Jelly Roll’s past is a double-edged sword. On one hand, his former substance abuse and felony convictions juxtaposed with his current success make him an inspiration to many people around the world. At the same time, the very thing that makes him such an inspiration keeps him from traveling abroad to share his music with the masses. That is starting to change, though. The Antioch, Tennessee native recently booked his first international shows.
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Today, Jelly Roll announced his first-ever international concerts. On July 8, he’ll perform at the Meridian Center in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Then, the next day, he’ll appear at the Ottawa Bluesfest.
[RELATED: Jelly Roll Reveals That His Felony Convictions May Keep Him from Touring Abroad]
This is a major milestone for Jelly Roll. Despite being able to legally leave the country for some time now, the “Save Me” singer has been stuck stateside. It can be hard for felons to travel to many countries depending on the nature of their convictions and how old those convictions are. It seems that enough time has passed that he is allowed to perform for our neighbors to the north.
During his recent appearance on The Howard Stern Show, he revealed that he’s working with a lawyer and the chances of him booking more international shows are looking “promising.”
Jelly Roll on How His Felonies Limit His Career
Recently, Jelly Roll spoke to Interview Magazine about his life and career. During the conversation, he revealed how his past came back to bite him when his career blew up. “We’re figuring out the final pieces of some legal puzzles for me to get overseas,” he said. “It’s funny, America has finally agreed to let me leave and gave me a passport but some countries won’t let me come because of my felonies,” he explained. “We’re working on that. I think it’s going to work in my favor,” he added.
Jelly Roll wants to travel the world to perform and is having to jump through legal hoops to do so. However, he remains grateful for all that he has. “For the record, I’m a kid from Antioch, Tennessee whose father never left the southeastern region until he was in his 50s. I still have friends in Antioch who have never left,” he explained.
Now, it seems that those puzzle pieces are falling into place and the kid from Antioch is going to be able to stand in front of more of his fans.
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