Nashville, Tenn. – Tennessee’s probation board recommended a forgiveness to Country music star jelly rollA native of Nashville who has talked openly about his criminal record and what has been overcome. The action of the Board leaves the final decision on a forgiveness to Governor Bill Lee.
The rapper turned into a country singer wants to be able to travel internationally to make and share his message of redemption, after spending time behind bars as a young person.
The Board issued its unanimously binding recommendation after an audience that lasted approximately one hour and 45 minutes with several witnesses, including the Sheriff of Nashville, Daron Hall, who advocated the 40 -year -old musician named Jason Deford. A member of the Board was challenged from the vote.
Jelly Roll broke into country music with the 2023 album “Whitsitt Chapel” and the crossed songs like “Need in favor.” He has He won multiple CMT awardsA CMA award and won four Grammy nominations, even for the new artist of the year.
“This was incredible,” he said about the decision of the Board. “I pray that this happens. But today it was special for me, independently.”
His most serious convictions include a robbery at age 17 and drug positions at age 23. In the first case, a female acquaintance helped the gelatin and two other young people to enter a house in 2002. Both others wore weapons, although the gelatin roll was disarmed. They demanded money and received $ 350 and a wallet without money. Because the victims knew the well -known female, she and Jelly Roll were arrested immediately. He was sentenced to serve a year in prison and additional time on probation.
Later, in 2008, the Patrol Police found both marijuana and crack cocaine in their car. He was sentenced to eight years of supervision ordered by the Court.
It also has two minor crimes for driving without license and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Lee, a Republican, said that all cases looking for clemency, such as forgives, is equally important and goes through an exhaustive process.
“The report on the jelly roll, that is encouraging for your situation, but there are still no steps to happen in that case,” journalists told Tuesday.
Jelly Roll told the Board that while he was in a detention center, he fell in love with the song composition. “It started as a passion project that felt therapeutic and would end up changing my life in a way I never dreamed imaginable and opened doors that I never thought of possible.”
These days, often visit prisons and rehabilitation centers before performing concerts. He has bought restaurants for the day to feed the homeless people and played basketball with children in a youth center the same day he acted in Winnipeg. He said that he is generally not looking for news coverage when he makes these visits.
As part of the application of forgiveness, friends and civic leaders wrote to the Board about the transformation and generosity of Jelly Roll. Hall, who runs Nashville’s prison, wrote that Jelly Roll had a awakening in one of the prisons she achieved. The CEO and president of Live Nation Entertainment, Michael Rapino, also wrote in his favor, pointing out all the money he has granted his actions to beneficial organizations for young people at risk.
One of the reasons why the jelly roll resulted for forgiveness is to be able to travel to Canada to perform, what its criminal history makes it difficult. Currently, he would need to request a special permit that may include long waiting times for a decision, according to a letter from an immigration lawyer sent with his clemency package.
“I want to be an inspiration for people who are now where they used to be, to let them know that the change is really possible,” Jelly Roll told the Board. “One of the reasons why I ask for your recommendation for this forgiveness is because I am looking to take my message of redemption through the power of music and faith through the rest of the world.”
However, he said he would use forgiveness for much more than tour.
“I will still be using this same forgiveness, that God wants, to do the missionary work in my 50 and 60 years,” he said.
Due to his criminal record, he told the Board that every time he travels “he takes a team of lawyers and a paper mountain to ensure my entrance to those countries.” He said he could recently make his first tour in Canada and made his first trip to the United Kingdom, where he talked about a rehabilitation program.
The probation Board began to consider Jelly Roll’s forgiveness in October 2024, which marks at least five years since its sentence expired.
Lee has issued more than 90 forgives Since he assumed the position in 2019, all since 2021.
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Associated Press’s writer Kristin M. Hall, contributed from Nashville.
