Four Celebrities Who Died This Past Week, Including Snoop Dogg's Brother
Several celebrities passed away as February 2024 reached the halfway mark.
From Snoop Dogg's music executive brother to a controversial YouTuber, these four notable figures made their mark in the realms of TV, music and social media.
Here are the four celebrities who died in the past week.
1. Ben Lanzarone - Feb. 16
(L-R) Ilene Graff and Ben Lanzarone attend the Hollywood Museum Grand Reopening and Book Launch Party for Ruta Lee's "Consider Your Ass Kissed" at The Hollywood Museum on May 28, 2021 in Hollywood, California.
Composer Ben Lanzarone, whose work was featured in many iconic TV shows, died after battling lung cancer. He was 85.
Lanzarone passed away peacefully in his sleep Friday, his wife of over 45 years, actress Ilene Graff, told TMZ.
Lanzarone helped create music that was featured in a number of his shows in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, including "The Love Boat," "Happy Days" and "Dynasty."
His work was also featured in "The Colbys," "Mork and Mindy," "The Tracey Ullman Show," "Mr. Belvedere" and "Laverne and Shirley."
He met Graff while working on the music video for "Summer Nights" from the iconic film "Grease."
In 1986, he received the most performed underscore award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
2. Etterlene DeBarge - Feb. 16
Gospel singer Etterlene DeBarge died Friday. She was 88.
The DeBarge family matriarch passed away peacefully in her sleep at Berkley Post-Acute in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, her daughter Etterlene "Bunny" DeBarge confirmed to TMZ.
A cause of death has not been disclosed. But TMZ cited unnamed sources as saying that DeBarge was suffering from an illness at the time of her death. She was diagnosed with dementia, the insiders claimed.
Bunny paid tribute to her mother on Instagram, writing, "Momma has gone to see her King!"
Etterlene and her former husband, Robert DeBarge, had 10 children, seven of whom played in the Motown super group DeBarge.
The group, which was active from 1979 to 1989, had been nominated for a Grammy before they parted ways.
Following her 1974 divorce from Robert, Etterlene married George Rodriguez in 1980.
3. Bing Worthington - Feb. 15
Music executive Bing Worthington, the younger brother of Snoop Dogg, died Thursday. He was 44. The cause of death has not been revealed. A spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff's Department said in a statement to NBC News, "The cause of death will be pending the results of the toxicology and autopsy report." The rapper paid tribute to his sibling on Instagram Friday, sharing photos of them in a dressing room and a video of them with their brother Jerry in a cemetery. "Until we meet again," Snoop wrote alongside a picture of him posing with Worthington. "@badabing33 always made us laugh," he captioned the clip. "[You back] with moms." Worthington, who was the "Drop It Like It's Hot" rapper's half-brother on his mother's side, worked with Snoop initially as a roadie and then a tour manager. He also handled Snoop Dogg Skateboards and executive produced the 2003 documentary "Bigg Snoop Dogg: Raw 'N Uncut Vol. 1," according to Today. Worthington was also an artist, releasing albums with his hip-hop group Lifestyle. One of their songs, "Tha Jump Off," was part of the soundtrack of the 2006 movie "Van Wilder 2." He eventually founded his own music studio and production company in Canada, Dogg Records.
4. Twomad - Feb. 13
Controversial YouTuber Twomad died Tuesday. He was 23.
Twomad, whose real name was Muudea Sedik, was found unresponsive at his home in Los Angeles during a welfare check, TMZ reported, citing law enforcement sources.
The welfare check was requested after Twomad missed several appointments and had not been heard from for days.
Drug paraphernalia were found in his home, and his death is being investigated as a possible overdose, unnamed sources told the outlet.
According to records from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner cited by E! News, his cause of death has been deferred.
Twomad had 2.1 million subscribers on YouTube at the time of his passing.
He posted his last video, a sketch titled "How I Became CEO of Radioshack," in August 2022 before going on hiatus from YouTube.
He was later accused of sexual assault and stalking by "osu!" player Goldibell.
Twomad denied the allegations, writing on X, formerly Twitter: "Never sexually assaulted nobody in my life."
