Jelly Roll gave a passionate speech at a recent show. The Nashville native was performing in Dallas, Texas, when Jelly Roll thanked his fans who have stuck with him since the beginning, and those who continue to come out to see him perform.

“We broke generational curses because you took three minutes out of your life and listened to our music.” Jelly Roll says from stage. “We broke generational curses because you took time out of your day to watch my wife’s TikTok or my wife’s podcast. We broke generational curses because you came here tonight and just gave me a chance. I say thank you, and I know it’s not enough. A thousand thank yous will never thank you enough. The way I’m going to try and thank you is I’m going to try and keep making real music for real people and real life y’all.”

@billboard @Jelly Roll has a heartfelt shout out for @Bunnie Xo ? during the Big Ass Stadium tour #jellyroll #bunnyxo #bigassstadiumtour ♬ original sound – billboard

 

Jelly Roll is certainly not at all the man he once thought he would be. At one time, Jelly Roll reveals his biggest goal was just to make it out of prison alive.

“It is more than a dream,” Jelly Roll tells Entertainment Tonight, speaking of all of his current successes. “I would not have dreamed this. If you think this is my dream, you think I’m a lot more confident than I [am]. You should have met me earlier. I was not that confident. I just dreamed not to die in prison. I had one dream, and it was just not get a life sentence. So anything outside of that has been the icing on the cake.”

Jelly Roll could soon also have a clean record. After spending years in and out of prison, including being charged with a felony when he was just 16 years old, the 40-year-old is now waiting to see if Tennessee Governor Bill Lee will grant his pardon, after it was unanimously approved by Tennessee Board of Parole.

“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 is praying that the pardon goes through. Still, he makes it clear that he is in no way condoning his former actions, even if he is no longer the same person that he was back then.

“I never want to overlook the fact that it was a heinous crime,” Jelly Roll tells Billboard. “This is a grown man looking back at a 16-year-old kid that made the worst decision that he could have made in life and people could have got hurt and, by the grace of God, thankfully, nobody did … They were talking about giving me more time than I’d been alive. I hadn’t hit my last growth spurt. I was charged as an adult years before I could buy a beer, lease an apartment, get a pack of cigarettes.”Jelly Roll has a Top 30 hit with “Heart of Stone.”

Find all of Jelly Roll’s music and upcoming shows at JellyRoll615.com.