Man accused of stabbing Nat King Cole’s great-nephew to death

ATLANTA — A man was arrested in connection with the death of a man last month in Atlanta. The victim was related to singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole.

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Tracy Cole, 31, was stabbed to death on Sept. 14 around 2 a.m. in the 300 block of Centennial Olympic Park Drive, WSB-TV reported. Cole was taken to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Ricardo Gayle, 41, was arrested in connection with his murder and was taken into custody Saturday during a traffic stop, according to The Associated Press.

Investigators say Cole’s killing was not random. According to WSB, the suspect and the victim reportedly knew each other.

Gayle is facing multiple charges including murder, aggravated assault and armed robbery, the AP reported.

Cole was the grandson of Freddy Cole, according to WSB. Freddy Cole was one of Nat King Cole’s three brothers who was also a jazz singer and pianist. He was inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame in 2007. He died in 2020. He was born in Chicago and moved to Atlanta for the majority of his career.