Jelly Roll Explains Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Friendship

Jelly Roll was the surprise guest at Nissan Stadium in Nashville during CMA Fest on Friday night (6/9). Before he took the stage to surprise a crowd of 60,00 plus fans worldwide, he chatted with us backstage.

Jelly told us about his friendship with Dwayne Johnson, who posted on Instagram last week to his 383 million followers to go out and buy his buddy's new album, Whitsett Chapel. Jelly said, "It's weird people I've become friends with; it's so cool. Dwayne Johnson reached out to me, I'm gonna say probably 2016 or 2017, and he just said, 'Hey, I just want you to know I love the music. It really helped me through a tough time in my life.' And from then to now, every major or minor thing that's happened in my life Dwayne Johnson has been the first person to send me a message."

Jelly elaborated, "Whether it was my daughter's birthday or her graduating 8th grade when I got the Grand Ole Opry, man, that dude sent me probably twenty video messages. He was like, 'I am so happy for you,' because he knew what it meant to me. He's just been a champion for me that shows his support in any way he always can. But when he posted the album, it blew my mind. We just sent each other messages two or three days before that; he didn't mention it."

Jelly adds that being such a good and supportive friend is just how Dwayne does things. He said, "It was just who he is as a person, man. Also, the Rock has got Nashville roots. For those of you that don't know, he spent some time at McGavock High School, which is where all my family went. So we have all these cool correlations. He really understands country music, and he's got a crazy story of how one of his first guitars was one of Willie Nelson's guitars, and it's crazy, man, it's cool."

Jelly Roll won three awards at this year's (4/2) CMT Music Awards. The one-time rapper recently scored his first country music chart-topper "Son of A Sinner." Born and raised in Antoich (right outside of Nashville), Jelly Roll has won the hearts of his fellow country stars and the heart of country music fans worldwide.

He made his first on the CMT Music Awards performance, joined by a full gospel choir, with his song "Need A Favor." That was followed by an enthusiastic standing ovation by the whole house.

Jelly Roll's awards came before his new album, Whitsitt Chapel, was released on June 2. Titled after the church the Antioch native grew up attending, the debut full-length Country project on BMG/Stoney Creek Records features 13 tracks.

Before his current time in country music, Jelly was known as a Southern Hip Hop artist. Beginning in 2010, he collaborated with Lil Wyte, Struggle Jennings, Yelawolf, Tech N9ne, and Ryan Upchurch. His 2010 collaboration "Pop Another Pill" with Memphis rapper Lil Wyte reached over 6.3 million YouTube views and started his career.

A record label executive in Nashville told me they were looking for the Post Malone of country music and found that in Jelly. His real name is Jason DeFord, and his Jelly Roll nickname comes from his mother, who called him Jelly Roll when he was a young, as he said, a "chubby" kid.

As Jelly's star continues to rise, we take a look at his last few years in the national spotlight.