Jelly Roll can do it all.
The rapper-turned-country-artist has one of the most unique stories in the music industry. Jelly, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, once faced a 20-year prison sentence. He only ended up serving one year, then seven years of probation, but still – he’s had an unbelievable turnaround in his life.
Now the 39-year-old artist from Antioch, Tennessee is headlining festivals, putting out number one hits again and again, and collaborating with some of the biggest stars in all of music. Jelly Roll’s stardom has also made him a very sought after guest for shows, and at least for now, he’s been more than happy to join whatever show will have him.
The latest program he stopped into was the long running Howard Stern Show on SiriusXM. While he was on, Jelly Roll took some time to talk with the legendary radio host about his life, his music, and even gave a hilarious story about a time that he tried to run from a cop while being arrested.
And it wouldn’t have made much sense for the country star to stop by the program without playing some of his music. Jelly Roll fired up some expected songs, like his hit “Need A Favor” and his newest track “I Am Not Okay.” Those were exceptional, as the singer’s performances tend to be, but the songs that were really interesting to hear were covers that Jelly Roll decided to break out.
Yes, I said “covers” with an “s.” Howard Stern gave him the time, and Jelly Roll gratefully utilized it by bringing two brilliant covers to the show in a period of less than eight minutes. He and his band first got things started with the all-time-classic Otis Redding tune “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” and then rolled right into Hootie and the Blowfish’s “Let Her Cry.”
Released in 1994 from that iconic Hootie record, Cracked Rear View, Darius Rucker has called this song “the first country song I ever wrote.” The song went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1996.
Jelly’s vocals worked with the two songs wonderfully, and it really showcased his ability to switch from genre-to-genre seamlessly. If you’re like me, after you listen to the back-to-back cover performance below, you’ll likely be clamoring for a Jelly Roll album consisting entirely of cover songs.
If you are listening Mr. DeFord, we’re all here for it if you want to put one out. Just make sure to include these two songs within it:
And the original, or as Darius would put it, the “first country song” he ever wrote:
