Jelly Roll has revealed that his criminal record prevents him from performing outside the United States.
In conversation with Jon Bon Jovi Interview MagazineThe 62-year-old rock icon praised the 39-year-old country star’s “unique sound” and asked if he “brought that overseas.”
“Not yet,” Jelly Roll told Bon Jovi, “I’m very excited. We’re just figuring out some final pieces of the legal puzzle so that I can go overseas.”
Jelly Roll revealed that he is currently struggling to perform internationally due to his felony charges. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images via iHeartRadio)
He continued, “It’s funny, America finally allowed me to leave and issued me a passport, but some countries won’t let me enter because of my felony. We’re working on that. I think it will work in my favor.”
Bon Jovi expressed hope that the two-time Grammy-nominated band will be able to tour internationally, and criticized as “outdated” rules in some countries that ban people with criminal records from crossing their borders.
“Entertainers should be able to do their job,” said the ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ hitmaker.
However, Jelly Roll pointed out, “For the record, I’m from Antioch, Tennessee, and my father never left the Southeast until he was in his 50s.”
“I still have friends in Antioch who never left,” he added with a laugh. “They’ve never seen a football game downtown, they just watch the Titans on TV every Sunday. I’m like, ‘You know the stadium is 18 minutes away, right? You can get tickets for $10.'”
The country star said he was finally able to get his passport. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images, courtesy of Stagecoach)
“But they’re probably right,” Bon Jovi says. “They think, ‘Hey, we have a big-screen TV, we don’t have to find a parking spot.'”
“I have air conditioning, I don’t have 70,000 people breathing down on me, and hot dogs aren’t $15,” Jelly Roll agreed.
“Maybe I’m an idiot,” he joked.
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of Singer of “Save Me” Jelly Roll has been open about his past legal troubles and struggles with drug addiction. In a 2023 interview with Billboard magazine, Jelly Roll, whose full name is Jason Bradley Deford, told the outlet that he was arrested when he was 16 and charged as an adult with robbery and possession with intent to sell.
Jelly Roll received more than a year in prison and seven years of probation. As a result of the felony, the rapper lost his right to vote and own firearms.
Jelly Roll was convicted of robbery and possession with intent to sell and served a year and a half in prison. (Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)
“I never want to lose sight of the fact that this was a heinous crime,” Jelly Roll told Billboard.
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He continued, “This is me looking back as an adult at a 16-year-old boy who made the worst decision of his life and people could have been hurt, but by God’s grace, thankfully no one was hurt.”
According to People magazine, Jelly Roll was first arrested at the age of 14. The singer was incarcerated more than 40 times before breaking the cycle of incarceration and overcoming his struggle with drug addiction.
Since overcoming his troubled past, Jelly Roll has become one of country music’s rising stars. (Photo by Rick Kahn/Getty Images)
Jelly Roll’s career soared in 2020 with his hit song “Save Me,” and he’s since risen to the top of the country music world.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Jelly Roll said his troubled past and his ability to overcome it have had a lasting impact on him.
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“I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t gone through what I went through. I think it gave me strength. I think it gave me a voice,” he said. CMAs 2023. “It’s taught me a lot about overcoming, and it’s taught me a lot about change and the ability to change.”
He continued, “I was a terrible person for decades, but I was able to turn that around and get my message out through music and help people. And trying to give back in any way I can is a testament to where I come from and how important it has always been to me to give back.”
