DJ AM was laid to rest in a private ceremony Wednesday (September 2) in Los Angeles … Guests, including AM’s girlfriend Hayley Wood and friend/ collaborator Travis Barker, former fiancee Nicole Richie and Good Charlotte’s Joel and Benji Madden, gathered at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Los Angeles at around 3 p.m. local time for the funeral service, according to the report. AM (real name: Adam Goldstein) was found by police in his New York apartment on Friday, dead from an apparent drug overdose, although initial autopsy results were inconclusive. The service took place in the mortuary and moved outside at approximately 4 p.m., according to the report. Barker — who had been on tour with Blink-182 but postponed three shows in the wake of AM’s death — reportedly paid his respects and threw dirt on the coffin. He and Wood reportedly hugged at one point, and walked side by side with AM’s family and friends. AM will also be remembered by family and friends in a private memorial service scheduled for Thursday at the Hollywood Palladium, the same venue where he performed with Jay-Z in October of last year, a month after he and Travis Barker survived a fiery plane crash in South Carolina. The Palladium memorial is being described as “a gathering to celebrate the life of our friend Adam Goldstein,” and will reportedly pay tribute to his struggle with addiction, with a format that will be in the style of an open 12-step meeting.

And with that … DJ AM rests in eternal slumber. It seems like everything happened so quickly … we only just learned that Goldstein had passed away and now he’s already been laid to rest … gone in an instant, it seems. I hope that the memorial planned in his memory tonight at the Hollywood Palladium will honor him well … his death is such a tragedy. Rest well, Adam … you will be missed.

[Photo credit: INFdaily, Bauer-Griffin; Source]

Having expressed his sadness earlier in the day via Twitter about the loss of his friend DJ AM, Travis Barker had to face the music – and the crowd – at a Blink-182 concert Saturday night in Hartford, Conn. “This night is really hard for us on stage,” bassist Mark Hoppus said from the stage. “We lost a dear friend yesterday. His name was Adam Goldstein. You probably know him as DJ AM. He was an innovator and a genius and he loved music more than anything else. Above all he was a dear friend.” Before the show – as Barker’s son Landon, 5, stood on stage drumming against the wall with a pair of drumsticks – crewmembers tossed TRV$ DJ-AM CDs into the audience. The CD features a collaboration between Barker and Goldstein. During the concert, the trio asked the crowd for a moment of silence to honor their “dear friend Adam.” As the lights dimmed, audience members raised their lighters above their heads in a show of respect. Fans also yelled out, “I love you guys,” as members of the group began to cry. A song in Goldstein’s honor followed. “This song is called ‘Down.’ and it goes something like this,” said Hoppus. As guitarist Tom DeLonge delivered the lyric “I need you so bad,” tears rolled down the cheeks of all three members of Blink-182. “We are doing our very best to get through this show,” said Hoppus, “but right now it’s very hard.” At the song’s conclusion, Barker – who had been Goldstein’s fellow survivor in a September 2008 plane crash – rubbed his eyes and held his head in his hands. Despite jokes from his bandmates about sex, drugs and drinking, Barker remained silent and did not smile or laugh. He also did not interact with the crowd, and left the stage before DeLonge finished the song. Once the concert ended, Hoppus returned to the stage and told the crowd, “Thank you very much. Although today is one of the hardest days in our entire lives, we wouldn’t want to spend it anywhere else. Thank you for all of your support.”

I cannot even begin to imagine the toll this has to be taking on Travis Barker. The thought that the two men were the sole survivors of such a horribly traumatic experience not too long ago and now Barker has to grieve all over again for the lost of his friend is just … heartbreaking. It’s encouraging that Travis is throwing himself into his work and talking about his pain … he posted a few messages in tribute to his friend on his official Twitter account yesterday … here they are:

Don’t know how i am gonna play 2night but i am for AM. My brother is gone.i love u and miss u, i’ll never forget all the good times we had … I’ll never forget everything we’ve been thru and every time i play the drums i’ll think of you. U were an amazing friend/DJ/human being … Rest In Peace my brother, this really fucks me up.

