It has been a huge year for Jelly Roll. His Backroad Baptism Tour saw him headlining arenas and amphitheaters for the first time in his career. More importantly, he was able to give back in a way that he never thought possible.
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Yesterday, October 18, Jelly Roll took to his Instagram to reflect on the tour as well as his philanthropic endeavors on the road. Additionally, he mentioned some plans for the future that show exactly where the Antioch, Tennessee native’s heart is.
First, he looked back on the Backroad Baptism Tour and the stops he made between shows. “Just finished my first amphitheater and arena tour,” he began. “80 days averaging 5 shows a week. 3 national TV appearances in the middle of it,” he added. However, those weren’t the only stops on his tour.
Jelly Roll and his team also visited more than 10 jails or juvenile detention centers. Additionally, they stopped by multiple rehabilitation centers and homeless shelters to “spread the love” to those who needed it most. However, the “Son of a Sinner” singer didn’t just spread love. He also spread some money around. Partnering with Live Nation, he donated one dollar from every ticket sold to help at-risk youth. All told he raised $590,000 for charity with his tour.
“I never dreamed this would be possible,” he wrote in the post. “My gratitude is at an all-time high.”
Jelly Roll added, “To be completely candid, when I started writing songs when I was a kid I did it as a means of therapy and way of connection. I never in my wildest imagination would’ve thought that it could’ve ended up in arenas.” He went on to say that he’s learning to be “fearless” and “dream bigger” because he knows that God has big plans for him in the future.
Speaking of having big dreams, the next thing on his list isn’t another chart-topping single or massive tour. Instead, he has his eye on “creating the biggest toy drive in Nashville history.”
Ambitious future plans aside, for now, he just wants to take time to be Jason DeFord, the loving husband and father. “I’m going to get rid of my phone for the rest of the year to focus on my family and try to be as present as possible for my family,” he wrote in the post.
Reserve your spot for an epic night of music! Get your tickets early for Jelly Roll’s Backroad Baptism Tour before they’re sold out.
Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images
