Jelly Roll gets pardoned from drug and robbery charges

The Tennessee governor announced he will be granting pardons to 33 people, one of them including country music star and beloved Nashville native, Jelly Roll.

Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday, Dec. 18, pardoned the country megastar, whose real name is Jason DeFord, for a pair of pre-2010 felony convictions in Davidson County, Tennessee.

The pardon is official forgiveness from the state for the musician whose lyrics and public image focus heavily on his incarceration, rehabilitation and growth.

Lee called Jelly Roll's story remarkable, redemptive and powerful. "It was evident to me that this is a man who should get a pardon," Lee said during a call with reporters, per the Nashville Tennessean, a part of the USA TODAY Network.

Jelly Roll petitioned for a pardon in 2024, pointing to how his convictions had created logistical issues and inconveniences in worldwide touring. He also opened up about the pending pardon with podcaster Joe Rogan in December, telling Rogan how the charges had kept him from hunting and owning a gun.

Lee said it was important that Jelly Roll's pardon application "would be treated the same as every single person that asks for clemency."

Why did Jelly Roll receive a pardon?

The 41-year-old was convicted in 2003 of felony robbery after he committed a robbery while unarmed with two unarmed men and a woman. They took $350, and he was sentenced to serve a year in prison and additional probation.

In 2008, Nashville police officers found crack cocaine and marijuana in his vehicle, resulting in a sentence of eight years of court-ordered supervision after he was convicted of felony drug possession.

But he'd been arrested for plenty of other offenses, although most no longer appear in online court records in Davidson County. He told Rogan he had been put in jail 40 times.

While the pardon will not wipe Jelly Roll's record clean, it is a prerequisite for getting his record expunged.

In April, the Tennessee Board of Pardons and Parole recommended granting a pardon to Jelly Roll.

The singer's effort to move past his criminal record was championed by the man who once locked him up.

Jelly Roll has 'changed his life around'

Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall has been an outspoken supporter of Jelly Roll and has corroborated the country star's rehabilitation and emotional growth during his incarceration. Hall even spoke at the parole board hearing in favor of granting him a pardon, posting a photo of him and Jelly Roll hugging after the hearing.

"I like the fact that he has changed his life around," Hall said. "He has a chance to rehabilitate a generation. He can cry on stage, and say 'I'm not ok.' The lyrics are what people need to know and what young people need to hear."

In April 2024, Hall wrote a letter to Gov. Lee on Jelly Roll's behalf. "I'm qualified to know the difference between talkers and walkers," Hall said. "He is a walker. I've never met anyone like him."

The Sheriff said he has been interested in Jelly Roll's story since Hall's son, Weston, now 23, sent him links to songs.

"He sent me deep, dark lyrics," Hall said. "It was deep. I enjoyed listening to it. I remembered the song 'Save Me.'"

Not long after hearing Jelly Roll for the first time, Hall approved a film to be shot in the former Metro Detention Facility on Harding Place, where Jelly Roll was once housed.

The place was vacant by the time the film company wanted to use it. So Hall brought 150 inmates and had a stage built. Jelly Roll gave a concert to the inmates.

And Hall presented Jelly Roll with a key from that facility that the star has worn around his neck (with a necklace of small handcuffs) at shows across America. "I love his story," Hall said.

Jelly Roll's pardon application included statements of support

Jelly Roll's pardon application included statements of support from other friends, civic leaders and numerous music industry executives, including Live Nation Entertainment CEO and President Michael Rapino, who noted how the artist has donated some of his concert earnings to at-risk youth in the past few years.

As Jelly Roll's success has grown, his conviction has remained an obstacle to jump over. To perform in Canada, for example, he must first receive a special permit that can include long wait times for a decision.

Now a global superstar with hits like "Need a Favor" and "Son of a Sinner," Jelly Roll has continued to support incarcerated people, from performing in Nashville's maximum-security prison, serving Thanksgiving meals to hundreds of people behind bars and opening a songwriting studio in Davidson County's juvenile detention facility.

He said in his application he was seeking a pardon to “to be an inspiration for people who are now where I used to be — to let them know that change is truly possible.”

Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at [email protected].