Latest news with #DaronHall
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jelly Roll recommended for pardon for pre-fame crimes: 'I want to be an inspiration'
The Tennessee Board of Parole has recommended country singer Jelly Roll for a pardon for his pre-fame criminal convictions. Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall announced Tuesday: "A year ago, I wrote [Gov. Bill Lee] asking for a full Pardon for Jason 'Jelly Roll' Deford…..today the Board unanimously recommended his Pardon. It's now in the hands of our Governor." The Board of Parole is "responsible for reviewing all clemency requests (pardons, commutations, and exonerations) and submits non-binding recommendations to the Governor for his consideration," it said in an announcement of the hearing. Read more: Ex-drug dealer Jelly Roll needs more than a favor. He needs Congress to pass an anti-fentanyl bill According to the Associated Press, the singer (born Jason DeFord) told the board, 'I want to be an inspiration for people who are now where I used to be — to let them know that change is truly possible. One of the reasons I'm asking for your recommendation … is because I'm looking to take my message of redemption … [across] the rest of the world.' The singer has been open about his arrests for drug crimes and other offenses, including a conviction for aggravated robbery at 16 where he was charged as an adult. He earned a GED in prison and later became a country superstar, despite the issues his convictions presented for getting a passport and touring internationally. Jelly Roll previously testified in front of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs to advocate for the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act. "I was a part of the problem. I am here now, standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution," he told the Senate. Read more: How Jelly Roll overcame addiction and prison to become the new (tattooed) face of country "Why do we not have more programs focused on rehabilitation instead of discipline?' the singer told The Times in 2023. 'It just shows how bad we've done on educating Americans on the disease of addiction and on what Big Pharma is doing to us in allowing these labs to create fentanyl. 'We've gotten so far away from compassion,' he adds. 'That's scary.' Jelly Roll is set to headline the Stagecoach country music festival in Indio this weekend. Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Jelly Roll recommended for pardon for pre-fame crimes - 'I want to be an inspiration'
The Tennessee Board of Parole has recommended country singer Jelly Roll for a pardon for his pre-fame criminal convictions. Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall announced Tuesday: 'A year ago, I wrote [Gov. Bill Lee] asking for a full Pardon for Jason 'Jelly Roll' Deford…..today the Board unanimously recommended his Pardon. It's now in the hands of our Governor.' The Board of Parole is 'responsible for reviewing all clemency requests (pardons, commutations, and exonerations) and submits non-binding recommendations to the Governor for his consideration,' it said in an announcement of the hearing. According to the Associated Press, the singer (born Jason DeFord) told the board, 'I want to be an inspiration for people who are now where I used to be — to let them know that change is truly possible. One of the reasons I'm asking for your recommendation … is because I'm looking to take my message of redemption … [across] the rest of the world.' The singer has been open about his arrests for drug crimes and other offenses, including a conviction for aggravated robbery at 16 where he was charged as an adult. He earned a GED in prison and later became a country superstar, despite the issues his convictions presented for getting a passport and touring internationally. Jelly Roll previously testified in front of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs to advocate for the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act. 'I was a part of the problem. I am here now, standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution,' he told the Senate. 'Why do we not have more programs focused on rehabilitation instead of discipline?' the singer told The Times in 2023. 'It just shows how bad we've done on educating Americans on the disease of addiction and on what Big Pharma is doing to us in allowing these labs to create fentanyl. 'We've gotten so far away from compassion,' he adds. 'That's scary.' Jelly Roll is set to headline the Stagecoach country music festival in Indio this weekend.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jelly Roll wins support of Tennessee parole board as he fights to receive full pardon for convictions
Jelly Roll has gotten one step closer to receiving a full pardon for his previous convictions. The Tennessee Board of Parole officially recommended the 40-year-old musician receive a full pardon following a 45-minute hearing which included statements from a number of witnesses, including Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall, who runs Nashville's jail. The hearing ended with a vote, in which the board reached a unanimous agreement to recommend the musician be pardoned, with only one board member recusing themselves from voting. "This was incredible," Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, said after the vote, according to the board's recording of the meeting. "I pray this goes through. But today was special for me, regardless." "Jelly Roll Shares One Habit That 'Annoys' Wife Bunnie Xo 'To No End': 'I Feel Bad For Her' The board's unanimous vote leaves the final decision in the hands of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. Read On The Fox News App Jelly Roll has been very open about his struggles with the law, which include convictions for drug possession, drug dealing, shoplifting and aggravated robbery. He was first sent to a juvenile detention center at the age of 14 and later spent years going in and out of prison. "I don't