HOUSTON — Jelly Roll has a back story fit for country music, and the genre's fans have embraced him with open arms. That was clearly evident Wednesday night when the rapper-turned-country star took his first ride on the Houston Rodeo's rotating stage.
Nearly 75,000 adoring fans gave Jelly Roll a Texas-sized welcome. He got emotional as he soaked up the magical moment, then shared that it was a milestone in his storied career.
"As of right this moment, as of right this second, on March 6 of 2024, at the Houston Rodeo, at the NRG Stadium, this is officially the biggest show of my entire life," Jelly Roll told the crowd.
He later treated fans to a special surprise by bringing superstar and Huntsville, Texas native Cody Johnson to the stage to sing their new duet "Whiskey Bent." Johnson, a former professional bull rider, isn't part of this year's Rodeo lineup, making the moment even more special.
Jelly Roll called Johnson a "big brother" who he can call at 2 a.m. to talk about life, God and the beauty of country music," Whiskey Riff reported.
Who is Jelly Roll?
The 39-year-old Nashville native with the famously tatted face is far from your typical good ol' boy country singer.
His real name is Jason DeFord but his mom nicknamed him Jelly Roll when he was a kid.
"To this day, my mother calls me Jelly. If somebody walked in here right now and said, 'Jason,' I wouldn't look up," he told CBS News in January.
From the age of 14, Jelly Roll says he spent a decade in and out of jail for dealing drugs, aggravated robbery and other crimes.
He recently told GQ that he used his time behind bars to write rap songs. Along the way, he made a few hip-hop CDs featuring the songs he wrote in jail and handed them out to his drug customers.
"I'm just like, 'Yo, here's a sack of weed. Here's a gram of coke. Here's a mixtape.' Know what I'm saying? 'I rap, too!' It was like my business card. Even my drug dealing, to me, was always a means to music," Jelly Roll told Kelefah Sanneh for the CBS article.
After his daughter's birth when he was 24, Jelly Roll found God and turned his life around.
"Halfway to Hell," his opening song at RodeoHouston, pretty much sums up his life.
"I'm a county jail revival
I'm a bottle and a Bible
I'm a rolling stone disciple
With a cross across my face
I'm a trailer park tornado
Jagged edges on my halo
Hope the chariot gon' swing low
And carry me away"
Jelly Roll's 2020 breakout hit "Save Me" got Nashville's attention and resonated with fans and the rest is history.
His career soared with "Son of a Sinner" and "Need a Favor," and last year, Jelly Roll won his first Grammy for Best New Artist.
“There is something poetic about a 39-year-old man winning new artist of the year. I don’t know where you’re at in your life or what you’re going through, but I want to tell you to keep going, baby. I want to tell you success is on the other side of it. I want to tell you it’s going to be ok," he said in his acceptance speech. "I want to tell you that the windshield is better than the rearview mirror for a reason. What’s in front of you is much more important than what’s behind you. Let’s party, Nashville!”
There's a good chance it won't be his last Grammy or his last appearance at RodeoHouston.