Jelly Roll is preparing to roll out his highly-anticipated documentary, Jelly Roll: Save Me. Ahead of its May 30 premiere on Hulu, the thriving country star gave fans a first look as he shared the powerful trailer on Good Morning America (GMA).
The two-minute trailer opens with a photo of Jelly Roll’s mugshot as he says, “I came out of jail with a plan. I was going to put every piece of energy I had into music. It’s almost like something just clicked right then.”
Images of his past life flash across the screen showcasing his journey of being drug addict, landing in jail and his willingness to overcome it all. This led to him jumping full force into music and getting his name out there by passing out mixtapes and getting up on stage. Suddenly, all his work began to pay off and he began to see an “incredible ride” in fame throughout the country music industry.
Jelly Roll; Photo Courtesy of YouTube
The ABC News produced documentary is expected to deliver an unfiltered behind-the-scenes look into Jelly Roll’s raw story that finds him transitioning from an incarcerated teen to an adult.
“I mean, we got gritty, we got in the trenches together. We let [the producers] get access to the stuff that artists are afraid to let people get access to,” Jelly Roll told ABC. “And we told the truth. I’m nervous, but I am excited.”
The project will feature exclusive access, never-before-seen tour footage, and interviews with the musician and those closest to him. Viewers will see how the star balances life on tour with his philanthropic work, including visiting the juvenile detention facility where he was incarcerated. With a desire to inspire others to make a change in their lives, Jelly Roll,Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, will share his personal trials and tribulations throughout the film.
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Sitting down with ABC, the “Son of A Sinner” singer continued to reflect on what he felt getting to see the entire project unfold before him.
“My whole mission in life is to touch people. I just want to help people, man. I want to help those that feel helpless because I felt helpless for so long. And I think this documentary is really going to get into the weeds of that,” Jelly Roll shared.
“But this documentary was also really eye-opening for me because sometimes I don’t understand the impact I’m having,” he adds. “I get to see just a minute teaser of this documentary and I cried. I mean, I cried. I cried for like 20 minutes after I watched it.”
Edward Hambleton and Claire Weinraub executive produced Jelly Roll: Save Me. David Sloan was the senior executive producer and Monica Escobedo is the senior entertainment producer.
Along with the documentary, Jelly Roll is also preparing to drop his new album, WHITSITT CHAPEL, arriving June 2, 2023. He recently unveiled the tracklist via a press release.
The project, named after the church the Antioch native grew up attending, will feature 13 tracks, including the previously released tunes “NEED A FAVOR,” “SHE” “Unlive” and “Save Me.”
WHITSITT CHAPEL will also include three collaborations. Brantley Gilbert and Struggle Jennings joins Jelly Roll on “Behind Bars” and Yelawolf is featured on “Unlive,” while Lainey Wilson teamed up with the 38-year-old hitmaker to recreate his fan-favorite tune, “Save Me.”
Jelly Roll’s forthcoming new album boasts of a star-studded list of some of the best songwriters in Nashville, including Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, HARDY, Jesse Frasure, Hillary Lindsey, Matt Jenkins, Jessie Jo Dillon, Austin Nivarel, Hunter Phelps, Michael Whitworth, producer Zach Crowell, and more.
“This album is about growth and gratitude happening in my life. I wanted to create a project that felt hopeful. I believe the worst feeling a person can have is feeling hopeless or worthless. This is therapeutic music. Real music for real people with real problems,” Jelly Roll shared in a statement.
Arriving on June 2 via BMG/Stoney Creek Records, WHITSITT CHAPEL is available now to pre-save/preorder HERE.
Additionally, Jelly Roll will soon embark on his massive 44-date headlining arena tour, dubbed the Backroad Baptism Tour.
Hosted by Josh Adam Meyers, the trek kicks off on Friday, July 28 at Bank Plus Amphitheater in Southhaven, Mississippi. The Backroad Baptism will run through Saturday, October 14, where the trek will wrap up in Tampa, Florida at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre.
Ashley McBryde, Caitlynne Curtis, Chase Rice, Elle King, Merkules, Struggle Jennings, Three 6 Mafia, Yelawolf will serve as support on select dates of the tour.
In the midst of his headlining tour, Jelly Roll will also serve as support on several dates of Eric Church’s The Outsiders Revival Tour.
The country hitmaker is also scheduled to perform at several upcoming festivals this year, including Tailgate N’ Tallboys Bloomington, Tailgate N’ Tallboys Clinton, TidalWave Music Festival, and more.
Jelly Roll’s WHITSITT CHAPEL Track List
1. Halfway To Hell – Written by Jason DeFord, Jesse Frasure, Matt Jenkins, Jessie Jo Dillo*
2. Church – Written by Jason DeFord, Michael Hardy, David Garci**
3. The Lost – Written by Jason DeFord, Jesse Frasure, Miranda Lambert*
4. Behind Bars (with Brantley Gilbert and Struggle Jennings) – Written by Jason DeFord, Brantley Gilbert, Michael Whitworth, Andrew Baylis, Brock Berryhill, Austin Nivare***
5. Nail Me – Written by Jason DeFord, Kevin Gruft, Austin Nivare^
6. Hold On Me – Written by Jason DeFord, Hillary Lindsey, Alysa Vanderheym, Michael Whitwort^
7. Kill A Man – Written by Jason DeFord, Riley Thomas, Andrew Baylis, Michael Whitwort^
8. Unlive (with Yelawolf) – Written by Jason DeFord, Ashley McBryde, Andrew Baylis, Zach Crowell, Michael Wayne Atha^
9. Save Me (with Lainey Wilson) – Written by Jason DeFord, David Ray Steven^^
10. She – Written by Jason DeFord, Austin Nivarel, Kevin “Thrasher” Gruf^^^
11. Need A Favor – Written by Jason DeFord, Austin Nivarel, Joe Ragosta, Rob Ragost*^
12. Dancing With The Devil – Written by Jason DeFord, Hunter Phelps, Zach Crowel^
13. Hungover In A Church Pew – Written by Jason DeFord, Hunter Phelps, Zach Crowell^
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