US rapper J.Cole has cancelled his show in northern California after one of his crew members tragically died in a major highway crash.
The No Role Modelz rapper was due to hit the stage at Sacramento’s Golden 1 centre but fans learned just hours before the show it would be cancelled due to the fatal accident.
“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,” J.Cole and tour operator Live Nation posted on their respective social media accounts.
“Our thoughts are with the crew member’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
The crew member was driving a semi-truck on the Interstate 5 highway in Yolo County, about a 41 minute drive north-east of Sacramento, when the vehicle veered off the road and overturned, per the Sacramento Bee.
He died at scene, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The man was later identified as Jarlath Parkinson, 66, of Jackson, South Carolina by the Yolo County Coroner’s Office which said it did not believe drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident.
Parkinson had been driving the truck full of concert gear from J.Cole’s previous show in Seattle down to Sacramento.
J.Cole is currently on the road with his The Fall-Off tour which was scheduled to include 73 shows across the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Live Nation said that those with tickets to the Sacramento show should contact Ticketmaster for refunds.
Jermaine Lamarr Cole, better known as J. Cole, is a a German-born American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer.
He is thought to be one of the most influential rappers of his generation.
Cole released his debut studio album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, in 2011 which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200.
He has won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song, a Billboard Music Award for Top Rap Album, three Soul Train Music Awards, and eight BET Hip Hop Awards.