Jelly Roll gives powerful speech to Congress on fentanyl: What to know about the singer

Jelly Roll has been to jail. More than once.

From an early age, the Grammy-nominated rapper, singer and songwriter served time behind bars several times for crimes including dealing drugs.

This week, the 39-year-old country artist visited Capitol Hill and testified before Congress after appearing alongside 2000s-era rap favorites and philanthropists Fat Joe and Wyclef Jean for "Power to the Patients," an event held Wednesday at the Washington D.C.'s Hamilton Live performance venue.

His debut before lawmakers also came less than 96 hours after he visited his former jail cell in Nashville to reflect on his troubled past in the facility he said sparked inspiration for many of his songs.

Here's what to know about Jelly Roll including why he appeared before Congress on Wednesday.

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Who is Jelly Roll?

Jelly Roll, whose given name is Jason Bradley DeFord, is a CMT Awards-winner and two-time Grammy nominee.

The hefty, tattooed-faced artist is married, and was born in Antioch, Tennessee − a Nashville suburb about 12 miles southeast of downtown Music City.

The musician kicked off 2024 Live From Times Square on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and last spring, won the award for Male Breakthrough Video of the Year at the CMT Awards in Austin.

His new single, "Halfway to Hell" is slated to be released on country radio Jan. 22. according to his record label BBR Music Group, and comes on the heels of his three consecutive No, 1 singles at Country radio last year: “Son of a Sinner,” “Need A Favor,” and “Save Me” − a duet featuring Lainey Wilson.

He is nominated for two Grammy Awards this year: best country duo/group performance (for "Save Me") and best new artist. The award show will take place Feb. 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Who is Jelly Roll married to?

Jelly Roll is married to Alyssa DeFord, who goes by Bunnie XO, host of the “Dumb Blonde” podcast.

His wife is a model and entrepreneur who calls herself "the Trailerpark Barbara Walters" on her Instagram page @xomgitsbunnie, which as of Friday had 1.3 million followers.

The couple met in Las Vegas in 2015 and one year later tied the knot in Sin City after the singer proposed to her on stage during a concert.

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Why did Jelly Roll testify before Congress?

Jelly Roll appeared before Congress on Capitol Hill during a session of the United States Senate's Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and spoke about the importance of prioritizing America's fentanyl crisis.

The synthetic opioid can be fatal in doses no larger than a few grains of sand. It’s cheaper to produce than heroin but about 50 times stronger, so some drug traffickers mix fentanyl into their drug supply to inflate profits.

The hearing, titled "Stopping the Flow of Fentanyl: Public Awareness and Legislative Solutions," took place on Capitol Hill. The singer was introduced by committee chairman Sherrod Brown (D - Ohio) as an advocate for those struggling with drug addiction.

His powerful words have been shared widely among news and social media sites.

"Fentanyl transcends partisanship and ideology...this is a totally different problem," the artist said during his opening statement to lawmakers.

"I am not here to defend the use of illegal drugs," continued the performer, who noted the "unique paradox of his history as a drug dealer" who was "part of the problem" and now aims "to be a part of the solution."

He went on to compare the nearly 200 drug overdoses that occur each day in the nation to the notion of a 737-passenger jet crashing daily.

What bill is Jelly Roll trying to pass?

Jelly Roll attended the hearing to support the bipartisan FEND Off Fentanyl Act which targets people trafficking deadly opioids including fentanyl in the U.S. The bill, introduced in April, passed in the Senate in July but has not cleared the House.

If the bill becomes law it will enhance current drug laws to more efficiently disrupt illicit opioid supply chains, punish those facilitating fentanyl trafficking and ensure sanctions are imposed on the money laundering that makes it profitable.

"The House needs to finish the job, and get this bill to the president’s desk," said Brown, one of the bills two supporters, which also includes Tim Scott (R) of South Carolina.

Why did Jelly Roll visit a jail this week?

As part of an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, Jelly Roll visited the Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility Sunday where he said he "wrote hundreds of songs" while incarcerated at the Nashville-based facility.

"This is jail. It sucks. Every one I've ever been to," he told CBS Reporter Kelefa Sanneh. "There was a time in my life where I truly thought this was it. And then, coming here after being nominated for two Grammys just hits different.”

During the interview he said he has been in an out of juvenile facilities and jails starting as early as age 14.

In his 20s, Jelly Roll was arrested and served time for felony aggravated robbery and possession with intent to sell.

Since his skyrocket into stardom, Jelly Roll has made public efforts to deter others - including incarcerated and underserved youth from making the same bad decisions he did.

In November 2022, he donated roughly $250,000 to finance the construction of a recording studio within the Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center; in Nashville, where he himself spent time as early as age 14.

And while previously on tour, the country rapper visited jails across the nation to spread "a little love and hope" to inmates.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.