With hits like “Save Me,” “Son of a Sinner,” and “Need a Favor,” Jelly Roll has become a Grammy-nominated country music star after finding only modest success in rap and hip-hop.
Country music icon Jelly Roll is returning to television a little over a year after the debut of his popular documentary Jelly Roll: Save Me on Hulu. The vocalist of “Need A Favor” and Ashley McBryde emcee a three-hour CMA Fest musical special that takes place in early June. The program will air on ABC on June 25 at 8 p.m. ET. On June 26, it will be accessible for viewing on Hulu.
The Nashville music festival’s Jelly Roll, who shared the stage alongside Lainey Wilson and Keith Urban, described her hosting role as “indescribable.” The 39-year-old, who was raised in the city, has been open about the difficulties he had as a young person growing up and in his 20s, including several arrests.
“Being in a juvenile detention center across the street from where I was hosting and now hosting on stage—how do you describe being in the same exact place while being in a place that couldn’t be more different, at the same time?” he asked. “The magnitude of the moment really hit me.”
“Halfway to Hell” peaked at number one on the Country Airplay chart for the week of June 15, becoming Jelly Roll’s fourth consecutive No. 1 hit. A new song, “I Am Not Okay,” off his upcoming album, which is anticipated later this year, was also shared by him.
Who Is Jelly Roll?
Hit songs include “Son of a Sinner,” “Save Me,” and “Need a Favor” are well-known works by singer-songwriter Jelly Roll. He conquered a turbulent upbringing and early adulthood—which included many jail terms and drug addiction—to realize his musical aspirations, never reluctant to embrace an underdog identity. Several of his most well-known songs have been influenced by his chaotic background. Despite beginning in rap and hip-hop, the Tennessee native is now well-known for his country music. He was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2024 Grammy Awards and named CMA’s New Artist of the Year in November 2023.
Early Life
Jason Bradley DeFord, better known as Jelly Roll, was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on December 4, 1984, and raised in the Antioch section of the city. Horace “Buddy” DeFord, his father, was a bookie in addition to running a wholesale meat company. In addition, Jelly Roll has three elder half-siblings: Shelby, a sister, and Roger and Scott, brothers.
When Jelly Roll was younger, his mother—who battled drug addiction and mental health issues—gave him his nickname, which is now his stage moniker, since he was a “chubby kid.” The singer claimed that his mother—whose identity has not been disclosed—was the reason behind his initial musical love and his development as a skilled storyteller.
At the age of nine or ten, he composed his debut rap song. In a May 2022 interview with the Bobby Bones Show, he stated, “I just remember thinking, ‘I want to make music that makes people feel like this music makes my mother feel.'” He began distributing mixtapes of his songs in the high school parking lot once he was in the seventh grade.
When Jelly Roll was thirteen, his parents were divorced. Following that, Jelly Roll started selling narcotics since he felt obligated to look after his mother. “Someone has to do what he was doing, at least trying to figure out some money,” he remarked, “after [my father] left.” He also gave away free mixtapes of his rap songs with cocaine sales, according to Billboard.
Jelly Roll was close to his father, who passed away in March 2019 from cancer. The musician says Buddy taught him “how to carry myself as a man” and to “hate racism.”
Prison and Drug Addiction
Jelly Roll was initially arrested when he was 14 years old. He went to jail 40 times for different offenses, as he disclosed in the 2023 documentary Jelly Roll: Save Me. When he was sixteen, aggravated robbery was one of the most serious accusations. Although he served little over a year in jail and was placed on more than seven years of probation, he was charged as an adult and faced a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison. “I hadn’t reached my previous growing phase. Before I could purchase a beer, rent an apartment, or purchase a pack of smokes, I was charged as an adult,” he told Billboard. “I feel like I was kind of parked on my only set path at that point by the justice system.”
Tennessee has a zero-tolerance policy for violent offenders, which is why the singer’s record still shows the accusation. He is consequently unable to vote, participate in charitable work, or possess a gun.
Jelly Roll has acknowledged that he sells narcotics and that he has struggled with substance abuse, including cocaine, Xanax, and cough syrup. The artist now makes educational and motivational trips to recovery centers in an effort to support and uplift those overcoming addiction.
Jelly Roll was imprisoned for drug trafficking at the age of 23. On May 22, 2008, while inside, he received word from a correctional official that he was now a father. He believes that the spark for his life’s transformation was the birth of his daughter, Bailee. He compared it to what happened on Damascus Road in the Bible to podcaster Joe Rogan. “I knew right away that I needed to take action. I have to get over this s—. I have to work things out for myself.
Not too long after, Jelly Roll was sent to the education unit and completed his GED while incarcerated. 2009 saw his release.