know what I was even trying to be when I look back now," he admitted on Jay Shetty's "On Purpose" podcast in October 2024 about committing armed robbery when he was 15 years old. "This is how I know I was 15 because the more when I try to make logic of it, I can't. There was no logic to what I did. It made absolutely no sense. And I learned so much from it and the way that I interact with people." While in prison, Jelly Roll entered both Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, got his GED and entered a Christian program which helped him reconnect with his faith on a much deeper level. Like What You're Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News Since turning his life around, he broke out into the music industry in 2021 with his album "Ballad of the Broken," and continues to give back, often performing inside prisons and at rehabilitation centers, helping to feed homeless people, and donating money from his performances to at-risk youth. "It started as a passion project that felt therapeutic and would end up changing my life in ways that I never dreamed imaginable and opened doors that I've never thought possible," he told the Tennessee parole board about how he began writing songs in prison. Part of the reason the "Save Me" singer hopes to receive a pardon is to tour and continue helping people in need everywhere, saying, "I'll still be using this same pardon, God willing, to go do missionary work in my 50s and 60s." "I want to be an inspiration for people who are now where I used to be – to let them know that change is truly possible," Jelly Roll told the board. "One of the reasons I'm asking for your recommendation for this pardon is because I'm looking to take my message of redemption through the power of music and faith through the rest of the world." Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter One of the reasons Jelly Roll gave for needing a pardon is to be able to travel to Canada to perform, which his criminal record makes difficult. Currently, he would need to apply for a special permit that can include long wait times for a decision, according to a letter from an immigration attorney submitted with his clemency packet. Jelly Roll was recently able to tour Canada and also took his first trip to the United Kingdom, where he spoke about a rehabilitation program. He told the board that while he was able to make these trips, it "takes a team of lawyers and a mountain of paperwork to secure my entry into those countries." The parole board began considering Jelly Roll's pardon application in October 2024, which marks at least five years since his sentence expired. The Associated Press contributed to this article source: Jelly Roll wins support of Tennessee parole board as he fights to receive full pardon for convictions
New York Post
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Jelly Roll receives pardon recommendation from Tennessee parole board: ‘I pray this goes through'
The Tennessee Board of Parole on Tuesday recommended a pardon for country music star Jelly Roll, a Nashville native who has spoken openly about his criminal record and what it has taken to overcome it. The board's action leaves the final decision on a pardon up to Gov. Bill Lee. The rapper-turned-country singer wants to be able to travel internationally to perform and share his message of redemption, after spending time behind bars as a young person. The board issued its nonbinding recommendation unanimously after a hearing that lasted about an hour and 45 minutes with several witnesses, including Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall, advocating for the 40-year-old musician named Jason DeFord. One board member recused themselves from voting. 3 Country star Jelly Roll with Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall at his Tennessee Board of Parole hearing on April 22, 2025. Davidson County Sheriff's Office via AP Jelly Roll broke into country music with the 2023 album 'Whitsitt Chapel' and crossover songs like 'Need a Favor.' He has won multiple CMT Awards, a CMA Award and earned four Grammy nominations, including for new artist of the year. 'This was incredible,' he said of the board's decision. 'I pray this goes through. But today was special for me, regardless.' His most serious convictions include a robbery at age 17 and drug charges at 23. In the first case, a female acquaintance helped Jelly Roll and two other young men enter a house in 2002. Both of the others were carrying guns, although Jelly Roll was unarmed. They demanded money, and received $350 and a wallet with no money in it. 3 The Tennessee Board of Parole recommended that Jelly Roll be pardoned for his past crimes including drug charges and robbery. Davidson County Sheriff's Office via AP Because the victims knew the female acquaintance, she and Jelly Roll were arrested right away. He was sentenced to serve a year in prison and additional time on probation. Later, in 2008, police on patrol found both marijuana and crack cocaine in his car. He was sentenced to eight years of court-ordered supervision. He also has two misdemeanor offenses for driving without a license and possession of drug paraphernalia. Lee, a Republican, said every case seeking clemency, such as pardons, is equally important and goes through a thorough process. 'The reporting on Jelly Roll, that's encouraging for his situation, but there are steps yet to happen in that case,' he told reporters Tuesday. Jelly Roll told the board that while in a detention center, he fell in love with songwriting. 'It started as a passion project that felt therapeutic and would end up changing my life in ways that I never dreamed imaginable and opened doors that I've never thought possible,' he said. These days, he often visits jails and rehabilitation centers before performing concerts. He has bought restaurants out for the day to feed people who are homeless and played basketball with kids at a youth center the same day that he performed in Winnipeg. He said he generally doesn't seek out news coverage when he makes these visits. As a part of the pardon application, friends and civic leaders wrote to the board about Jelly Roll's transformation and generosity. Hall, who runs Nashville's jail, wrote that Jelly Roll had an awakening in one of the jails he managed. Live Nation Entertainment CEO and President Michael Rapino also wrote in his favor, pointing out all the money he has given from his performances to charities for at-risk youth. 