Tennessee Board of Parole recommends that governor pardon country star Jelly Roll

By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

(CNN) — The Tennessee Board of Parole is recommending a pardon for Grammy-nominated country star Jelly Roll on Tuesday, a decision that will be up to the state’s Republican Governor Bill Lee, according to the Associated Press.

Jelly Roll, a Nashville native, has spoken openly about his history involving drug-related crimes and incarceration, and how he’s overcome that part of his life as he’s risen to fame as a successful country music artist.

The AP reported that the board issued its recommendation unanimously after a hearing, where they heard from several witnesses advocating for the “Need a Favor” singer including Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall. Jelly Roll, whose name is Jason DeFord, wants to be able to perform internationally and continue to share about his reformation journey.

He told the board that his criminal record makes it difficult for him to travel abroad to perform.

“I want to be an inspiration for people who are now where I used to be — to let them know that change is truly possible,” Jelly Roll told the board, according to the AP. “One of the reasons I’m asking for your recommendation for this pardon is because I’m looking to take my message of redemption through the power of music and faith through the rest of the world.”

The 40-year-old musician spent time behind bars at age 17 on a robbery charge and at age 23 on drug charges, according to the AP. In 2008, at age 23, he was sentenced to eight years of court-ordered supervision after finding marijuana and crack cocaine in his car.

The singer has taken on an advocacy role to speak about his past and subsequent redemption since he first broke onto the music scene in 2022.

Last year, he traveled to Washington DC to testify in a Senate hearing to lobby for stronger legislation against the ongoing fentanyl crisis in the US, saying during his testimony that “I believed when I sold drugs, genuinely, that selling drugs was a victimless crime.”

The CMA Award winner went on to say, “I am here now standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution.”

Jelly Roll also visits jails, rehab centers and youth centers around the country before performing concerts, an effort that was recognized during the hearing on Tuesday.

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