Country Star Jelly Roll Earns Rare Pardon From Tennessee Governor, Stepping Closer To Firearm Ownership

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has pardoned country star Jelly Roll, recognizing his transformation from a teen involved in crime and drugs to a chart topping artist and advocate. The pardon helps restore some civil rights and clears barriers to his ongoing touring, outreach and criminal justice work.

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NASHVILLE, TN (2-minute read) — Country artist Jelly Roll has received an official pardon from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a symbolic closing of the book on a criminal past he has never tried to hide. Born Jason Deford in Nashville, the singer has long described his younger years of robbery, drug dealing and jail as the painful foundation of the person he is now.

The pardon follows years of visible change. Jelly Roll has performed in correctional facilities, packed arenas and even spoken before Congress about addiction and fentanyl. He often tells audiences that he first fell in love with writing songs while in custody, using music as a kind of therapy that helped him face his own role in hurting other people.

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His most serious crimes included a robbery at age seventeen and later drug charges in his twenties, which led to prison time and years of supervision. In Tennessee, a pardon does not erase those convictions, but it serves as a statement of forgiveness from the state and can help restore certain civil rights such as voting and firearm ownership, while opening doors for international travel and mission work.

Jelly Roll’s Second Chance In Tennessee

Support for his pardon came from across Nashville. The local sheriff described watching Jelly Roll experience a personal awakening behind bars, while music executives pointed to his donations and work with at risk youth. Governor Lee’s office said his case went through the same long review as other applicants, and the parole board offered unanimous support.

For people with felony convictions, the consequences often continue long after a sentence ends, from limits on employment and housing to restrictions on owning or even handling a firearm. Jelly Roll’s story does not change those realities for everyone, but it does show how accountability, treatment for addiction and positive community ties can create safer communities than punishment alone.

Jelly Roll has said he once was part of the problem and now wants to be part of the solution. His music about pain, relapse and hope resonates with people who may never meet him, but who recognize their own struggles in his lyrics.

Safety Tip: If you own or carry a firearm, know how a criminal conviction can affect your legal rights, train regularly, and always follow safe storage practices to keep unauthorized hands away from your firearm.