Jelly Roll makes special stop during Ohio visit

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — A national musical act in town to play a show paid a special visit to the Franklin County Juvenile Intervention Center Wednesday.

Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, visited juveniles at the center, spent time playing cards with them, and toured the facility before heading to his show at Nationwide Arena.

While at the center, he told the youth how he spent time in both juvenile and adult facilities in Nashville between the ages of 14 and 26, according to a press release from the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch.

“I know that I’ve sat in your seat and when I did I know that no one ever came in and poured love on me,” Jelly Roll said in the press release. “I’ve won a bunch of awards, I’ve made a bunch of money, but mostly what I try to do a bunch of is giving back.”

Jelly Roll released his first album in 2012, but rose to fame in 2022 with the release of his singles “Need a Favor” and “Son of a Sinner,” a multi-CMT Music Award winner that year.

Jelly Roll is scheduled to return to Columbus in 2025 as a co-headliner of the Buckeye Country Superfest .

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