Get to Know 2024 CMT Music Award Nominee Jelly Roll
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A year ago, Jelly Roll was a country singer on the rise entering the CMT Music Awards. Now in 2024, he’s a bona fide superstar and one of the most nominated artists ahead of the April 7 ceremony.
Jelly Roll—real name Jason DeFord—received three nominations for the annual country showcase thanks to the success of his hit song “Need a Favor.” The 39-year-old is up for Male Video of the Year and overall Video of the Year for the track, as well as CMT Performance of the Year for his live version of the song at the 2023 CMT Music Awards.
The singer won three trophies at that ceremony, kickstarting a breakout year that saw him become one of the biggest names in music. Jelly Roll was eventually named New Artist of the Year at the CMA Awards and also received his first two Grammy nominations. “My soul is to write ballads—that’s what pours out of me, dude,” he said in a recent interview with GQ. “It’s still precious to me. I kind of enjoy feeling that way; I’m still glad I get real palm-sweaty before interviews, get real nervous before shows. I love that.”
He has already had an eventful 2024, as well. He rang in the new year with a performance in New York City’s Times Square and testified at the U.S. Senate in favor of legislation that would curb the fentanyl crisis. He also announced he’ll embark on his massive Beautifully Broken arena tour come August.
As rapidly as Jelly Roll has ascended the country ranks, his path from the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, to stardom hasn’t always been easy. Here are some facts you might not know about one of music’s newest stars.
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He received his nickname from his mother
DeFord, who was born on December 4, 1984, in Nashville, has said his stage name came from his mother. She gave it to him when he was a young and “chubby kid,” according to DailyMail.com, and it has stuck ever since.
He has served prison time
Before making it big as a musician, Jelly Roll was in and out of prison. According to Billboard, he was convicted of robbery as a teenager and possession with intent to distribute at age 21.
He has been open about his struggles with addiction—he has admitted to using cough syrup, Xanax, and cocaine—and anxiety.
His experiences with drugs led him to push for change in Congress
In January 2024, Jelly Roll visited Washington, D.C., to address the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in support of a bill called the FEND Off Fentanyl Act that would “help combat the country’s fentanyl crisis by targeting opioid traffickers devastating America’s communities.”
During his testimony, the singer explained, “I was the uneducated man in the kitchen playing chemist with drugs I knew absolutely nothing about, just like these drug dealers are doing right now when they’re mixing every drug on the market with fentanyl. I am here now standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution.”
He loves Waffle House
In a 2013 interview with Gawker, Jelly Roll claimed he had eaten at least hundreds—but more likely thousands—of times at the popular restaurant chain. He always orders the same meal: scrambled eggs with cheese and wheat toast, hash browns, a side of sausage, and a chocolate chip waffle.
He used the company’s name and logo for his 2013 mixtape “Whiskey, Weed & Waffle House,” but the chain didn’t find it humorous and sent him a cease and desist letter.
Johnny Cash and Jim Croce are among his influences
In a May 2022 interview with Taste of Country, Jelly Roll cited Johnny Cash (pictured), Jim Croce, James Taylor, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and even Three 6 Mafia as some of his musical influences. “[I] love the old outlaw stuff,” he said. “Those are probably the guys who really molded my style and sound.”
He was engaged and married on the same night
Jelly Roll proposed to his wife, Bunnie Xo, at a Yelawolf and Deftones concert in Las Vegas on August 31, 2016. In a 2020 Facebook post, he explained how he walked onstage during Yelawolf’s performance to pop the question.
The lovebirds—who were both drunk, according to the same post—decided to get married at a nearby courthouse the same night. Luckily, the two are still together more than seven years later. Bunnie, 43, is the host of the popular Dumb Blonde podcast.
He has both a rock and country No. 1 song
“Son of a Sinner” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in January 2023, but it wasn’t Jelly Roll’s first chart-topper. His single “Dead Man Walking” topped the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in 2022.
One of Jelly Roll's other hit songs, “Need a Favor,” became the first to reach the top 10 on both of these charts in June 2023—an indicator of his crossover appeal.
He’s performed a duet with his daughter
One of Jelly Roll’s most popular songs, “Tears Could Talk,” has more than 19 million views on YouTube and features his daughter, Bailee Ann DeFord. In October 2022, the two surprised an audience in Houston with a live performance.
Bailee Ann, 15, is Jelly Roll’s child from his relationship with ex Felicia. He learned of her birth while in prison, a moment he says helped turn his life around. His wife, Bunnie, helped him get custody of Bailee Ann in 2016.
He has one other child, a 7-year-old son named Noah Buddy DeFord, whose mother is named Melisa.
He set a Billboard record for emerging artists
Jelly Roll landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart on February 11, 2023—his 25th week atop the ranking. That set a record for the chart’s seven-year history, surpassing NLE Choppa’s 24-week run across 2019 and 2020.
The list ranks the most popular developing artists each week with a formula that includes performance across multiple Billboard charts.
He’s embracing artificial intelligence in music
With his career in music extremely bright, Jelly Roll is keenly aware of the role artificial intelligence could play in the industry going forward. The singer told Complex in January 2024 that studios in Nashville are already starting to use AI to make demos. He sees benefits in the practice, as it helps him understand what a full vocal might sound like.
“As a musician, we have to prepare ourselves that it’s on the way no matter what,” he said. “I’ve heard mixed reviews in town. Some artists are like, they heard it and were like, ‘Never send me one of those again.’ But I was one of the few guys that I was like, ‘Cool!’”
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