After the jump, if you are so inclined, you can watch video from last night’s Blink-182 concert and hear the tribute to AM that was played by the band in full …

Perhaps Travis was trying to cheer up his friend with free swag or mebbe Em isn’t as pissed as we might’ve thought cuz he seemed just fine yesterday. I, personally, still contend that he was in on the joke to an extent … and wasn’t privy to just how far the gag would go. Then again, being the prankster that he is … Eminem is no stranger to using bare ass to get some laughs. Whatever the case may be, it looks like Eminem is over it already and can move on … but I wonder if we should be on the look-out for some retaliation.

[Photo credit: X17]

Finally. It’s so nice to see the guys back together again … glad to see that they can let bygones be bygones and can move forward together as a solid unit again. Mark posted another photo on his Twitter profile, once that showed him looking very much like someone else we know and love — check it out after the jump …

Clearly, Mark was joking around:

Heh. Mark makes a pretty good Joker, yes? Or does he look more like Robert Smith from The Cure? Whatever look he was going for, I like it. Great to have the guys together again.

[Source]

Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler have split again, their reps confirm to Usmagazine.com. The couple — who divorced in 2008 but reconciled last September after Barker’s near-fatal plane crash — called it quits “after a nasty fight broke out at his house last night and cops were called…[when] Shanna started freaking out and acting irrational,” a source tells Us. No charges were filed. “Travis confronted Shanna about her having an affair with Gerard Butler while he was in the hospital recovering,” the source says. Butler and Moakler were spotted getting cozy at the Hollywood opening of Shin Korean BBQ last October. A source close to Butler insists to Us, “They were always just friends. Nothing more.” Barker “just wants to focus on his music and his children right now. He is done with her drama,” the source says. In February, Barker told Us he “couldn’t be happier” after reuniting with Moakler, who was spotted wearing her wedding band at a Grammys party. Barker’s rep tells Us: “After surviving the plane crash his driving force in life is the love he has for his kids. He is tired of all other drama and is ready to move on.” A rep for Moakler tells Us: “They did break up but Shanna never cheated on Travis while he was in the hospital. Furthermore, Shanna is tired of playing out their personal relationship in the press.”

These two appear to have the most volatile and the most unhealthy relationship ever! When they’re together, everything is fine … and then some drama or other comes along and a very large, very public bust-up ensues. To be honest, it’s prolly best that the couple remain apart this time (and it would seem that Shanna herself agrees). I’m not aware of any physical violence between these two but why tempt fate? I love how they both claim to be over the “drama” but, yet, they keep whipping up new drama again and again. While I think it would be in their best interests to stay away from one another, the fact that they share children means that that will never happen. As a result, there will always remain the possibility that the couple will end up together again. Heaven help them both.

[Source]

Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler are planning to wed for a second time just one year after finalizing their divorce. The reunited couple, who ended their two-year marriage in 2006, became close again after the Blink-182 drummer almost died in a plane crash in South Carolina last September. Travis and pal Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein were the only survivors of the inferno, which left four people dead. “We would like to renew our vows and have another wedding,” former Miss USA Moakler told Us Magazine this week. “It’s not so much about the wedding but about having a celebration of each other and getting through all the crazy things we’ve been through.” “When you almost lose a loved one, it makes you appreciate things you took for granted,” Shanna added. Travis and Shanna have two children together, Landon, 5, and Alabama, who is 3.

Funny, I seem to recall that Shanna was more interested in getting into Gerard Butler’s pants in the weeks after Travis’s almost deadly accident … but I suppose true love wins out in the end. I guess we’ll see if these crazy kids really can make it work this time. My money says they will not. What do y’all think?

[Source]

Hi. We’re blink-182. This past week there’ve been a lot of questions about the current status of the band, and we wanted you to hear it straight from us.

