R.I.P.

Maurice Sendak, the author of one of the most popular children's books of all-time, has passed from complications related to a stroke. He was 83.

A writer and an illustrator, Sendak rose to prominence in 1963 with the publication of "Where the Wild Things Are." It was made into a movie in 2009.

Sendak's reputation grew over time as someone with frank opinions and a dark sense of humor. His works often featured especially angry, rebellious young children and he made headlines against in January during an appearance on The Colbert Report (excerpted in the following video), during which he said:

“I don’t write for children. I like them as few and far between as I do adults."

Maurice Sendak on The Colbert Report

Sendak resided with his partner, psychiatrist Eugene Glynn, for 50 years before the latter died of lung cancer in 2007. We send our thoughts to his loved ones.

The music world continues to mourn the death of Beastie Boys co-founder Adam Yauch. "MCA" passed away Friday at 47 after a long battle with cancer.

Friends and celebs are stepping forward to pay tribute to Yauch (pictured below, middle with Beasties Ad Rock and Mike D) and his pioneering influence.

Coldplay honored Adam Yauch with a Beastie Boys cover in concert, while many other stars took to Twitter to express their sadness. A sampling:

Snoop Dogg: "RIP MCA U are a Legend and a pioneer. #BeastieBoys4life"

Travis Barker: "Rest In Peace Adam Yauch /MCA. 4ever somebody i looked up to & had the pleasure of meeting. Damn this bums me out, we lost one of the best"

Kevin Smith: "RIP Adam Yauch. You made my teenage years more fun and your art made it easier for me to do what I do. For a Beastie, you sure were a beaut."

Common: "God Bless the soul of Adam Yauch aka MCA of the Beastie Boys. RIP"

Rainn Wilson: "RIP Adam Yauch (MCA of the Beastie Boys). He was a super-genius, a visionary and, most importantly, a really good person."

Rob Thomas: "holy s--t. R.I.P. ADAM YAUCH. MCA, you will be missed."

Slash: "Sad day. MCA was f--king awesome. RIP man. We'll miss you very much."

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George Lindsey, who played the memorable character of Goober Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show, died early yesterday morning at the age of 83.

Lindsey, who later was a regular on the long-running country music comedy show Hee Haw, passed on at a healthcare center in Nashville, Tenn.

"George Lindsey was my friend," Andy Griffith said in a statement released on Sunday. "I had great respect for his talent and his human spirit."

Noting that they last spoke a few days ago, Griffith said: "I'm happy to say that as we found ourselves in our 80s, we were not afraid to say, 'I love you.' That was the last thing George and I had to say to each other. 'I love you.' "

The Andy Griffith Show, the classic 1960s sitcom starring Griffith as the kindly sheriff of Mayberry, N.C., was in its fourth season in 1964 when Lindsey appeared as the cousin of naive gas station attendant Gomer Pyle, played by Jim Nabors.

Lindsey's character became more prominent after Nabors left the show to star in the spin-off series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. in 1964. R.I.P.

The Beastie Boys' MCA, real name Adam Yauch, has died.

The hip hop pioneer was 47. In 2009, MCA announced he was being treated for cancer of the parotid gland and a lymph node. He underwent surgery and radiation therapy.

It is unclear as of this posting whether Yauch's death was related to cancer.

MCA co-founded Beastie Boys in 1979 (yes, 1979) with Mike D, and Ad Rock, and went on to churn out some of the most iconic albums in hip-hop.

They trio landed their big break after working with young producer Rick Rubin, who would sign them to his newly-formed Def Jam Recordings in 1984.

License to Ill, Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head and Ill Communication won the group multiple Grammys and a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Yauch is survived by his wife and daughter. He will be missed by many.

Russell Simmons' site GlobalGrind (dot) com first reported his death. What are your favorite memories of Yauch, and of the Beastie Boys in general?

Beastie Boys - Sure Shot

Junior Seau's grieving family does NOT believe the former football great's death was related to on-field concussions he sustained as a player, but his suicide has nevertheless renewed an ongoing debate over the NFL and brain injuries.

Police found Junior Seau dead yesterday at his San Diego County home.

Seau family sources tell say the death shocked them even more than it did his many fans, as Junior never complained about concussion-related medical problems, nor did he mention or appear to be suffering from depression.

Seau never spoke, allegedly, about the ongoing legal dispute between the NFL and retired players who claim the league concealed critical information about long-term effects of concussions over the past few decades.

Junior's apparent suicide, from a gunshot wound to the chest, instantly drew comparisons to the death of former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson.

Duerson left a suicide note explaining he shot himself in the chest because he wanted his brain to be sent to the "NFL brain bank" for further study.

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Former NFL great Junior Seau was found dead in his home in Oceanside, Calif., today. Police say the likely cause of death was suicide. He was 43 years old.

