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As a teenager in juvenile detention, Antioch native Jelly Roll just needed an outlet.
Somewhere positive to put his energy. Something that could get him off the merry-go-round of incarceration he saw coming his way. And like any kid, he just wanted to feel seen. He found what he needed in music, and now that he’s a bona fide star—a mainstream phenom at the gritty crossroads of hip-hop, rock and country—he’s passing it on. It’s a mission to inspire, leading others to overcome their struggles (whatever they are), and since it comes from a guy who knows what he’s talking about, it’s working.
“I feel like there are times I get to be a voice for the voiceless,” Jelly Roll says. “And getting to perform live? You can feel the connection in the room. It’s palpable.”
To the uninitiated, that altruistic quest might sound like a gimmick, but it’s all too real for millions more. Whether making frequent appearances back at the detention center like the Johnny Cash of a new generation, or writing songs with a redemptive spirit, welcoming the broken and abandoned by saying “I see you,” Jelly Roll has been spreading hope for quite a while. And he’s doing it his own way.
Lacing hard-knock rhymes with a relentless drive to do right, he’s got more than a dozen self-penned and independently released albums, EPs and mixtapes behind him, plus a YouTube account that measures plays in the millions. For years he sold records from the back of a van, touring constantly to become a fixture of the underground scene. And then in 2020, things blew up. After the pleading, tortured-soul anthem “Save Me” went Platinum, Jelly Roll followed up with “Son of a Sinner,” a confessional ballad full of graceful grit that went Number One on both the country and rock charts. He’s now racked up four billion streams while winning three CMT Music Awards, perform- ing alongside Lainey Wilson at this year’s ACM Awards and much, much more.
Just last month Jelly Roll dropped his major label country debut, Whitsitt Chapel (named after the church he attended in Antioch), and after last year’s sell-out of Bridgestone Arena, a massive new challenge awaits. His 44-date Backroad Baptism Tour kicks off July 28 in Southaven, Mississippi, aiming to preach a gospel of self-motivated second chances.
“Performing this music in front of the people that have been listening, streaming, requesting, downloading, and sharing it, that’s what I want to do,” the hitmaker says. “Bringing a community of people together that feel like they connect to the words I’ve written about what I’ve been through, or seen others continue to go through.”
In many ways, it’s the live show which has gotten him to this point, Jelly Roll explains, since for years, it was the only way he had to reach people. The Backroad Baptism Tour will build on that experience, taking him into markets he’s never been while still relying on brash, take-me- as-I-am authenticity. It will be his biggest run to date by far, and it features a mix of guests just as eclectic as his style.
Along for the ride on select dates are Ashley McBryde, Caitlynne Curtis, Chase Rice, Elle King, Merkules, Struggle Jennings, Three 6 Mafia, Yelawolf, and Josh Adam Meyers, and together they’ll take his message into every cor- ner of the country. No matter what you’ve been through, you can still pull through. That’s often what resonates most about Jelly Roll’s music. It offers support to those who feel unwanted. Despite seeming tough on the outside, story after trouble-filled story maintains an inner hope, and people can see themselves in that. But true to form, he doesn’t want the credit.
“Here’s the thing: I never denied the music helps, but I don’t want my fans to ever under- mine how much they put in the work to fight their own demons,” he explains. “I want my fans to give themselves credit for all they’ve overcome. Music meets you where you are. That’s what makes it so impactful and important.”
The Backroad Baptism Tour will run through October 14, and Jelly Roll can already tell it will be another turning point for him, but his main hope is that it does the same for a few fans. He might be one of the biggest stars in the nation right now, but he says he’ll forever be a Nashville guy just looking to make a difference.
“It’s the biggest tour we’ve ever done, and the way the record is already performing live is a testament to the fans coming out and resonating with the music. I think [the tour] is one of the places you really feel the impact of the music— seeing the fans, hearing their stories, and seeing the signs people make. They’re sharing a piece of their soul with us,” he says. "I hope they leave feeling seen, heard, and like they’re not alone in their struggle.”