šš FROM PRISON TO THE CMA SPOTLIGHT: Jelly Roll Breaks Down Mid-Performance ā But It Was One WHISPERED LINE That Made Thousands BURST INTO TEARSā¦ “I was in jailā¦ I was an addictā¦ and now Iām standing hereā¦” ā His voice trembled, eyes filled with tears, and in that moment, Jelly Roll didnāt just sing ā he poured out a lifetime of pain, redemption, and survival. What moved the crowd the most was how vividly he recalled the darkest chapter of his life, a moment so raw and honest that even the toughest hearts in the audience couldnāt hold back their tears.
āI Was In And Out Of Jailā¦ In And Out Of Addictionā¦ And Tonight, Iām Headlining CMA Fest In Nashville.ā With Tears In His Eyes And A Tremble In His Voice, Jelly Roll Didnāt Just PerformāHe Poured His Soul Onto That Stage. As He Covered His Face To Hide The Sob, The Crowd Fell SilentāBecause In That One Raw Moment, Every Scar Became A Testament To Survival. āWhatever You Want To Do In Life, You Can Do It,ā He Whispered Through The Pain, āI Donāt Give A Damn What Anyone Says.ā From A Cell To A Stadium, Jelly Rollās Story Is More Than RedemptionāItās A Lifeline For Anyone Still Lost In The Dark. And As Son Of A Sinner Echoed Through The Night, Thousands Cried With HimāNot Just For What Heās Overcome, But For The Hope He Gave Them To Keep Going.
Jelly RollĀ was unable to control his emotions when he headlined CMA Fest on Saturday.
The 39-year-old broke down in tears when he addressed the audience ahead of performingĀ Son of a SinnerĀ at the festival in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jelly Roll was visibly choked up as he shed tears while reflecting on his time in and out of jail for drug-related offenses before he found fame.
Ā© Getty ImagesIn a video shared onĀ TikTok, the country music star welled up as he spoke to the crowd about his previous drug addiction and jail time.
āI was in that juvenile facility. I was in and out of jail. I was in and out of drug addiction and tonight I am headlining CMA Fest in Nashville, Tennessee,ā he said with tears in his eyes.
His emotions got the best of him as he could be seen crying before he covered his face with his hat as he continued to sob.
āIām here to tell you that whatever you want to do in your life you can do it I donāt give a [expletive] what anybody says to you,ā he added.
Ā© Getty ImagesāI dedicate this song to all the people that live between right and wrong. This song is called Son of a Sinner.ā
Since finding success, Jelly Roll has made sure that he pays it forward and continues to give back to his community, including launching a music studio inside the Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center where he was once incarcerated.
Ā© Getty ImagesHe also visits multiple rehabilitation centers and homeless shelters to āspread the loveā, and during his Backroad Baptism Tour last year, he raised $590,000 to help at-risk youth.
āI always said that if I ever got in this situation, I would do everything I could to give back,ā he toldĀ People.
āThe fact that just me showing up places can make people happy is such a gift, and I feel like if God gave me that gift, I should show up.ā
Ā© Getty ImagesLast month, Jelly Roll admitted that while he no longer uses hard drugs, he still smokes marijuana because it helps with his anxiety.
āI get in trouble for this, all the time, but my stance on marijuana will always be the same: I believe marijuana has helped me in so many regards, with my anxiety,ā he toldĀ Taste of Country.
āThis is a hot-button topic, but, truly, marijuana has kept me sober,ā he added.
Ā© Getty ImagesHe even went as far as to say that without marijuana, he would be ādrinking codeine and popping Xanax and snorting cocaine again, but a world with weed, Iāll be alrightā.
Admitting that he knows his kind of sobriety isnāt for everyone, he continued: āI know that I have friends that donāt do that. I have friends that are in the program that are totally against any kind of mind-altering anything.
āI respect that. I have so much respect for those people. Thatās just not how my sobriety worked out.ā