Country artist Jelly Roll has never hid his criminal past. He was in and out of prison since he was 14. Does he keep in touch with his jail buddies?
Jelly Roll Reveals If He’s Still In Touch With Prison Buddies
Jelly Roll’s journey to country music stardom is unique, to say the least. He didn’t hit it big until he was in his 30s. He spent the previous two decades in and out of legal troubles. His trouble with the law came at the young age of 14 when he found himself in the Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center in Nashville.
His criminal activity continued into adulthood when he was arrested at the age of 16 for armed robbery. According to Us Weekly, Jelly Roll served one year in jail on that charge. But he was arrested again in 2008 on drug charges. After pleading guilty, the singer was sentenced to eight years in prison, followed by eight years of probation.
However, he ended up being released before serving his full prison sentence. USA Today reported that the “I Need A Favor” singer completed probation in 2016. It wasn’t long before he began pursuing a career in music. He wrote several songs while he was in prison.
In 2022, Jelly Roll donated 250k to build a recording studio in the detention center he spent so much of his youth in. The singer clearly never forgot where he came from, but is he still in touch with the buddies he made while incarcerated?
He was a guest on a recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live and confirmed that he’s still friends with people he met in prison.
“I still got so many friends from my old neighborhood [of] Antioch, Tennessee. I still accept collect calls from jail all the time.”
He went on to add that the inmates are probably watching the show on their iPads, joking the prisoners are “spoiled” now. Jelly Roll gave them a shoutout, “They are watching this, by the way. This is basic cable, I love y’all!”
How Fatherhood Changed Him
Jelly Roll became a father for the first time while he was in prison. Missing such a life-changing event likely helped put him on the right path. He welcomed his daughter, Bailee Ann, in 2008 with an ex-girlfriend. He also has a son, Noah Buddy, from another relationship. Jelly Roll married XO Bunnie in 2016. The couple are trying to have a baby together.
The Grammy-winning singer confessed to guest host Martin Short that he cried more in his 30s than his younger years. “I can’t quit crying now. Now I cry if I see a squirrel in the street.”
Jelly Roll is considered one of the kindest individuals despite his troubled past. So, fans probably aren’t surprised he’s still in touch with incarcerated friends.