Jelly Roll has by no means been shy about his previous—his struggles, his redemption, and the way music saved his life. However at CRS 2025, throughout a uncooked and unfiltered dialog with Eric Church, he dropped a element that even longtime followers won’t know.
The primary time Jelly Roll ever heard Eric Church’s music?
Whereas sitting in a jail cell.
“I heard you on the radio for the primary time in jail,” Jelly admitted to Church throughout their CRS panel dialogue. The gang reacted with a mixture of laughter and awe, however Jelly was lifeless critical.
By the point Church’s debut album Sinners Like Me got here out in 2006, Jelly Roll was out and in of correctional amenities, preventing battles that appeared unattainable to win. However that voice, these lyrics—they caught with him.
Years later, when Jelly Roll broke into nation music himself, Church grew to become a mentor of types. Their dialog at CRS was a full-circle second, as two of nation music’s most rebellious artists sat on stage collectively, speaking about music, wrestle, and success.
It simply goes to point out—nation music finds folks wherever they’re. Even behind bars.