Jelly Roll Visits Local County Prison in Charlottesville, Virginia
Jelly Roll often visits local jails, rehab centers, and shelters whenever he has some time between shows, and that’s exactly what he did before his Beautifully Broken tour stop in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Wednesday, October 30.
But this time, something truly special happened during his visit that led him to do something he’d never done before.
Jelly Roll Makes County Jail Inmates’ Dreams Come True
When Jelly Roll took the stage on Wednesday night, he told the crowd about his visit to the jail. He explained that while he was there, four inmates sang some songs from his new album, Beautifully Broken.
“I walked in today, and a group of men began to sing me some of my songs in a way that I have never heard and I began to cry and weep in this cell with all these men, and these women, that were in there singing their soul out.”
The experience moved him so much that he decided to call the sheriff after he left to see if he could bring the men to his show that night.
“They were singing all of my new album. I left there, and I couldn’t quit thinking about it, and I called that local Sheriff, and I said ‘I know this sounds crazy, but I never got the chance to see if the dream could be real, would you please bring those inmates to the show tonight so they can see the dream? Would you please, sheriff? I’ll pay the county… it won’t cost a tax dollar, I’ll pay for everything, just please Sheriff, if you would please give these young men a second chance. Just show ’em that it can happen ‘cuz it happened for me. I was in this same kind of place.’”
The sheriff ended up loving the idea and agreed to bring them. However, Jelly Roll wasn’t finished asking for favors to make sure these inmates could properly experience their dreams coming true.
He wanted the inmates to feel free, even for a moment, so he asked if they could come in regular clothes, without cuffs or chains, so they could fully enjoy the experience.
“You know how nice he was?,” he said about the sheriff. “I called him back, and I said, I don’t wanna sound like a beggar here, but can we put them in street clothes? I don’t want them shackled and chained on stage in orange jumpsuits. He said ‘No problem at all.’ Not one shackle, not one chain.”
After sharing the story with the crowd, he welcomed the four men up on stage, and together they began singing for the packed arena.
“I would like to bring to the stage right now, my newly found friends,” Jelly Roll said. “I want y’all to know that these young men woke up in county and they’re gonna go to sleep in the county jail, but for the next hour, they get to live like us and sing a little music. If anybody believes in second chances it’s a f***n’ Jelly Roll show, right?”
The crowd cheered loudly for them, giving these men a moment they’ll likely never forget.
Watch their powerful performance below.
