Jelly Roll’s winding path to country stardom is both a familiar and distinct one: A troubled past, marred by drug use and drinking, and several stints in prison, followed by a deluge of staggering success. Since breaking through in 2020 with his viral hit “Save Me,” Jelly Roll’s steady rise has carried the air of a redemption arc, one that may have reached a zenith this month.
In early December, Jelly Roll went on The Joe Rogan Experience, where he was surprised with one of country music’s top honors: An invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry. The message was even delivered by singer-songwriter Craig Morgan, a longtime friend and Opry member.
In a pre-recorded video message, Morgan recalled first meeting Jelly Roll at the Opry and said how honored he was to learn that his music had helped Jelly Roll “get through some really tough times.” — which is one thing, Morgan added, “country music does really well.”
Jelly Roll fought back tears as he responded to the news: “It don’t get no bigger in country music, bubba,” he said. “That’s as big as it gets. Fucking Grand Ole Opry, dog.” Soon, excitement took over as Jelly Roll exclaimed: “I bet I”m the first person to ever get invited to the Grand Ole Opry on a podcast!”
Later on Instagram, Jelly Roll added, “I’m honored beyond words and I can’t stop pinching myself. To everyone at the Opry, y’all are like family to me. To Craig Morgan, no matter how many times I say it i’ll never be able to tell you enough how much this has all meant to me.” (An exact date for Jelly Roll’s Opry induction ceremony hasn’t been announced yet.)
Just over a week later, Jelly Roll received some equally momentous news: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a pardon that wiped the musician’s criminal record.
Jelly Roll (born Jason DeFord) spent significant time behind bars during his early 20s on a mix of drug and robbery charges. Though Jelly Roll has talked often about how his incarceration changed his life and inspired him to pursue music, his criminal record has also presented one of the few impediments to his career, as it had made it logistically difficult for him to tour internationally. (He finally was able to embark on some global dates this year.)
Back in April, the Tennessee Board of Parole held a hearing in Nashville to discuss Jelly Roll’s case. The nearly two-hour discussion ended with a unanimous vote in favor of a pardon, but it wasn’t until Dec. 18 that Gov. Lee officially signed the documents.
“His story is remarkable,” Lee told reporters, “and it’s a redemptive, powerful story, which is what you look for and what you hope for.”
While December was a bit of a capstone, 2025 as a whole was a massive year for Jelly Roll. He spent much of the year touring in support his most recent album, Beautifully Broken, including a guest-filled headlining set at Stagecoach, a bunch of stadium shows with Post Malone, and a performance alongside one of his heroes, Eminem. And he notched a few more hits with collaborations like “Bloodline” with Alex Warren, “Hard Fought Hallelujah” with Brandon Lake, and “Amen” with Shaboozey.
Both “Amen” and “Hard Fought Hallelujah” earned Jelly Roll two Grammy nominations, for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song, respectively. Beautifully Broken was also nominated for Best Contemporary Country Album.
“When I look at these nominations, all I see is God,” Jelly Roll said after nominations were announced. “I want to cry. Wow, country album of the year. It’s not even about the album or the nom. It’s about the name.”
