At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, where most music stars dress to stand out as much as possible, Jelly Roll knew he didn't need a flashy outfit to catch the media's attention. All eyes are already on the singer-songwriter. The Nashville, Tennesee, native is up for two accolades tonight: Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "Save Me" (Lainey Wilson accompanied him on the track) and the buzzy Best New Artist award for his seventh studio album Whittsitt Chapel.
(Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Brushing shoulders with performers donning tuxedos and priceless designer dresses, Jelly Roll looked like he came straight from working on a ranch. He wore sneakers, khakis and a tan worker's jacket. The outfit would seem like a rebellious statement against the glitz of the music industry — but that's far too spiteful for Jelly Roll's style. Rather, this is the look of an artist who has always remained his authentic self. He embodies the salt-of-the-earth Americans who comprise a majority of his fanbase.
"There's a tale of two Nashvilles happening right now. I represent both Music Row, which has embraced me so lovingly, but also my local community that raised me," he told the Tennessean after his CMA Award win for Best New Artist. "The bartenders, bar backs, construction workers, cooks, firemen, first responders, restaurant table bussers and valet parking attendants truly run this town and they were cheering for me as if I was one of their own all day today."
Following his Grammy nominations, Jelly Roll thanked his fans in a tearful and heartfelt video.
"I'm not sure if I should post this or not because I'm so emotional," he said. "The greatest honor an artist can ever hear is that they've been nominated for a Grammy, and I got to hear that this morning. I ain't cried like this since my daddy died."
Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, brought his mother along as his date for the evening. His mom gave him the affectionate nickname Jelly Roll when he was a young child. Unlike him, she's been dressed to the nines for the Grammys.
"We'll get you a nice dress baby for sure," he told his mother in a touching video where he asked her to join him for the award show. "We'll get you the best dress."
READ MORE: Jelly Roll Stars in a Hilarious Super Bowl Ad: 'What Happened to My Face!?'
