Jelly Roll is a massive fan of Gary LeVox. The Nashville native praises the LeVox for his ability to sing better than most, without any effort at all.
“Every time I see Gary from Rascal Flatts, I fan out like I just met him again for the first time,” Jelly Roll tells Billboard. “And we’re friends now, and I’m still like, ‘Dude, that’s Gary LeVox, Rascal Flatts!’ He don’t do vocal warmups. That voice is non-vocally warmed up. I’m not making this up. He literally is like, ‘Okay’ (mimics LeVox singing “Life Is A Highway’). It’s crazy. It is a gift. It is unreal.”
Jelly Roll was nominated for three ACM Awards, including the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year. Although his good friend, Lainey Wilson, won in the category for the second year in a row, Jelly Roll reveals he was hoping Cody Johnson would win instead.
“He’s the Entertainer of the Year because he preaches the gospel,” Jelly Roll says. “He works harder than everybody. He tours the entire world, he does it unapologetically. He doesn’t ask for help from anybody for anything. He does it his way and his way only, he makes no compromises, takes no bull, and then he goes straight home, and he’s a husband, a father and a f–ing farmer. That’s why he deserves to be Entertainer of the Year.”
Awards aside, 2025 could be an unforgettable year for Jelly Roll. The 40-year-old could soon have a full pardon for his previous crimes, after the Tennessee Board of Parole unanimously voted in his favor. The decision is now in the hands of Tennessee governor, Bill Lee.
“This was incredible,” Jelly Roll said of the news (via the Associated Press). “I pray this goes through. But today was special for me, regardless.”
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Jelly Roll’s life could have turned out much differently. But after finding out he was a father, to his daughter Bailee Ann, now 16, the “Broken Hallelujah” singer made the decision to become a different person. Now completely transformed, Jelly Roll hopes to inspire others that change is possible.
“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. “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.”
Jelly Roll has a Top 40 hit right now with “Heart of Stone,” from his Beautifully Broken album, out now.
“I think these lyrics say the most in this whole album,” Jelly Roll said on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast (via American Songwriter).
“I love songs when you can read a song, and it’s impactful,” he continued. “As a songwriter, that’s it. Most of the time, our message is in the melody. If you don’t have the melody there, it’ll kind of be like, ‘Ah, that didn’t sound as cool as I thought it did when I just read it flat.’ But when I read ‘Heart of Stone,’ I get goosebumps reading that, and I wrote it.”
Find “Heart of Stone” and all of Jelly Roll’s music and upcoming shows at JellyRoll615.com.