10 Fun & Interesting Facts About Jelly Roll’s Life & Career
on Jul 08, 2024
These 10 Facts Will Teach You More About Jelly Roll Than You Ever Knew Before
Jelly Roll is one of country music’s most popular artists, making fans curious to learn facts about his life and career. The Tennessee native started off as a rapper before switching to country music in the past few years.
Now, he has multiple #1 country songs to his name, including “Save Me” and “Need a Favor.” He recently started performing new music and has hinted that he may drop a new country album in the fall.
Jelly Roll’s success comes after a troubled past. He served time in jail and prison in his younger years and battled drug addiction.
After bettering himself and becoming a country music superstar, Jelly Roll has devoted his time to helping troubled youth, prisoners, and others in need. He even helped launch a music studio at a juvenile detention center in Nashville.
If you’d like to learn more fun facts about Jelly Roll’s life and career, you’ve come to the right place!
Read Our Full List Of Fun & Interesting Facts About Jelly Roll Below
1. Jelly Roll’s Real Name Is…
It should go without saying that Jelly Roll’s real name isn’t “Jelly Roll.” So what is?
The singer people know and love as Jelly Roll was born as Jason Bradley DeFord on December 4, 1984. His now-famous nickname came from his mom, who started calling him “Jelly Roll” because he loved doughnuts.
2. He Has Two Children
Jelly Roll is a father of two! He has a 16-year-old daughter named Bailee Ann and a 7-year-old son named Noah Buddy from prior relationships.
Jelly Roll and his wife, Bunnie Xo, have full custody of Bailee. While Bunnie and Jelly don’t have any children together, they recently opened up about their plans to have a baby.
3. Jelly Roll & Bunnie Xo Got Engaged & Married On The Same Night
Jelly Roll and his wife Bunnie met after one of his shows in 2015. Their love story started after Bunnie left a bad relationship and reconnected with Jelly.
The “Son of a Sinner” singer was homeless then, and Bunnie helped him find a place to live. Their connection deepened, and Jelly proposed to Bunnie in Las Vegas one night in 2016.
They didn’t take long to walk down the aisle. The couple eloped to a wedding chapel and married that same night!
4. He Regrets Most Of His Tattoos
Jelly Roll is known for his many tattoos, including several on his face. He got his first tattoo at the age of 14 and got several pieces of ink while he was incarcerated.
He’s told multiple outlets that he now regrets most of his tattoos.
“I regret 98% of these tattoos, 97%. Almost all of them!” he said during an interview in 2024. However, one tattoo he doesn’t regret is the cross on the side of his face, which he says is “symbolic of a new beginning.”
5. He Has A Funny Habit About Wearing Socks
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During an interview before the 2024 ACM Awards, Jelly Roll revealed an unusual habit. He confessed that he only wears a pair of socks once before getting rid of them.
“Can I tell you a frivolous habit I have? Don’t judge me for this, y’all. I promise I grew up very humble, but I only wear socks once,” he shared.
Jelly Roll described how he buys his socks in bulk so he never has to re-wear a pair. He joked, “When you’re fat, you can’t have stinky feet, too, so you gotta have fresh socks!”
6. He’s A Big Fan Of Tracy Lawrence’s “How A Cowgirl Says Goodbye”
During a conversation with Taste of Country Nights, Jelly Roll revealed that he loves Tracy Lawrence’s Top 10 hit from 1997, “How a Cowgirl Says Goodbye.”
“I loved that record, man. I thought it was such a really cool spin on a breakup, you know what I mean?” he said. The singer added, “Anytime I hear it, it tickles my bones like that. No matter where I am at in life, I will stop and listen to it.”
Jelly Roll specifically mentioned the song’s “super sultry” lyrics and “happy fiddle” tune as two of the main reasons why he loves it.
7. His Dream Duet Partner Is…
Jelly Roll has collaborated with many other country artists, including Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, and Dustin Lynch. But he’s yet to record a song with his dream duet partner…Garth Brooks!
“I still wanna record a song with Garth Brooks,” he said “I’m still campaigning, like, don’t let my career end without me and Garth getting one in. Even if we just sung one together in a show, like, just anything with Garth, you know what I mean?“
8. He Spoke In Front Of The Senate
In early 2024, Jelly Roll spoke to the U.S. Senate during a hearing titled “Stopping the Flow of Fentanyl: Public Awareness and Legislative Solutions.” As someone who formerly dealt drugs, Jelly Roll brought his unique perspective to the conversation.
“I am not here to defend the use of illegal drugs. I also recognize the unique paradox of my history…I was a part of the problem. I am here now standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution,” he said.
Jelly Roll was praised for the powerful testimony he shared during the hearing.
9. He’s Currently On A Health Journey
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Jelly Roll has been incredibly open about his struggles with his weight. In April 2024, he shared that he’s lost “70-something” pounds so far, and hopes to lose another 100 more.
In May 2024, Jelly accomplished a major health and fitness goal by completing his first 5K race alongside his wife, Bunnie.
10. He Has A “Crush” On Taylor Swift
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Jelly Roll met his celebrity crush, Taylor Swift, at the Grammy Awards in 2024. Bunnie shared a short video of their interaction, saying it was “the cutest moment ever.” She also captioned it, “When your hubby gets to meet his crush finally.”
As for Bunnie, she met her own “crush,” actor Billy Bob Thornton, at the 2024 CMT Music Awards and “nearly fainted” when she did.
Would you like to learn more fun facts about Jelly Roll? Then check out the video below!
