Jelly Roll is a multi-talented music artist originating from Tennessee, USA. His professions include being a rapper, singer, and a songwriter. Initially, he was just focused on being a successful hip hop artist. Even his rap songs were performing really well. Then, he started exploring other genres such as country and rock.
He has been a part of the music industry for multiple decades. As of now, Jelly Roll is an international sensation. His songs like Son of a Sinner and Need a Favour have amazed the listeners. If you wish to explore more about him, stay tuned. This is a complete biography covering Jelly Roll’s age, family, education, music career, and much more.
Who is Jelly Roll?
Jelly Roll was officially born as Jason Bradley DeFord. His birth took place on December 4th, 1984. Moreover, his birthplace is Antioch, Tennessee, USA. He is one of the most prominent music artists of this century. Jelly Roll has tapped into multiple genres like Southern Hip Hop, Country, and Country Rock music. According to sources, he had been active in the music industry since 2003. Even now he continues to amaze the audience and critics through his releases.
To this day, Jelly Roll has won many awards and absolutely dominated music charts for weeks multiple times. Initially, his life was full of struggles and obstacles. He even got arrested at one point. Even after facing all of that, Jelly Roll continued to grow in the music industry. First he established his fan base through hip hop music. Thereafter, his popularity was boosted significantly after country music. More about his professional journey ahead
Biography Overview
| Official name | Jason Bradley DeFord |
| Nickname | Jelly Roll |
| Place of birth | Antioch, Nashville, Tennessee, USA |
| DOB | December 4th, 1984 |
| Jelly Roll Age | 41 years old (As of 2025) |
| Zodiac Sign | Sagittarius |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupations | Rapper, singer, songwriter, and guitarist |
| Educational qualification | GED (12th Grade Graduate) |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Marital status | Married |
| Net worth | USD 16 million |
| Affiliation | Stoney Creek Records (BBR Music Group) |
| Languages known | English |
Early Life
Jelly Roll was born and raised in the Antioch neighbourhood, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Overall, his family had a decent income. His father sold meat. He also used to work as a book keeper/bookie. At the same time, Jason’s mother was facing addiction and drug abuse. He also developed some mental health issues over time. Overall, he had a pretty tough childhood and early life. When Jelly Roll was a teenager, he got arrested on multiple charges. He didn’t even complete his schooling before ending up in prison.
Jelly’s Religious Beliefs & Representation of Christianity
Jelly Roll has openly talked about his faith in Jesus and Christianity. He doesn’t shy away from using his music as a medium of representation. In simple words, Jelly has passed on religious messages through his songs multiple times. His most popular religious songs are Church, Hungover In A Church Pew, Need A Favour, Halfway To Hell, Amen, Only God Knows, Hard Fought Hallelujah, and My Cross. These lyrics of these songs follow themes of redemption, faith, and trust in God.
Jelly Roll Age
As has been mentioned, his birthdate is December 4, 1984. Therefore, Jelly Roll age is 41 years as of 2025.
Physical Appearance of Jelly Roll
| Height | 6 Feet and 1 Inch |
| Weight | 110 Kgs |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Dark Brown |
| Body type | Plus size |
| Skin tone | Fair |
| Tattoos | Multiple tattoos across the arms and body |
Educational Background (Jelly Roll Age)
Jelly Roll used to attend the Antioch High School located in Nashville. He didn’t graduate from there and ended up getting started. When he was 23 years old, Jelly earned his GED. It is basically a certificate that is considered equal to a high school diploma. He gave this test from prison itself. That’s as far as his educational background goes.
| School | Antioch High School |
| College/University | Didn’t pursue higher studies |
| Educational Qualification | GED Certificate |
Jelly Roll’s Family Members
His father’s name was Horace DeFord. Unfortunately, he passed away back on March 20, 2019. Jelly Roll’s father died due to leukemia disease. Professionally, Horace was a meat salesman and a bookie. On the other hand, Jelly’s mother is named Donna DeFord. As has been noted, he suffered from drug addiction and an unnamed mental illness. In terms of siblings, Jason Bradley has two brothers named Scott DeFord and Roger DeFord. He is also accompanied by a sister, Shelby DeFord.
| Father | Horace DeFord |
| Mother | Donna DeFord |
| Siblings | Scott, Roger, and Shelby DeFord |
Married Life & Kids
As of now, Jelly Roll is a married individual. The name of his wife is Alyssa DeFord a.k.a Bunnie XO. They dated each other for a while before their marriage. Their wedding took place on August 31, 2016. Moreover, the venue was the Stained Glass Wedding Chapel (Las Vegas). He has two kids from his previous relationships. Specifically, his son is named Noah DeFord and he has a daughter named Bailee DeFord. Previously, he dated Felicia Beckwith and Melissa.
| Wife’s name | Alyssa DeFord |
| Marriage Date | August 31, 2016 |
| Kids | Noah and Bailee DeFord |
Career & Professional Journey of Jelly Roll
Initially, he started releasing hip hop music for the masses in 2005. However, sources claim that he entered the music industry in 2003. Jelly Roll’s first song was “Outrow – The Halfway Horse”. Artists like UGK, Three 6 Mafia, 8 Ball, MJG, etc inspired him to make music. So, he started selling his mistakes like The Plain Shmear Tape independently. At this time, his songs expressed pain and covered themes of addiction or struggle. His 2010 song Pop Another Pill with Lil Wyte earned a lot of streams and views. Over time, he expanded his music catalogue by releasing mistakes, solo albums, and singles.
