Jelly Roll was scheduled to sing with Ashley McBryde during the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th birthday celebration last Wednesday (March 19).
But seemingly at the last minute, he pulled out of the lineup.
McBryde went on to do their performance — a Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash tribute — with Post Malone instead, in a moment that wound up being a highlight of the star-studded show.
Still, though, fans missed Jelly — all the more so because no explanation was given for his absence. This week, during an appearance on The Pivot podcast, Jelly cleared the air about the show, saying he missed it because of an illness he just couldn’t kick.
“Broke my heart, man,” Jelly says. “I just could not break this fever. And I’ve never had a fever that just kept me down, man. I probably slept like 20 hours.”
Jelly’s not used to canceling shows just because he’s sick. In fact, during his 2024 tour, he powered through an illness so severe that it involved a visit to the hospital. The singer says that showing up to work — whether sick or not — is something that was instilled in him from a young age.
Read More: Jelly Roll Breaks Down, Blames Himself for His Daughter’s Anxiety
“My uncle Buford used to tell me this story about, he called his father — which was my grandfather — one time, and he said, ‘I can’t come into work today, I’m sick.’ And all Big Buford, my grandfather, said was ‘That’s good, working sick builds character. I’ll see you in a minute.’ Hung up the phone,” Jelly recounts.
“So I pride myself on sick shows,” he goes on to say. “Anytime I’m so sick that I can’t go, it scares me. Especially because I’ve been so focused on getting my health right.”
“I canceled one show in the last five years because of an ailment, and it was the Grand Ole Opry 100,” Jelly explains, saying it “breaks his soul” to have cancel any show, but especially one at such a hallowed institution as the Opry.
“I hated it, man,” he says.
“I hate anytime I gotta miss a show. I hate anytime I have to miss almost anything,” he says. “I got FOMO anyways. I spent my whole life in one isolated area doing nothing with my life. Now that things are going good, I wanna be as many places as I can be doing as much as I can possibly be doing.”
Jelly is one of country music’s biggest superstars, and one of the genres busiest performers, too: He’s a fixture of festivals, specials and awards shows, and often makes time for podcast appearances and other interviews in addition to juggling a jam-packed touring and music release schedule.
Read More: Why Wasn’t Jelly Roll at the 2025 Grammy Awards?
So when he does miss events, fans quickly pick up on his absence. For example, viewers noticed when Jelly skipped the 2025 Grammy Awards, despite the fact that he was nominated in two categories and had been in Los Angeles just a couple days earlier to headline a benefit show and play a free show for first responders.
Jelly Roll: 25 Stunning Facts About the ‘Save Me’ Singer
Jelly Roll is country music’s most fascinating character. His life has taken dozens of wild twists and turns, and he’s been honest about all of it. Here are 25 facts about the “Save Me” singer and his family.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
