Jelly Roll stopped his concert on the Backroad Baptism Tour at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, September 1, to call attention to a Vietnam Veteran in the sold-out crowd and gift the retired soldier lifetime tickets to his concerts.
Luckily, a fan captured the touching moment on video and shared it on TikTok. In the clip, the genre-bending superstar was in the midst of his headlining performance in Sin City when he spotted a concertgoer wearing a Vietnam Veteran hat in the crowd and halted production of the concert to graciously thank the former military member for serving our country.
Watch The Unforgettable Moment Below
“This gentleman right here has a Vietnam Veteran hat on, and he has been standing right here and rocking with me all night long,” the 38-year-old singer/songwriter said, addressing the capacity crowd.
As the video continued, Jelly Roll showcased gratitude for the Veteran as the crowd shared their support with a roaring applause.
Captured by TikTok user Yambiibambii, the clip then goes on to show the production team putting all the cameras in the massive arena on the Veteran, who is seen saluting the “NEED A FAVOR” singer. He then surprised him with the gift of a lifetime: free tickets to his concerts forever.
“I just want to tell you how much I appreciate you and your service. I hope you enjoyed the hell out of tonight,” Jelly Roll continued. “I’ll tell you this, you’ll never buy another ticket to my show. I’m going to get my people with you. You are welcome forever. Thank you.”
Shares A Unique Bond With His Fans
Jelly Roll has always shared a unique connection with his fans and strives to help them whenever possible. Whether that be with his music or when they are in need at one of his concerts.
During a recent show at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, Jelly Roll noticed a former elementary school classmate in the crowd and offered her a full backstage experience.
“I love you girl,” he told his former classmate during the Missouri concert. “I’ll see you after the show, we’ll make sure we get you and your mama backstage.”
On the Backroad Baptism Tour, he has also halted his concert to help a fan in need of medical assistance as well as break up a fight in the crowd.
“Save Me” Dominating Country Radio
The news comes after quite an eventful week. This week the hitmaker’s latest single “Save Me” featuring Lainey Wilson made a major impact at Country Radio upon its release on September 5. The song earned a whopping 60 first-week adds on stations around the country. “Save Me,” which received over 91 historic adds, earned the title of most-added at country radio this week.
Jelly Roll recently opened up about reimagining the tune with Lainey Wilson and how she gives the song a whole new life. “I didn’t realize how much of an impact the song was going to have on me when I heard it from the perspective of a woman,” Jelly Roll admitted. “Lainey’s like a sister. I think she’s got one of the best voices in country music, and we’re already friends so it was just such an easy collab.
New Album, WHITSITT CHAPEL
The new reimagined version of “Save Me” featuring Lainey Wilson appears on Jelly Roll’s latest album, WHITSITT CHAPEL, which arrived on June 2, 2023. The tune was originally recorded as a solo song on Jelly Roll’s 2020 album, Self Medicated.
WHITSITT CHAPEL, named after the church the Antioch native grew up attending, features 13 tracks, including his chart-topping hit “NEED A FAVOR,” “SHE,” and more.
“This album is about growth and gratitude happening in my life. I wanted to create a project that felt hopeful. I believe the worst feeling a person can have is feeling hopeless or worthless. This is therapeutic music. Real music for real people with real problems,” Jelly Roll previously shared in a statement.
The project debuted at No.2 on the Billboard Country Album Chart and in the Top 3 on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart with 90,000 album equivalents.
Backroad Baptism Tour
Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason Deford, is currently in the midst of his highly-successful Backroad Baptism Tour, which kicked off on Friday, July 28, and runs through Saturday, October 14, where the trek will wrap up in Tampa, Florida at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre.
Ashley McBryde, Caitlynne Curtis, Chase Rice, Elle King, Merkules, Struggle Jennings, Three 6 Mafia, Yelawolf appear as special guests on select dates of the nearly sold-out tour.
CMA Awards Nominations
Additionally, Jelly Roll recently joined the ranks of Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash and more as he landed five nominations at the 2023 CMA Awards as a first-time nominee.
Following behind his “Save Me” duet partner Lainey Wilson who leads CMA Awards nominees, the genre-bending star earned five nominations, including Single Of The Year (“NEED A FAVOR”), Male Vocalist Of The Year, Musical Event Of The Year (“Save Me” with Lainey Wilson) and Music Video Of The Year (“NEED A FAVOR”).
“5 CMA nominations . I can’t believe it , like literally,” he initially wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, before further elaborating on Instagram.
For more information about Jelly Roll and his upcoming tour dates, visit his official website HERE.