘greatly missed’ in the community.

Mr Eatmon spoke to Mr Teutenberg’s father after the crash, who said he had been telling his son to buy a newer plane if he was going to fly with his family.

‘He told his dad the plane had two new engines,’ Mr Eatmon said.

[Daily Mail]

Keep the 16-year-old girl in your prayers…

Check out pics of the family (R.I.P.) below:

We’ve heard of some sick ways to die … but WOW at this one!

A 43-year-old mother of four died after suffering a massive allergic reaction brought on after she had sex with a dog. Apparently, the allergic reaction was from the Alsatian dog’s semen.

The Irish woman died in October 2008 shortly after having sexual intercourse with the dog, whose owner was charged with “buggery” for commanding the dog to commit the sick act at his house in Limerick.

A source told The UK’s Star that the woman and the man first met each other through a bestiality chat room and later met in person at his home, which is where the disgusting sex act with the dog took place.

“Both these people would have been visiting bestiality websites and at some stage it appears they agreed to meet up for sex,” the source explained. “The Alsatian then entered the picture and it appears that intercourse took place between the lady in question and the dog on the night that she died.”

Disturbingly, the source added that the dog “appeared to have been groomed” to have sex with women. “This was a particularly bizarre and upsetting course,” the source continued. “It genuinely was a shocker…you think you’ve seen it all but then something like this comes along and you’re left scratching your head all over again.”

[Gawker, Joe]

Betty Ford, an outspoken advocate for women’s rights, is also known as the founder of the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse, one of the premiere rehab facilities in the whole world.

Thanks to Betty Ford, who struggled with her own alcohol issues, folks like Lindsay Lohan, Kelsey Grammer, Chevy Chase, Elizabeth Taylor, Anna Nicole Smith, Ozzy Osbourne, Drew Barrymore, David Hasselhoff and more have all had a chance to redeem themselves and battle their alcohol addiction problems without having to serve serious jail time.

President Barack Obama said Ford distinguished herself through her courage and compassion. He also said that as the nation’s first lady … she was a powerful advocate for women’s health and women’s rights.

Betty Ford was 93 years old.

This is so tragic!!!

A 39-year-old fireman died at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, TX Thursday night (Jul 7) … after falling 20 feet in an attempt to catch a baseball for his 7-year-old son.

A baseball fan trying to catch a ball at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington died from his injuries Thursday night after falling from his seat to the ground roughly 20 feet below.

The fan, identified early Friday morning as 39-year-old Shannon Stone of Brownwood, was with his son, Cooper.

During the second inning of Thursday night’s game against the Oakland A’s, Stone apparently reached out for a ball tossed into the left field lower reserved seats by Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton. Stone lost his balance and fell over the railing, out of sight from the field. He landed on concrete behind the out of town video board that makes up the left field wall.

There is about a 6-foot space between the stands and the wall.  The area used to house the manual scoreboard.  The wall is 15-feet high.  According to members of the Arlington Fire Department, another fan tried to grab Stone by his shirt, but was unable to hold on.  Stone’s son was held back by other fans and did not fall.

Stone was quickly attended to by paramedics at the Ballpark.

Oakland reliever Brad Ziegler was in the visitor’s bullpen in left-center field, near where Stone fell.

Ziegler was in tears after the game when he found out about the death. The pitcher said when Stone was being put on a stretcher, he told people helping him that his son was “up there by himself” and asked them to check on the boy.

“He had his arms swinging. He talked and was conscious. We assumed he was okay,” Ziegler said. “But when you find out he’s not, it’s just tough.”

Despite being conscious after the fall, officials with the Arlington Fire Department say Stone “went into full arrest” while being transported by ambulance to JPS Hospital in Fort Worth.

Stone was pronounced dead less than an hour after he fell. He was a lieutenant with the Brownwood Fire Department and had been a firefighter for 17 years.

Rangers president and CEO Nolan Ryan told reporters after the game the team was “Deeply saddened to learn that the man who fell has passed away as a result of this tragic accident.”  He went on to say “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Ryan spoke with the team after the game, passing along the news of the death. The Rangers’ clubhouse was closed to the media after the game. Outfielder Josh Hamilton was distraught by the news.

The family is in the process of making funeral arrangements for Lieutenant Shannon Stone. The City of Brownwood is flying flags at half-mast and will do so through the day of the funeral.

This is the third case of a fan falling at Rangers Ballpark since it opened.  In 1994 a woman fell from the railing of the upper home run porch on opening day while posing for a picture.  Last year another firefighter fell about 30 feet, from the second-deck of seats down the right-field line, while trying to catch a foul ball.

This is the first death to occur from a fall at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

SOURCE

We always hate to hear stuff like this that’s uncalled for and could have been easily avoidable. Ballparks need to make their stadiums more safe and baseball catching friendly….they know people get overexcited!

Nicki Minaj is in mourning after her cousin was murdered in Brooklyn last night.

According to law enforcement sources, 27-year-old Nicholas Telemaque, was shot and killed at around 2:40 AM on Monday, July 4th. Telemaque had just left a nightclub just blocks away from his home when he was shot and killed.

Nicki Minaj wrote on Twitter Monday:

“My cousin Nicholas (also goes by Juse) was murdered last night near his home in Brooklyn, New York. Lived in Brooklyn his whole life. My precious cousin. My baby. Killed last nite.”

Police responded to a call in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, where they found Nicolas with “multiple gunshot wounds to the upper torso.” He was taken to Kings County Hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.

The shooter is still on the loose, no arrests have ben made and the investigation is still ongoing.

What would Princess Diana look like if she were still alive today? Newsweek asks (and “digitally” answers) this question on the cover of the latest edition of their magazine in honor of the former Princess of Wales, whose birthday is tomorrow (Jul 1).

The cover shows a computer-generated image of a graphically aged Diana strategically placed beside her daughter-in-law, Dutchess Catherine of Cambridge. (A little creepy if you ask us.)

The corresponding story, penned by Newsweek’s editor-in-chief and Diana biographer Tina Brown, imagines what Princess Di’s life would be like today, had she not been killed in a car accident on August 31st 1997.

“Diana would have been 50 this month,” Brown writes. “What would she have been like? Still great-looking: that’s a given.”

PEOPLE reports that in the story, Brown also predicts that if Princess Diana were alive in 2011, she would have moved to New York, kept her youth appearance with Botox shots, and would have had a following of about 10 million on Twitter.

What do you think about Newsweek’s “creepy” magazine cover?