3 Jelly Roll performing at the Pollstar Awards in Beverly Hills on April 16, 2025. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP One of the reasons Jelly Roll gave for needing a pardon is to be able to travel to Canada to perform, which his criminal record makes difficult. Currently, he would need to apply for a special permit that can include long wait times for a decision, according to a letter from an immigration attorney submitted with his clemency packet. 'I want to be an inspiration for people who are now where I used to be — to let them know that change is truly possible,' Jelly Roll told the board. 'One of the reasons I'm asking for your recommendation for this pardon is because I'm looking to take my message of redemption through the power of music and faith through the rest of the world.' He said he would use the pardon for much more than going on tour, though. 'I'll still be using this same pardon, God willing, to go do missionary work in my 50s and 60s,' he said. Due to his criminal record, he told the board that every time he travels it 'takes a team of lawyers and a mountain of paperwork to secure my entry into those countries.' He said he recently was able to make his first tour in Canada and took his first trip to the United Kingdom, where he spoke about a rehabilitation program. The parole board began considering Jelly Roll's pardon application in October 2024, which marks at least five years since his sentence expired. Lee has issued more than 90 pardons since taking office in 2019, all of them since 2021.
Fox News
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Jelly Roll wins support of Tennessee parole board as he fights to receive full pardon for convictions
Jelly Roll has gotten one step closer to receiving a full pardon for his previous convictions. The Tennessee Board of Parole officially recommended the 40-year-old musician receive a full pardon following a 45-minute hearing which included statements from a number of witnesses, including Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall, who runs Nashville's jail. The hearing ended with a vote, in which the board reached a unanimous agreement to recommend the musician be pardoned, with only one board member recusing themselves from voting. "This was incredible," Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, said after the vote, according to the board's recording of the meeting. "I pray this goes through. But today was special for me, regardless." "JELLY ROLL SHARES ONE HABIT THAT 'ANNOYS' WIFE BUNNIE XO 'TO NO END': 'I FEEL BAD FOR HER' The board's unanimous vote leaves the final decision in the hands of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. "This was incredible. I pray this goes through. But today was special for me, regardless." Jelly Roll has been very open about his struggles with the law, which include convictions for drug possession, drug dealing, shoplifting and aggravated robbery. He was first sent to a juvenile detention center at the age of 14 and later spent years going in and out of prison. "I don't know what I was even trying to be when I look back now," he admitted on Jay Shetty's "On Purpose" podcast in October 2024 about committing armed robbery when he was 15 years old. "This is how I know I was 15 because the more when I try to make logic of it, I can't. There was no logic to what I did. It made absolutely no sense. And I learned so much from it and the way that I interact with people." While in prison, Jelly Roll entered both Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, got his GED and entered a Christian program which helped him reconnect with his faith on a much deeper level. Since turning his life around, he broke out into the music industry in 2021 with his album "Ballad of the Broken," and continues to give back, often performing inside prisons and at rehabilitation centers, helping to feed homeless people, and donating money from his performances to at-risk youth. "It started as a passion project that felt therapeutic and would end up changing my life in ways that I never dreamed imaginable and opened doors that I've never thought possible," he told the Tennessee parole board about how he began writing songs in prison. Part of the reason the "Save Me" singer hopes to receive a pardon is to tour and continue helping people in need everywhere, saying, "I'll still be using this same pardon, God willing, to go do missionary work in my 50s and 60s." "I want to be an inspiration for people who are now where I used to be – to let them know that change is truly possible," Jelly Roll told the board. "One of the reasons I'm asking for your recommendation for this pardon is because I'm looking to take my message of redemption through the power of music and faith through the rest of the world." One of the reasons Jelly Roll gave for needing a pardon is to be able to travel to Canada to perform, which his criminal record makes difficult. Currently, he would need to apply for a special permit that can include long wait times for a decision, according to a letter from an immigration attorney submitted with his clemency packet. Jelly Roll was recently able to tour Canada and also took his first trip to the United Kingdom, where he spoke about a rehabilitation program. He told the board that while he was able to make these trips, it "takes a team of lawyers and a mountain of paperwork to secure my entry into those countries." The parole board began considering Jelly Roll's pardon application in October 2024, which marks at least five years since his sentence expired.
