Jason Bradley DeFord–better known as Jelly Roll–shed his rapper status recently to “go country.” And, that decision landed him in jail…performing.
Following in the footsteps of legendary country singer Johnny Cash, Jelly Roll believes that his music can speak to those imprisoned and struggling with life issues. Therefore, he chose to put his money where his mouth was by performing live on Sept. 4 at the Oregon State Penitentiary.
The decision came after a close friend of Jelly Roll’s performed live at a jail and urged Jelly Roll to do the same. He agreed. As a result, Jelly Roll became the first person to perform live at that penitentiary in 20 years. Standing before an audience of 600-700 “good behavior” inmates, Jelly Roll’s mission was to uplift those incarcerated–encouraging each to find something he is passionate about. “If you love drawing, if you love writing, if you love poetry, if you love listening to music, playing the guitar…I just pray that you put that passion into it and live it as much as you possibly can,” he told the crowd.
Afterward, on Instagram, Jelly Roll posted a video and pictures of him singing a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” and later signing autographs for inmates. Commenting on the post, one person stated, “I am a firm believer that if we commit crimes, we should do our time and be held accountable for our actions, but I also believe that every human deserves love, no matter how bad of a decision they have made.” That was exactly the reaction Jelly Roll was hoping to achieve.
To his delight, the live performance was a huge success. “The energy of the yard was palpable,” one prisoner is noted as saying. “The joy I got from the concert was looking out on the crowd and seeing the smiles on the faces of both AICS and staff.” Another incarcerated inmate shared an eye-opening observation: “I am looking out into the audience and seeing people smile who haven’t smiled in 10 years.” Jelly Roll insists that “hope” and “faith” and “love” make life worth living–no matter what mistakes a person has made prior.
Jelly Roll is not just blowing smoke. Now a famous country singer, he hasn’t always had it easy in life. In fact, he is quite open about his troubled past and his struggle with addiction. Like all in this particular audience, Jelly Roll would end up behind bars–in and out for charges having to do with drugs. While in jail, Jelly Roll wrote his first song “I Went to College/ I Went to Jail.” In this lyrics, he exposes his ongoing struggle throughout college, landing him in jail multiple times for smoking marijuana and doing illegal drugs. He reveals how he never dreamed he could get out of that cycle to become a productive member of society–let alone a successful country singer. But, Hope, Faith, and Love came to his rescue–proving that the impossible can happen. One must never give up.
In 2023, Jelly Roll won New Artist Year at the Music Association Awards. But, that pales in comparison to the hearts he may have won during a single performance at Oregon State Penitentiary in 2024.
