Jelly Roll will keep its concerts in the United States for now, at least until some legal obstacles are overcome.
The country singer, whose real name is Jason DeFord, told Jon Bon Jovi for Interview magazine that while he is “very excited” to travel internationally, his team needs to put together the “final pieces of some legal puzzles in order to travel to the foreign”.
DeFord has been open about his felony convictions, one of which was for aggravated robbery after using a gun to steal marijuana at age 16.
The 39-year-old was optimistic that he would one day take his live performances to international audiences, although the timeline for that is still unclear.
“The United States finally agreed to let me leave and give me a passport, but some countries won't let me come because of my serious crimes,” he continued. “We are working on that. “I think it’s going to work in my favor.”
Bon Jovi later weighed in on the matter, criticizing the “archaic rules” that prevented DeFord from traveling. But the musician seemed grateful that the opportunity might one day exist.
“For the record, I'm a kid from Antioch, Tennessee, whose father never left the Southeast until he was 50,” DeFord said.
In an interview with The Times last year, DeFord detailed his teenage years and youth in Antioch, a suburb of Nashville. He said he spent a lot of time behind bars on robbery and drug-related charges.
Although he is not a “political guy,” in part because he cannot vote due to his felonies, DeFord said he has “a personal thing with the government.”
“I don't appreciate the way they treat people like me,” he said, “especially after we have proven that we have been rehabilitated and become contributing citizens. I gave back millions of dollars to the Nashville community.”
In January, DeFord advocated for an anti-fentanyl bill before Congress, telling lawmakers that the government needed to take more steps to help those struggling with addiction as well as prevent fatal overdoses.
