Jelly Roll is a well-known singer and rapper who has been in the industry for a while now. He has collaborated with many well-known artists such as Yelawolf, Struggle Jennings, Ryan Upchurch, Lil Wyte, and more. Roll has put out numerous solo and collaboration albums including Strictly Business, No Filter, Waylon & Willie and Addiction Kills to name a few.
Thanks to his successful music career, Jelly Roll has gained a huge following in Nashville and around the States. But besides his musical talents, people also want to know more about the artist himself. So, in this biography, we will take a look at Jason’s life before fame, career, relationship history, and more.
Where Did Jelly Roll Grow Up?
The talented musician was born Jason DeFord on December 4, 1984, in Antioch, Tennessee, USA. He reportedly got the name Jelly Roll from his mother and later used it as his stage name. Sadly, Jelly Roll’s parents are no longer together but he shares a great bond with both of them. Sadly, his dad, Buddy DeFord is no longer alive.
Jelly grew up alongside his siblings, Roger DeFord, Scott DeFord, and Shelby DeFord. But he has stated that he had a difficult childhood. He spent some time at the Juvenile Justice Center in Nashville. Moreover, Roll has talked about how his mother had to worry for his welfare seeing as he was in jail multiple times.
Well, even though he made numerous bad decisions in his early years, Jason has now turned his life around and provided a wonderful life for his family.
How Many Albums Has Jelly Roll Released Yet?
As aforementioned, Jelly Roll had a difficult time growing up with him being in trouble multiple times. But he had been introduced to music early on and had dreams of finding fame as a musician when he grew up. Well, his dream came true and today Jason is best known for his rapping and singing skills. His debut album, Halfway House was reportedly released in 2005.
DeFord set up his YouTube channel, Jelly Roll in December 2009 and started posting videos soon after. Then in 2010, Jason’s collaboration with Memphis-based rapper Lil Wyte, Pop Another Pill gained over 6 million views. This resulted in the release of the collaborative album of Jelly, Lil Wyte, and BPZ, Year Round in April 2011. This was followed by the release of Strictly Business, another collaboration album, this time with Haystak.
Then in 2012, Jason put out his solo project The Big Sal Story. The following year worked with Lil Wyte and Haystak again to release No Filter and Business As Usual respectively. He has continued to work with other artists to release amazing studio albums throughout the years. Some of them are No Filter 2, with Lil Wyte and Waylon & Willie, Waylon & Willie II, Waylon & Willie III, and Waylon & Willie IV with Struggle Jennings.
Besides his collaborative work, Jelly Roll has also found much success from his solo works. He has released studio albums, mixtapes, and EPs through various labels including his self-titled music label, Jelly Roll. Listed below are a few of the musical projects that he has put out over the years:
- Sobriety Sucks
- Addiction Kills
- Goodnight Nashville
- Whiskey Sessions II
- A Beautiful Disaster
- Self Medicated
- Ballads of the Broken
- Whiskey Sessions (EP)
- Crosses & Crossroads (EP)
- Gablin on a White Boy 4
- Mid-Grade Miracle (The Boston George Story)
- Whiskey, Weed & Women
- Biggest Loser
- Therapeutic Music 5
In addition to his albums, Jelly Roll has also put out music videos of numerous singles on YouTube. As of December 2022, the channel has over 2.58 million subscribers while the total video views have crossed the 1 billion mark. Many of his official audio and music videos garner millions of views soon after release.
Moreover, to support his albums and EPs, Jason has been on numerous tours and also performed at festivals. His shows are very popular in Nashville and other parts of the US and it is evident that he has found much fame from his music journey. We wish DeFord even more success in the coming days.
Who Is Jelly Roll Married To?
Talking about his personal life, Jason DeFord is a happily married man. He found love long before finding fame as a musician and has since tied the knot with his longtime partner. Jelly Roll’s wife is named Bunnie DeFord who goes by Bunnie Xo professionally.
The pair first met when Jason was performing at the Las Vegas Country Saloon. They started dating soon after and then tied the knot in August 2016. According to the rapper, the lovely couple was drunk while tying the knot at a courthouse. But their relationship is still going strong.
Furthermore, Jelly Roll is reportedly a father of two. He apparently welcomed two kids from his relationships prior to meeting his wife, Bunnie Xo. Moreover, he has credited Bunnie for helping him raise his children. Well, it is evident that the family is enjoying their time together.