Law enforcement sources reportedly believe Seau, a USC and pro football standout for 20 seasons, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. 

Few other details were immediately available. TV footage showed police swarming his home in North San Diego County and people comforting each other.

He leaves behind four kids and an ex-wife. He reportedly sent text messages to his ex-wife and children yesterday saying simply, "Love you."

They all responded and didn't suspect anything was wrong, according to TMZ reports, and Seau is said to have last seen his kids three weeks ago.

Sources close to Seau say his family didn't notice any signs of depression in recent weeks, but more details will surely follow in the coming days.

Oceanside Police Chief Frank McCoy just spoke outside Seau's house, claiming Seau's body was initially discovered by the athlete's girlfriend.

A 911 call was placed around 10 a.m. today. Police responded and found Junior's unconscious body inside a bedroom with a gunshot wound to the chest.

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Patricia Medina, a British-born actress whose Hollywood career as a leading lady in the '50s spanned comedies, dramas, adventure films and thrillers, has died.

She was 92. Medina, the widow of actor Joseph Cotten, passed away Saturday at Barlow Respiratory Hospital in Los Angeles. She had been in declining health.

A petite, dark-haired beauty who launched her career in England in the 1930s, Medina was married to actor Richard Greene when she arrived in Hollywood.

Medina starred in Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950), Sangaree with Fernando Lamas (1953), Plunder of the Sun with Glenn Ford (1953), Botany Bay with Alan Ladd (1953) and Phantom of the Rue Morgue with Karl Malden (1954).

She also played opposite Louis Hayward in the '50s adventure films Fortunes of Captain Blood, The Lady and the Bandit, Lady in the Iron Mask and Captain Pirate.

Medina and Greene were divorced in 1951. In 1960, she wed the widowed Cotten, who had made his feature film debut in Welles' 1941 classic Citizen Kane.

They appeared in a number of stage productions together. Medina made her Broadway debut in 1962 in Calculated Risk, starring Cotten, who died in 1994.

Very sad news today from the world of music:

Tommy Marth, the saxophonist for The Killers on albums "Sam's Town" and "Day & Age," was found dead at his home in Las Vegas of an apparent suicide. He was 33.

The Killers in Concert

A spokeswoman for the Clark County Coroner's Office has confirmed the finding, though no further details are available at this time.

Marth was well known around Sin City for also jamming with local acts such as the Big Friendly Corporation and Black Camaro.

"Last night we lost our friend Thomas Marth. Our prayers are with his family.There's a light missing in Las Vegas tonight. Travel well, Tommy," read a statement the Killers posted on their Facebook page and on Twitter.

The musician is survived by his parents and two siblings.

Canadian actor Jonathan Frid, star of the original Dark Shadows, has died at the age of 87. He passed away Friday in his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario.

Frid was best known as the benign vampire Barnabas Collins on ABC’s gothic soap opera from 1967-71 and in the 1970 movie House Of Dark Shadows.

Jonathan Frid also has a cameo in Warner Bros’ upcoming Dark Shadows reboot, directed by the great Tim Burton, as an older version of Barnabas.

He meets up with the younger version of himself, played by Johnny Depp.

While Frid wasn’t in Dark Shadows during its 1966 debut, his elegantly fiendish Barnabas quickly became the star when he joined several months later.

After the series ended, Frid returned to theater, performing Edgar Allen Poe, William Shakespeare and a long run on Broadway in Arsenic And Old Lace. 

A Yale graduate, he appeared in several films including Oliver Stone’s 1974 directorial debut Seizure. He attended fan conventions well into old age.

You can see him in Dark Shadows with Depp on May 11.

Levon Helm, the legendary drummer for The Band, died today. He was 71.

"Levon Helm passed peacefully this afternoon," his rep confirmed.

"He was surrounded by family, friends and fellow band members and will be remembered by all he touched as a brilliant musician and a beautiful soul."

Earlier this week, Levon's wife Sandy and their daughter announced on his official website that he was "in the final stages of his battle with cancer."

The Arkansas-born Helm played in a rockabilly band in the late 1950s before moving up to Canada and joining guitarist Robbie Robertson and three other musicians to form what would become Bob Dylan's back-up band in the mid-1960s.

Later called simply The Band, the group featured Helm's drums and vocals on songs like "The Weight," "Up on Cripple Creek" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."

Their final concert, filmed by Martin Scorsese, was The Last Waltz in 1976.

In their message to his fans, Levon Helm's wife and daughter said:

The Band - The Weight

"Thank you fans and music lovers who have made his life filled with joy and celebration ... he has loved nothing more than to play, to fill the room up with music, lay down the back beat, and make the people dance! He did it every time he took the stage."

"We appreciate all the love and support and concern."