When Jelly Roll appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live in April 2025, it felt less like a talk show segment and more like a life story coming full circle. From losing nearly 200 pounds to mentoring young artists and buying a 500-acre farm, Jelly spoke with honesty, humor, and heart. His life proves that even broken roads can lead somewhere beautiful.
He opened up about his weight loss journey, simple food, long walks, and an unshakable goal: skydiving and wrestling a crocodile. But beneath the laughs was a man fighting for a better future. Sadness, determination, and redemption radiated from his words. In one breath, he jokes about roller coasters. In the next, he tears up talking about his past behind bars.
Jelly Roll on Losing Weight, Giving the Titans a Pep Talk, Touring the World & Buying a Huge Farm
Fans say the interview made them cry and laugh within minutes. Some connected with his stories about juvenile detention, where he watched the Music City Miracle through a tiny cell window. Others admired his vulnerability about giving a pep talk to the Titans, only for the team to go 3-13. The comments online call him “a walking testimony.”
Then comes the second chapter: Jelly Roll’s upcoming tour and his collaboration with Brandon Lake on “Hard-Fought Hallelujah.” If the Kimmel interview showed the scars, this performance is about healing. He calls the song a divine moment, something he was meant to sing. The two artists take faith and pain and turn it into something soaring and real.
Hard Fought Hallelujah | Brandon Lake & Jelly Roll | Live from Stagecoach (Full Song)
In “Hard-Fought Hallelujah,” Jelly Roll’s gravelly voice meets Brandon Lake’s spiritual tone. The contrast is stunning. Onstage, Jelly is steady and raw, delivering lyrics about struggle, grace, and hope. It is not just a song, it is a moment. One that feels earned, not gifted. It is the sound of someone who knows what it costs to believe again.
Jelly Roll does not pretend. He shares his darkest moments and his brightest breakthroughs without sugarcoating anything. That is why people trust him. He is not just an artist, he is a guide, a big-hearted survivor with a mic. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The next thing he says or sings might be exactly what you need to hear.