Born Jason DeFord in Antioch, Tennessee, Jelly Roll knows how close he came to becoming a statistic. Cycling in and out of prison as he battled substance use and poverty, he looked to music as his ticket out. After a decade-long career in hip-hop that began with him selling mixtapes out of his car, Jelly Roll tapped into something universal with his 2023 country debut, Whitsitt Chapel. Throughout all the ups and downs, the “Need a Favor” singer, 41, relied on country singer Craig Morgan’s music as a constant. Naturally, that made his surprise duet of “Almost Home” alongside Morgan on the Grand Ole Opry stage that same year even sweeter. And in another full-circle moment in a career full of them, the “Redneck Yacht Club” singer surprised the younger musician with an invitation to the Grand Ole Opry on Wednesday (Dec. 10.)
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Craig Morgan Welcomes Country Star “to the Family”
Stopping by The Joe Rogan Experience, Jelly Roll watched stunned as the podcaster turned on a video featuring Craig Morgan. “My buddy,” the “Liar” singer commented, nonplussed.
Congratulating Jelly on his career accomplishments to date, Morgan,61, said, “I’ll never forget meeting you on the Grand Ole Opry and how much it meant to me to hear you say my music helped you get through some really tough times. That’s one thing country music does really well.
He continued, “And who would’ve ever dreamed back then that I’d be back at the Opry House today to say, Jelly Roll, you’re officially invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. It’s an honor to say welcome to the family, brother.”
Hearing the news, the “Son of a Sinner” crooner tossed his headphones and buried his face in his hands, sobbing. Standing up, he asks Rogan for a hug, which the podcast host obliges.
[RELATED: Everything Changed for Jelly Roll When He Released This One Song]
How Craig Morgan’s Music Inspired Jelly Roll
“Hey Joe, that’s like… it don’t get no bigger in country music, bubba. That’s as big as it gets, yo. F—ing Grand Ole Opry, dawg. Dude, I used to buy tickets to go there,’ the Grammy nominee said tearfully.
Next, Jelly Roll recalled seeing Morgan on country music’s hallowed stage after hearing “Almost Home” in jail. “I came home and the song meant so much, I was like, ‘Craig Morgan live. I’ll go,” he reflected. “I could barely afford tickets; I think I talked some girl into buying them for me. I went and sat by myself, had my ankle bracelet on… He comes out and sings ‘Almost Home.’ And I’m not bulls—ing, I’d cried maybe 10 times in my life at that point… and I cried like I’m crying here now. And I just remember thinking, ‘Man, I wanna make people feel the way he makes me feel. That’s what I want to do. I did it, Joe.”
Featured image by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images
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