Jelly Roll Explains Why He Dropped Out Of “Opry 100” At The Last Minute
on Mar 29, 2025
Post Malone Stepped Up To Take Jelly Roll’s Place In His Opry 100 Duet With Ashley McBryde
After being advertised as part of the program, Jelly Roll dropped out of Opry 100 at the last minute. Fans wondered why he missed the show; now, they finally have their answer.
Jelly Roll was announced in the first lineup of performers the Opry revealed for its star-studded birthday celebration. Later, we learned that the “I Am Not Okay” singer was slated to perform with Ashley McBryde during the show. They planned to sing Johnny and June’s “Jackson.”
Jelly Roll still appeared in promotional material for Opry 100 just days before the show aired on March 19. But when Ashley took to the stage to sing “Jackson,” Post Malone sang with her, not Jelly Roll.
As the night continued and Jelly Roll never appeared, fans started wondering about his whereabouts. While Jelly Roll initially remained silent about his absence, one report stated that “illness” forced him to drop out of the program at the last minute.
Ashley confirmed this when she explained how her unplanned duet with Post Malone came to be. “Hours before we were supposed to take the stage, I learned that, unfortunately, Jelly Roll wasn’t able to join me for ‘Jackson,” she said.
Ashley learned she’d be singing with Post Malone instead, whom she had never met before. With only a few hours before the show, they quickly sang “Jackson” once backstage before stepping out in front of the crowd.
Their duet ended up being one of the highlights of the night. Ashley said she and Post “became friends, standing in the most sacred circle that exists in country music.”
Jelly Roll Breaks His Silence After He Dropped Out Of Performing On Opry 100
A week after Opry 100 aired, Jelly Roll finally explained why he dropped out of the show. His explanation came during a conversation on the March 25 episode of The Pivot podcast.
Jelly Roll confirmed he was too sick to sing on Opry 100. It devastated him that he couldn’t make the show, because he always tries to go onstage, even when he isn’t feeling well.
“It breaks my soul,” Jelly Roll said about missing Opry 100. “My uncle Buford used to tell me this story. He called his father—which was my grandfather—one time, and he said, ‘I can’t come into work today, I’m sick.’ All my grandfather said was, ‘That’s good. Working sick builds character…’ and hung up the phone.”
“So I pride myself on sick shows, especially if I’m really sick. I’m like, ‘I’m about to go out here and go.”
However, he was far too sick to attend Opry 100:
“I’ve canceled one show in the last five years because of an ailment, and it was the Grand Ole Opry 100,” he said. “It just broke my heart, man. I just couldn’t break this fever, and I never had a fever that kept me down like that. I probably slept like 20 hours.”
He added, “I hated it, man.”
Thankfully, Jelly Roll feels better now. He’s about to perform at the Tortuga Music Festival on April 4, followed by a headlining performance at Stagecoach on April 26.
Then, Jelly Roll will join none other than Post Malone on their stadium tour, which kicks off on April 29 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Watch Jelly Roll’s conversation with The Pivot below to hear him talk more about Opry 100 and life in general.
