Jelly Roll Pardoned After More Than 40 Arrests In His Youth

Jelly Roll received a full pardon Thursday from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, clearing the chart-topping artist’s decades-old robbery and drug convictions after a year-long review.

The decision, which follows a unanimous recommendation from the state parole board in April, wipes the slate clean for the “Son of a Sinner” singer, whose legal record had previously limited his ability to travel internationally for concerts.

Now 41, Jelly Roll can tour abroad without seeking special travel permits.

“His story is remarkable, and it’s a redemptive, powerful story, which is what you look for and what you hope for,” Gov. Lee told reporters during a meeting at his home, according to The Associated Press.

While Jelly Roll has not yet released a statement about the pardon, he spoke to the Tennessee Board of Parole earlier this year about the potential impact of the decision.

“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,” he said. “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… I’ll still be using this same pardon, God willing, to go do missionary work in my 50s and 60s.”

The Nashville native has been open about his troubled youth, revealing he was first arrested at 14 and jailed over 40 times before turning his life around through music. His rise from incarceration to country and Hip-Hop stardom has made him a vocal advocate for second chances and criminal justice reform.

The pardon applies to convictions in Davidson County prior to 2010 and grants him formal clemency from the state of Tennessee.

Related