REDEMPTION ERA

Jelly Roll Receives Pre-Christmas Pardon for His Criminal Past

The singer has promised to become “part of the solution” regarding the country’s fentanyl crisis.

Country star Jelly Roll received a pardon on Thursday from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, closing the book on a criminal past the Grammy-nominated artist has spent years publicly reckoning with. The 41-year-old singer—born Jason Bradley DeFord—was among 33 people pardoned during the governor’s annual holiday event at the Tennessee governor’s mansion, the Associated Press reported. The pardon clears convictions stemming from crimes Jelly Roll committed long before his rise to fame. According to the AP, DeFord was involved in an armed robbery at age 17 and served a one-year prison sentence. A few years later, he was arrested again after police found marijuana and crack cocaine in his car, resulting in eight years of court-ordered supervision. In the years since, Jelly Roll has frequently addressed his checkered past in songs like “Winning Streak” and “I’m Not Okay.” He also testified before the U.S. Senate last year, urging lawmakers to take action on the fentanyl crisis. “I was a part of the problem,” he told senators. “I am here now standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution.” Gov. Lee said the singer did not receive special treatment, calling his journey “a redemptive, powerful story”—exactly what the pardon process is meant to recognize.