Jelly Roll, one of the top names in country music, should be pardoned for his past robbery and drug possession convictions, the Tennessee Board of Parole unanimously determined on Tuesday.
The decision now rests with Gov. Bill Lee.
Jelly Roll, 40, a Tennessee native whose real name is Jason DeFord, started his career as a rapper but rose to prominence in 2023 with his country album “Whitsitt Chapel” and its popular songs “Save Me” and “Need a Favor.” He was named the best new artist at the Country Music Association Awards that year and has been nominated for four Grammys. His most recent album, “Beautifully Broken,” reached No. 1 on the charts.
The singer has been open about his criminal history, including convictions for robbery and drug possession with intent to sell. He was incarcerated when his daughter was born.
The Associated Press reported that Jelly Roll was sentenced to a year in prison after entering a house and demanding money in 2002; he was unarmed but two other men were carrying guns. In another case, The A.P. reported, Jelly Roll was sentenced to eight years of court-ordered supervision after the police found cocaine and marijuana in his car.
Jelly Roll told The New York Times that he was 13 when the police brought him to jail after an unresolved cannabis citation.
“I’m learning to forgive myself for the decisions I made when I was that young,” he said. “They were wrong and I knew they were wrong, and I was doing them with a sense of pride and excitement.”
In recent years, Jelly Roll has performed at correctional facilities and testified before Congress about the fentanyl crisis. In an interview with Jon Bon Jovi last year, Jelly Roll said he still had issues performing outside of the United States because of his legal troubles.
“We’re working on that,” he said. “I think it’s going to work in my favor.”
The Tennessee Board of Parole unanimously voted to recommend granting a pardon during a nearly two-hour meeting in downtown Nashville on Tuesday. One of the seven board members, a former law enforcement officer, recused himself from the case.
Representatives for Jelly Roll and a spokesman for Mr. Lee did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for the parole board said there was no timeline for when the governor would announce a decision.
Mr. Lee, a Republican, has pardoned more than 90 people since becoming governor in 2019 and typically announces his decisions in December. In addition to drug offenses, the pardons have included convictions for arson, attempted second-degree murder, domestic assault, driving under the influence, identity theft and shoplifting.