Thanks and get ready…

I may not be a huge Blink-182 fan but I can appreciate that there are a lot of folks out there who are very excited by this news. The guys tend to make some pretty fun music so I’m looking forward to hearing what they’ve got up their collective sleeves. After the jump, check out one more promo photo of the Blink boys, one that is much better lit and shows their pretty faces better …

I suppose it is really nice that they have been able to kiss and make up so that they can make music together again. Methinks that Travis’s near death experience last year may have had something to do with the positivity amongst the band members again. I think it’s always a good thing when estranged friends and colleagues are able to mend fences and move forward together again. I guess I am looking forward to hearing new stuff from Blink-182. Bring it on, boys, it’s been far too long since y’all have been away.

[Source, Source]

Travis Barker is suing Bombardier Inc., Clay Lacy Aviation and Goodyear Tire and Rubber in connection with the plane crash that severely injured him and killed two of his friends. The suit, filed in L.A. County Superior Court, was filed by Barker and the mother of Charles “Che” Still, Travis’ bodyguard who died in the crash. In the lawsuit, Travis and Thelma Martin Still claim “one or more of the tires failed leaving tire debris and portions of airplane components along the 8,600 foot runway” ultimately causing the Learjet to crash. The suit alleges a “negligent attempt to abort the takeoff.” The suit continues, “The pilot’s decision was a breach of their duty owed to the passengers onboard and was a substantial factor in causing the crash and resultant injuries and deaths.” The suit also alleges the plane was “defective,” as were component parts including the tires. The suit goes on, “It’s landing gear, tires, wheels, brakes, reverse thrust system, squat switches and component parts were not airworthy.” A rep for Clay Lacy just told TMZ, “We are surprised about the lawsuit and concerned and knowledgeable about the accident. We are sympathetic for the victims but we want to emphasize we were not operating this airplane. This was not our airplane. We merely assisted the parties in chartering this aircraft with another company. We simply booked it for them.”

People magazine has more information on the language included in the suit:

The L.A. Superior Court lawsuit, also filed Friday by the mother of Barker’s bodyguard, Charles “Che” Still, who died in the crash, alleges the pilots “negligently decided to abort” the takeoff when the Learjet’s tires failed in September at an airport in Columbia, S.C. “The pilots were either poorly trained and/or failed to follow their training,” the suit says. “The pilots’ decision was a breach of their duty owed to the passengers onboard and was a substantial factor in causing the crash and resultant injuries and deaths” … Federal aviation officials are focusing on bare tires and debris on the runway as the causes of the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board says the wheels had very little rubber remaining and its brakes were severely damaged. The lawsuit names as defendants Clay Lacy Aviation, Global Executive Aviation, Inter Travel and Services, Goodyear Tire and Rubber and Bombardier Inc.

I suppose this legal action was to be expected. After the healing comes the retribution. I wholeheartedly agree that the parties at fault have to be held responsible for causing the deaths of four people. I understand that suits like this also go a long way in helping with the healing process of accident victims who survive traumatic experiences like this. I cannot for the life of me imagine what it must feel like to deal with any of this tragedy … my only hope is that Travis, AM and the family members of those lost in the accident will, one day, be able to finally put this whole incident behind them. It remains to be seen if this lawsuit will help bring closure but it’s prolly a very good place to start.

[Source, Source]

This birthday was prolly especially poignant for Travis considering that he almost lost his life in a tragic small plane accident that claimed the lives of four people in South Carolina back in September. I would imagine that Travis is very happy to be celebrating another year of life with the children that he loves so much. I, for the life of me, cannot understand what it must feel like to survive a deadly plane crash but I do know that I am thrilled beyond words that Travis is not only able to see another birthday but is able to do so looking so well after recovering from his injuries. Happy, happy birthday, Travis … may you enjoy many more birthdays to come.

[Photo credit: X17]

I still find it very amazing that not only are both DJ AM and Travis Barker already out of the hospital but that they are both back up and around as well! Yesterday we saw pics of AM back to doing what he loves to do and today we get to see Travis enjoying time with someone that he loves so much. I am just thrilled that both men are doing so well. I wish them both a quick road to full recovery … heal well, guys!

[Photo credit: INFdaily]