On Tuesday night, March 10, Jelly Roll was officially welcomed to the Grand Ole Opry family.
The 3-time Grammy Award winner was celebrated with a star-studded lineup that included Craig Morgan, ERNEST, Leanne Morgan, and Lainey Wilson.
In a pre-show interview, Jelly revealed that he would be wearing a cross necklace that once belonged to Johnny Cash. Cash’s son, John Carter Cash, found Jelly Roll backstage and presented him with the necklace, saying, “I have something of my father’s that I think he would want you to wear … it was his favorite piece of jewelry.”
Jelly Roll’s Opry Induction
Jelly Roll was introduced by Craig Morgan and was welcomed to the stage with a standing ovation. Some of the law enforcement officers and workers at the juvenile detention facility where Jelly Roll was incarcerated were in attendance to witness his induction.
Lainey Wilson had the honor of officially welcoming Jelly Roll to the Opry family. She told the crowd, “There are some people in this business who are great singers, some who are great songwriters and storytellers. Every now and then, someone comes along who is much bigger than that, a voice for people who feel like they don’t have one. That’s exactly who Jelly Roll is.”
She turned to Jelly Roll and praised him for his authenticity, saying, “Your love for Jesus Christ radiates from you. I’m just so proud of you and your journey. Jelly Roll, because of your heart, your story, and how you have used your voice to lift everyone else up, it is my honor to welcome you to the Grand Ole Opry family.”
Jelly Roll then stood behind the iconic Opry microphone and reacted to his life-changing moment.
“To take a convicted felon from Music City who found country music. I didn’t find Nashville because of country music, y’all. I found country music because of Nashville. I’m from here. You take that kid who’s been at that local juvenile hall … or that county jail, and you bring him here, and you give him Grammys, and you give him awards and platinum plaques, and you make him a member of the most prestigious group, less than 230 people are members of the Grand Ole Opry. And every word I said sounded like I was telling you a lot about myself, but that is a story that only God could be the author of. Some stories, only God could write, and this is truly one of those stories.”
He continued, “I talk about him a lot more now because I’m getting closer to him and I recognize that … I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve to be on this stage.” The crowd began to yell back at him that he does deserve the accolades.
But Jelly doubled down, saying, “I don’t deserve the grace that God gave me, and I think that’s the best part. None of us do, right? And yet he gives it all the time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you can show up on his doorstep with all of your problems. He said it’s okay. You can have your own relationship with him. You don’t have to listen to the judgmental Christians about how you’re living your life. You can read your own Bible, and you can have your own relationship with Jesus. Amen?”
See Jelly Roll’s acceptance speech in the video below:
