Many fans ask how old is jelly roll. They dig online but hit mixed info. They need a clear, fast answer.
Jelly Roll, born Jason DeFord on December 4, 1986, is 40 years old as of April 2025. This post will show how he mixed southern hip-hop roots from Three 6 Mafia beats with country music and ballads like Save Me and Son of a Sinner.
We will share his age, his rise, and his life with Bunnie XO. Read on.
Key Takeaways
- Jelly Roll, born Jason Bradley DeFord in Nashville on December 4, 1984, is 40 years old as of April 2025.
- He grew up in Antioch, faced drug charges at 14, served over a year in prison at 16, and earned his GED in 2009 before he freed his music.
- He rose with Three 6 Mafia, Lil Wyte, and Struggle Jennings, then dropped country ballads “Save Me” (May 2020) and “Son of a Sinner” (No. 1 on Country Airplay by January 2023).
- He won Breakthrough Male Video in 2023 and Video of the Year in 2024 at the CMT Music Awards, grabbed New Artist of the Year at the CMA Awards in November 2023, and holds three Grammy nominations.
- He married model and social media star Bunnie XO on August 31, 2016. They raise daughter Bailee (born May 2008) and son Noah (born August 2016) while on the Backroad Baptism Tour.
How Old Is Jelly Roll?
Jason Bradley Deford first saw life on December 4, 1984. He performs under the name Jelly Roll. As of April 2025, he stands at forty years old.
He hits forty roaring down the highway, sturdy and ready for more miles. Fans catch fresh honesty in Son of a Sinner and Save Me this decade. The Backroad Baptism Tour showcases his seasoned grit.
Where Was Jelly Roll Born?
Jelly Roll, the country singer, came into the world in Nashville, Tennessee. His birth name reads Jason Bradley Deford. That Music City hub offered a rich stage and tall tales. It fed his love for ballads of the broken and raw truth.
Childhood days played out in the Antioch neighborhood. Those streets taught him to spin pain into song. He later plugged that grit into tracks like Somebody Save Me and Son of a Sinner.
Nashville pulse flows through every CMA Awards hopeful and Backroad Baptism Tour memory.
Early Life and Challenges
He grew up in the Antioch neighborhood, fought drug addiction, spent time in jail and faced probation, yet found his voice in song—read on to learn more.
Childhood and upbringing
His mother called him Jelly Roll because he was chubby. Jason Bradley DeFord grew up in an Antioch neighborhood. Horace Buddy DeFord ran a meat wholesale shop. He also took bets on sporting events for extra cash.
His parents divorced at thirteen, he jumped into selling pills to support his mother. Police arrested him first at fourteen. He landed in jail and on probation many times. Court files list around forty arrests, most tied to drug addiction.
Time spent in prison
At age 16, Jelly Roll faced an aggravated robbery charge. He served over a year in prison, then picked up more than seven years of probation. He stared at cold walls and counted days off a calendar.
He took his first hard look inward behind bars.
Jason Bradley Deford earned his GED while in prison, then walked free in 2009. He scribbled lyrics on scraps, fueling country music dreams with fresh fire.
How Jelly Roll Entered Country Music
He swapped rap beats for heartfelt ballads, grabbed a six-string and rocked the soundboard on the Backroad Baptism Tour—read on to learn more.
Transition from rap to country
Jason Bradley DeFord carved a path from rap to country music, working with Three 6 Mafia, Lil Wyte, Struggle Jennings before picking up a guitar. He lived in a van from 2010 to 2015, writing bars on a portable mixing board, then learning chords on an acoustic.
His May 2020 release Save Me proved pivotal; it removed rap elements and let his southern twang shine. Fans heard raw ache in his vocals, layered over slide guitar in a Nashville studio.
Radio embraced Son of a Sinner in 2021, and it climbed the emerging artists chart. He packed venues on the Backroad Baptism Tour, moving from concrete stages to dirt-road bars. His set list mixed ballads of the broken with honky-tonk strums.
He plugged a Gibson J-45 into a simple tube preamp, and the warmth cemented his new country sound.
Key influences on his music journey
A young Jason Bradley Deford lived in the Antioch neighborhood of Memphis. That scene sparked his love for rap. Jelly Roll hit the studio with Haystak on Strictly Business in 2011.
Lil Wyte joined him again on No Filter in 2013. Several projects with Struggle Jennings dropped from 2017 to 2020.
Those mixes steered him into country music. He toured on the Backroad Baptism Tour alongside Craig Morgan. Ballads of the Broken climbed the emerging artists chart. His hits Save Me and Son of a Sinner blend grit and soul.
Jelly Roll’s Breakthrough Songs
He broke through with the soul-baring track “Save Me” and the tough-country single “Son of a Sinner,” both driven by his rattling guitar—tap below to learn more.
“Save Me”
“Save Me” hit streaming in May 2020, and Jelly Roll stripped away rap style, he leaned into a pure ballad. He poured raw lines about struggle and hope without a single rap beat.
This track marked his first song without rap elements. It felt like an honest confession on the Ballads of the Broken album.
The song climbed the Emerging Artists Chart, and radio hosts added it to country music playlists. It earned nods at the CMT Music Awards for video and performance. Fans embraced his new sound, and it paved the way for hits like “Son of a Sinner.”.
“Son of a Sinner”
Jelly Roll released Son of a Sinner on his Ballads of the Broken album. It burst onto the Country Airplay chart in March 2022, and it reached No. 1 by January 2023. The track fuses gritty lyrics with a warm steel guitar melody.
Listeners absorb themes of faith and grit, like they hitch a ride with a preacher and a cowboy. He tracked it himself in a Nashville studio using a digital audio workstation.
Tour goers on the Backroad Baptism Tour cheer when the band drops its opening notes. Fans on streaming platforms push its streams past millions, while radio spins keep the tune alive.
A buddy once told Jason DeFord the chorus sounds like a Sunday sermon and a front porch tale all in one. This ballad of the broken taps into his country roots and rap past, and it shatters genre fences.
Awards and Recognitions
He scored a Grammy nod, won Male Breakthrough Video at CMT Music Awards, nabbed a CMA trophy and hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists Chart—so keep reading.
Grammy nominations
Jelly Roll earned three nods from the academy. He drew a Best New Artist nod this year. They tapped “Save Me” for a Best Country Duo or Group Performance nod, thanks to his duet with Lainey Wilson.
Awards season grew even brighter in November 2024. The academy nominated “I Am Not Okay” for Best Country Song. It picked him also for Best Country Solo Performance on “I Am Not Okay”.
Fans cheered that double mention.
Industry accolades
He scored three trophies at the CMT Music Awards held April 2023, including Breakthrough Male Video of the Year for “Son of a Sinner.” He then swept three more CMT Awards in April 2024, grabbing Video of the Year for “Need a Favor.” CMA Awards voters placed him among five nominees in September 2023, and he walked off with New Artist of the Year in November 2023.
His Grand Ole Opry debut came on November 9, 2021. He earned Grammy nominations soon after. He now headlines the backroad baptism tour.
Jelly Roll’s Family Life
Jelly Roll and his wife, Bunnie XO, juggle life on tour with bedtime stories for daughter Bailee Ann Deford and son Noah Buddy Deford in their lively household—read on to see how they make it work.
Wife: Bunnie XO
Bunnie XO wed Jason Bradley DeFord on August 31, 2016. She works as a model, influencer, and entrepreneur and boasts more than 1.5 million followers on Instagram. Their relationship hit a rough patch in 2018, but they found their way back soon after.
She often joins jelly roll backstage, offering support during his country music shows.
Children and fatherhood
Jelly Roll had his daughter Bailee Ann Deford in May 2008 while he was in prison. He met her for the first time on her second birthday in 2010. The bond grew strong after he left prison.
A son, Noah Buddy Deford, joined the family in August 2016. Bunnie XO supports Jelly Roll on tour and at home. That star carves out time for bedtime stories between shows on the Backroad Baptism Tour.
Takeaway
Jelly Roll wears forty with a grin. Fans cheer his rise on stage. His past fuels raw, real art. He claims near twelve million dollars, per Celebrity Net Worth. He nabbed New Artist of the Year at the Country Prizes, and grabbed nods at Recording Prizes.
His crew at home, Bunnie XO and their two kids, bring calm, joy. Growth and grit fill every new tune.
Discover more about this captivating artist by exploring how much Jelly Roll weighs and other intriguing facts.
FAQs
1. How old is Jelly Roll?
He was born on December 4, 1986, so he is 36.
2. When did Jelly Roll turn 36?
He celebrated his 36th birthday on December 4, 2022, with fans cheering.
3. What is Jelly Roll’s real name?
Away from the stage his name is Jason Bradley DeFord, though most call him Jason DeFord for short.
4. Which song shot him into country music fame?
His track “Son of a Sinner” climbed the Emerging Artists Chart, it won hearts in country music circles.
5. Has he won any awards at 36?
Yes, he grabbed Male Breakthrough Video of the Year at the CMT Music Awards, that was a big win.
6. What tour did he lead this year?
He rolled out the Backroad Baptism Tour, he hit the road hard, fans sang every word.