Throughout his career, Jason Bradley has worked with many record labels including Slumerican, Bad Apple Inc, War Dog, Wyte Music, and BBR Music Group. As of now, he is signed to Stoney Creek Records (A part of BBR Music Group). In 2021, Jason Bradley started making and releasing country songs. It was time for him to explore other sounds and take a break from hip hop. His debut country music song was “Son of a Sinner” which was released in 2022. This along with “Need A Favour” song earned him mainstream recognition. He went on to collaborate with many other artists and share their reach. As of now, he has many studio albums and collaborative albums like Whitsitt Chapel, Self Medicated, Year Round, etc. The most prominent awards won by Jelly Roll are mentioned below:
- Best Rap/Hip Hop Album Award for “A Beautiful Disaster” – Independent Music Awards (2020)
- Best New Alternative Rock Artist Award – iHeartRadio Music Awards (2021)
- Top New Rock Artist Award – Billboard Music Awards (2021)
Controversies Faced By Jelly Roll
- When Jelly Roll was 14 years old, police arrested him for marijuana possession and attempted robbery. The law authorities treated his case very seriously. In the end, the court decided that he was guilty. Jason Bradley was charged as an adult at the time. He faced up to 20 years in prison for these defaults.
- His second controversy is about a trademark infringement. Jason Bradley was sued by a band with the same name. They filed a claim to the name Jelly Roll. Later, the lawsuit was dropped by the leader of the band named Kurt Titchenell.
Top 10 Songs By Jelly Roll
| S. No. | Song Name |
|---|---|
| 1. | Wild Ones |
| 2. | Need A Favour |
| 3. | Son of a Sinner |
| 4. | Save Me |
| 5. | Bloodline |
| 6. | Save Me |
| 7. | Liar |
| 8. | I Am Not Okay |
| 9. | Lonely Road |
| 10. | Somebody Save Me |
Top 5 Albums By Jelly Roll
| S. No. | Album Name |
|---|---|
| 1. | Whitsitt Chapel |
| 2. | A Beautiful Disaster |
| 3. | Ballads of The Broken |
| 4. | Beautifully Broken |
| 5. | Self Medicated |
Jelly Roll Net Worth 2025
As of 2025, Jelly Roll’s net worth is around USD 16 million. He earned this wealth by releasing hip hop and country music. His music concert tours have contributed a lot to his fame. Moreover, he is still an active artist and will continue to grow his wealth. He is already a wealthy man with a comfortable lifestyle.
Social Media Handles
| Platform Name | Account Handle | Followers |
|---|---|---|
| @jellyroll615 | 5.5 Million + | |
| X | @jellyroll615 | 415K + |
| Youtube | @jellyroll | 4.89 Million + |
Trivia, and Unknown Facts
- He is often known to represent his faith in Christianity through music. Hard Fought Hallelujah, his collaboration song with a Christian Artist named Brandon Lake performed really well. He has many more similar tracks.
- Ram 1500 is a part of his personal car collection.
- According to sources, he started writing poems as a young child.
- During Jelly’s upbringing, his mother suffered from an unnamed mental health issue and addiction.
- He didn’t choose his nickname. Actually, his mother gave him the name Jelly Roll because of his huge body.
- At the age of 13, he witnessed the divorce of his parents, Horace and Donna.
- In 2019, his father passed away due to leukemia.
- Jelly claims that his interest and passion for music stems from his mother.
- As a hip hop artist, his biggest inspirations were Three 6 Mafia, 8 Ball, MJG, and UGK.
- In 2003, Jelly was selling his first mixtape right from his car. This mixtape was titled “The Plain Shmear Tape”.
- He earned his GED certificate by giving the test in prison. he was 23 years old at this time.
- His wife is also known as Bunnie XO.
- Jelly has represented his tough childhood through his music many times. He even talks about it in different interviews.
- In an interview, Jelly addressed his drug addiction and his steps toward redemption. He confessed about using Xanax and cocaine.
- He made his shift from hip hop music to country music in 2021.
- A documentary based on Jelly Roll’s life was released back on May 30, 2023. It was titled “Jelly Roll – Save Me”.
FAQs
Who is Jelly Roll’s wife?
Alyssa DeFord
What is the Jelly Roll age?
He is 40 years old as of now.
When did he start making music?
Jelly Roll embarked on his music journey back in 2003.
Also, Read: Brandon Lake | Thomas Rhett | Garth Brooks
