Jelly Roll Calls Cody Johnson ‘One of the Best Dudes I’ve Ever Met’

Photo byCourtesy of CMA

Jelly Roll is opening up about his friendship with Cody Johnson. The Nashville native shared a touching post on social media, praising Johnson, along with a photo of the pair.

“Y’all wouldn’t believe how much I love this dude and appreciate his friendship,” Jelly Roll writes. “One of the best dudes I’ve ever met — love you, Cody Johnson.”

Both Jelly Roll and Johnson have previously publicly praised each other. Jelly Roll joins Johnson on “Jesus Loves You,” on Johnson’s latest Leather album, although it wasn’t the song Johnson had originally picked for Jelly Roll to sing on with him. It was going

“He asked me what else I was working on and I played him ‘Whiskey Bent.’ He just started crying and was like, ‘Bro, I ain’t never heard a song like that. If I’m gonna be on a song, can it be that one?’’ Johnson recalls to Billboard. “I gave him the entire second verse. It didn’t take him long to learn the song and he did incredibly.”

Backstage at CMA Fest, Johnson spoke about the surprising similarities he has with Jelly Roll.

“I have a very thick background on incarceration. Jelly did time. We’ve talked about that,” the former prison guard says (via Taste of Country). "We struggle with a lot of the same pressures of, we put so much pressure on ourselves to be the best husband, to try to be the best father, for our [bands], to try to be the best leader, to be the best performer…it’s almost like a blessing and a curse, because we put so much on ourselves.

"I relate to him, and he relates to me," he adds. "We’re so opposite; you got the cowboy hat and the face tattoos. I think it’s just an opposites attract kind of thing.”

Jelly Roll had Johnson by his side when he experienced a career first. Johnson joined Jelly Roll when the “Save Me” singer was headlining a night at RodeoHouston, performing in front of 73,000 fans, a new milestone for Jelly Roll.

“My name is Jason ‘Jelly Roll’ DeFord and I am from Nashville, Tennessee,” Jelly Roll shared from stage. “And as of right this moment, as of right this second, on March the 6th of 2024, at the Houston Rodeo at the NRG stadium, this is officially the biggest show of my entire life.”

Before the two sang “Whiskey Bent” together, Jelly Roll told the large crowd what Johnson’s friendship meant to him.

“Behind the scenes, Cody Johnson has been one of my best friends in country music,” Jelly Roll said from stage. “Since I came to country music, he has been a mentor, he has been a big brother. He has been my favorite person to talk to at 2:00 in the morning.”

Jelly Roll kicks off his Beautifully Broken Tour, with Warren Zeiders and Alexandra Kay, on August 27. Find all of Jelly Roll’s music and tour dates at JellyRoll615.com.

Ashley McBryde will join Johnson for the fall dates on his Leather Tour. Find all of his music and upcoming shows at CodyJohnsonMusic.com.