At one point in Jelly Roll’s life, it seemed unlikely he would ever perform at the Mane Stage of the Stagecoach country music festival.
The singer, who has spent significant time in jail—40 times, including a year-long sentence for aggravated robbery when he was just 16—reflects on his past as a major turning point. When he was 23, while incarcerated for drug dealing, he learned he was a father from a prison guard. That moment, he says, was pivotal in turning his life around.
“I immediately was like, ‘I’ve got to do something,’” Jelly Roll told podcaster Joe Rogan in a 2024 interview. “I’ve got to quit this [expletive]. I gotta figure it out.”
That sense of redemption was clear during his Stagecoach performance. At one point, he shared that the crowd he was playing for was the largest he had ever faced. His set was electric, featuring an array of surprise guests, including MGK, Shaboozey, BigXThaPlug, Alex Warren, Wiz Khalifa, Brandon Lake, Jessie Murph, and Lana Del Rey. His wife, Bunnie XO, also made a brief yet emotional appearance.
“I don’t know what heaven feels like, but if I had to guess, I’d say it feels like Stagecoach on a Saturday night,” Jelly Roll told the audience during his set.
Jelly Roll’s music is deeply influenced by his life experiences, focusing on themes of struggle and redemption. His authenticity stands out, especially in country music, where many artists come from privileged backgrounds. Now a devout Christian, Jelly Roll’s unique appearance—with face tattoos and a nontraditional body type—underscores that he has never followed the conventional path. As he said during his set, “A crooked path can still take you home.”
During his performance, he addressed the fentanyl crisis and honored those in the audience who were attending Stagecoach sober.
His talent is undeniable. Jelly Roll sings with a powerful voice that seems effortless, as if he doesn’t even need a microphone to be heard across the Empire Polo Club. In an era when some musicians rely on backing tracks or pre-recorded vocals, his unfiltered voice on stage was a refreshing change.
The backup singers also added to the energy, elevating the choruses of his catchy songs and making it nearly impossible for the crowd not to sing along. His set, set against a backdrop resembling a desert gas station, felt like a spiritual recharge for those listening.
He seemed to genuinely enjoy the experience, sharing an unreleased song with Alex Warren because he wanted Stagecoach to be the first to hear it. Toward the end of his performance, Jelly Roll switched things up with a medley of pop hits, covering some of the biggest songs by Nickelback, Miley Cyrus, and Snoop Dogg.
With a new song, star-studded guests, pyrotechnics, and top-tier production, Jelly Roll’s performance left a lasting impression on the audience. As the headliner on Saturday night, his set at Stagecoach was nothing short of memorable.
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