He was born Jason DeFord in Nashville, Tennessee. By the time he was a teenager, he was in and out of jail, surrounded by addiction, violence, and survival. He thought his life would end the same way it began: in chaos. But somewhere inside those walls, he started writing lyrics and dreaming about music.
Today, the world knows him as Jelly Roll, one of the most unlikely success stories in country music. He has gone from a decade behind bars to the top of the Billboard charts, winning CMA Awards and earning Grammy nominations along the way. His songs are raw, confessional, and painfully honest. They are about addiction, faith, shame, forgiveness, and the long, slow road to redemption.
In this deeply moving conversation with Kate Langbroek, recorded backstage at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney minutes before he hit the stage, Jelly Roll went deep about how he turned his pain into purpose. He shares the stories of the people who saved him, including his wife, Bunnie XO, and his children. He opens up about his years in prison, his mother’s struggles, his faith, and the moment he learned that forgiveness starts with yourself.
It is the story of a man who refused to give up on himself, even when the world had. A boy who became a better man, a husband, a father, and one of the most honest voices in country music today.
For more information on Jelly Roll head here.
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CREDITS:
Guest: Jelly Roll
Host: Kate Langbroek
Executive Producer: Naima Brown
Senior Producer: Bree Player
Audio Producer: Tina Matolov
Video Producer: Julian Rosario
This episode of No Filter was recorded backstage at Qudos Bank Arena.
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
