Country megastar Jelly Roll has long sought forgiveness for his criminal past and the state of Tennessee happily obliged Thursday with a full pardon.
Republican Gov. Bill Lee acknowledged the contrite Antioch, Tennessee, native’s long road back from drugs and prison through soul-searching, songwriting, and advocacy for second chances alongside a fresh start at life, AP reports.
The rapper-turned-singer, whose legal name is Jason Deford, has spoken for years about his redemption arc before diverse audiences, from people serving time in correctional centers to concert crowds and even in testimony before Congress.
Jelly Roll spoke in detail about these things during episode #2424 of the Joe Rogan Experience, where he addressed being a felon, having drugs control his life, and being barred from being near guns:
Outside of sold-out shows, AP reports the 41-year-old testified before the U.S. Senate about the dangers of fentanyl, describing his drug-dealing younger self as “the uneducated man in the kitchen playing chemist with drugs I knew absolutely nothing about.”
“I was a part of the problem,” he told lawmakers at the time. “I am here now standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution.”
Now the two-time Grammy nominee’s expressed wish to start again has been granted.
Gov. Bill Lee issued the pardon – encompassing past convictions that include robbery and drug felonies – after friends and civic leaders of the Grammy-nominated musician joined in an outpouring of support.
The AP report sets out the process for The Son of a Sinner vocalist’s receipt of clemency was no different from others with a criminal past:
[Jelly Roll] … was one of 33 people to receive pardons Thursday from Lee, who for years has issued clemency decisions around the Christmas season. Lee said Jelly Roll’s application underwent the same months-long thorough review as other applicants.
The state parole board gave a nonbinding, unanimous recommendation for Jelly Roll’s pardon in April.
“His story is remarkable, and it’s a redemptive, powerful story, which is what you look for and what you hope for,” Lee told reporters.
Pardons offer a path to restoring certain civil rights such as the right to vote, although there are some legal limitations, and the governor can specify the terms.
Jelly Roll said he travels to perform missionary work for Christian organizations and the pardon will help on that front – at home and abroad.
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