Nat King Cole's great-nephew Tracy Cole is stabbed to death in Atlanta

The great-nephew of the legendary American singer Nat King Cole was stabbed to death in downtown Atlanta as police continue to hunt for a suspect in the brazen killing. Tracy Cole, 31, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital around 2am Thursday after being found at an apartment complex, but was later pronounced dead from the severity of his stab wounds. Police have not said if they’ve identified a suspect or a motive for the crime.

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Tracy was the grandson of Freddy Cole, the brother of Nat King Cole, who was also an American jazz singer and pianist. ‘He just brought an abundance of joy everywhere he went,’ his pastor Kevin Murriel said. Tracy was extremely active on social media and used it to promote his passion and business as a cigar salesman. He worked part-time at the Fellowship Cigar Lounge in downtown Atlanta, as well as the Cigar City Club in Sandy Springs. Atlantic Cigar Week took place from September 11- September 17 and members of the festival spoke out in regards to Tracy’s sudden death.

‘The Atlanta cigar community is deeply saddened by the loss of such a vibrant soul. We at ACW extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and close friends of @tc_smokes,’ Atlantic Cigar Week captioned a photo of Tracy. Tracy’s friend Octavia Oliver told Fox 5 that he was a big part of the Atlanta community. ‘Always laughing, always smiling with his corny jokes. Everybody loved him,’ said Oliver. He was also a long-term member of the Cascade United Methodist Church in Atlanta, and senior pastor Kevin Murriel praised the 31-year-old. 

‘Tracy had that personality that just really transcended culture, it transcended race, it transcended class. Tracy made a friend of everyone. He was family. He was more than a young man in the community. He was that child who walked the floors and aisles of the church,’ Murriel told Fox 5. Tracy was not only the great-nephew of the Route 66 singer who died in 1965, but he was also second cousins with Natalie Cole, a Grammy-winning singer who died in 2015.

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