- Jelly Roll is the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
- Lainey Wilson was on hand to announce his induction.
- Then, the duo performed “Save Me.”
Jelly Roll is having a banner year, and it’s only March. In January, the 41-year-old singer announced his first animated role, Grizz in Steph Curry’s GOAT. In February, he took home three wins at the 68th Grammy Awards—Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Amen” with Shaboozey, Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “Hard Fought Hallelujah” with Brandon Lake, and Best Contemporary Country Album for Beautifully Broken. He also announced his 2026 tour, The Little Ass Shed Tour (a hilarious play on the tour he joined Post Malone for). As exciting as all of these career milestones are, none compares to what happened last night: Jelly Roll was officially inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
On Tuesday, March 10, Opry member Lainey Wilson welcomed Jelly to join the club. “Tonight, we are welcoming a man who has never been afraid to tell the truth about his life, and that is powerful,” Lainey said in her speech. “He turned pain into purpose, mistakes into music, and somehow managed to make millions of people feel like they were just a little less alone. And I’m so proud to know you. I’m so proud to call you my friend. Jelly Roll, because of your heart, your story, and the way that you have used your voice to lift everybody up, it is my honor to welcome you into the Grand Ole Opry Family.”
Jelly, never one to shy away from embracing his emotions, was seen welling up before accepting his Opry member trophy. “To take a convicted felon from Music City who found country music because I’m from Nashville, and you take that kid who’s been in the local juvenile and local county jail, and you bring him here and give him Grammys, awards, and platinum plaques, and then you make him a member of the most prestigious group of the Grand Ole Opry,” Jelly said in his acceptance speech. “Every word of that sounded like I’m telling you a lot about myself, but that is a story only God could be the author of. Some stories only God can write. This is truly a God story. I talk a lot more about him now because I’m getting a lot closer to him, and I recognize that. I don’t deserve this, I don’t deserve the grace God gave me, but I think that’s the best part, right? And yet he gives it all the time.”
After accepting his award, Jelly and Lainey performed a moving rendition of their duet, “Save Me.”
It wasn’t just his moment on stage that made the night memorable for Jelly, though. Before the ceremony even began, Johnny Cash’s son, John Carter Cash, privately surprised Jelly Roll backstage with a cross once worn by his father. “‘I got something of my father’s [that] I think that he would want you to wear.’ And he opened up this cross necklace that was Johnny Cash’s necklace,” Jelly revealed in a sit-down with Country Now. “He said it was his father’s favorite piece of jewelry that his father owned. And he thinks that he would want me to wear this during the induction...”
As Jelly continues to soak in the remarkable career moment, Lainey took to Instagram to further reflect on the night. “If you’ve ever met Jelly Roll, you know this—the man you see on stage is the same man backstage, the same man in the grocery store, and the same man talking to fans who needed to hear they weren’t beyond saving,” Lainey captioned a carousel of photos from the ceremony on Instagram. “It was an honor to induct my brother into the Grand Ole Opry family last night. Welcome home, [Jelly Roll].”
