Jermaine “J. Cole” Cole has made a living blending his music career with basketball aspirations, ranging from his failed tryout at St. John’s to playing a little overseas. Thursday, he earned an entirely different type of headline.
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“Following the tragic passing of a member of the touring crew in a trucking accident this morning, J. Cole’s performance at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento tonight, August 27, has been canceled,” the venue said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the crew member’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
The accident happened at about 6:05 a.m. local time on Interstate 5 in Yolo County, near the Zamora and Dufour regions north of Woodland, California, based on the reports from the California Highway Patrol. The truck had equipment for Cole’s concert when the overturning happened.
“It’s unknown at this time, may have been a distraction or fell asleep. Unfortunately, the solo occupant did not survive the crash,” Sgt. David Barker of the California Highway Patrol reported to CBS News Sacramento.
According to the Yolo County Coroner’s Office, the name of the truck driver is Jarlath Parkinson, aged 66 years, hailing from Jackson, South Carolina. The authorities made it clear that there was no involvement of any other vehicles in the accident, and also the driver was alone in the truck when it veered off the road.
Cole’s basketball history has gone hand-in-hand with his music history. Cole was a member of the high school basketball team at Terry Sanford High School in North Carolina, and he tried out as a walk-on at St. John’s University when attending on an academic scholarship but failed to make the cut.
The presence of basketball games did not stop during his career days, and he participated in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game in 2012, the Patriots Basketball Club in the Basketball Africa League in 2021, Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League in 2022, and 2026 he signed up with the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association.
This cancellation marks the first incident disrupting Cole’s continuing Fall Off World Tour, which consists of more than 40 tour stops scheduled to run from August 29 to December 12 and ends in Johannesburg, South Africa. The tour will span more than 50 cities across 15 nations.
Fans who acquired their tickets for the Sacramento game through Ticketmaster are entitled to automatic refunds. Those who bought their tickets from any third-party ticketing platforms have been informed that they can contact their source of purchase for further instructions on obtaining their refunds.
Cole’s next shows are still scheduled for August 29 and 30 at Oakland Arena, and then September 1 and 3 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and the Intuit Dome, respectively. Whether Cole’s Sacramento performance will be rescheduled is yet to be seen, along with any other performances that might be affected because of the accident.