Jelly Roll Turns His Tennessee Land into a Sanctuary for Healing and Redemption
On the same Tennessee soil where he once hit rock bottom, Jelly Roll is now building something extraordinary — a refuge for recovery, reflection, and rebirth.
Before he was a country superstar with a voice that could crack open hearts, Jelly Roll — born Jason DeFord in Antioch, Tennessee — lived a life of chaos, addiction, and survival. He was arrested for the first time at just fourteen and would go on to be jailed around forty times, mostly for drug-related and violent offenses.
He has never hidden those years — the drug use, the dealing, the despair. “I had to learn you could drink without doing cocaine,” he once said, half laughing, half haunted. “For a long time, I just assumed… we only drank to do cocaine.”
Behind bars, everything changed. He became a father while still serving time — the moment that forced him to see beyond his own destruction. Music, once an escape, became a lifeline. “Writing songs gave me hope,” he told American Songwriter. “Hope I didn’t think I’d ever deserve.”
Fast forward to 2025, and that same man who once hustled on the streets is now a Grammy-nominated artist, a sold-out performer, and a voice for those still lost in the dark. But fame isn’t where his redemption ends. It’s where his next mission begins.
“The Field of Grace” — A Farm for Recovery
In a deeply emotional interview, Jelly Roll revealed his new project: a recovery and mental wellness sanctuary called The Field of Grace, to be built on his own property in Tennessee — the same land that once carried memories of his darkest days.
“I believe in the healing power of music,” he said. “But I want to do more than sing about it — I want to help people live through it.”
His vision for The Field of Grace is bold and deeply personal. The facility will feature:
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Therapy and mental-health services led by certified professionals
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Creative recovery programs, including a recording studio where residents can write, sing, and tell their stories
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Community support groups and partnerships with local charities and healthcare organizations
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A safe, stigma-free refuge for those fighting addiction, grief, and hopelessness
“This land changed my life,” Jelly Roll said quietly. “Now it’s time it changes someone else’s.”
From Pain to Purpose
The idea came during a quiet evening on his farm — over 500 acres of rolling Tennessee fields he purchased with his wife, Bunnie Xo. Once a symbol of success, that land began to feel like an unfinished story.
“It’s not about charity,” he explained. “It’s about atonement — about giving back to the ones who never made it out.”
Jelly Roll often talks about the ghosts that shaped him — friends who overdosed, faces he’ll never forget. “You don’t forget the people you left behind,” he said. “You just try to make sure their stories weren’t for nothing.”
Faith, Family, and the Fight for Second Chances
Throughout his transformation, Bunnie Xo has been his anchor — a constant source of grace and grit. And then there are his fans, millions who see their own battles reflected in his songs like “Save Me” and “Need a Favor.”
“Sometimes,” Jelly Roll said, “you don’t need a therapist first — you just need a microphone.”
His faith in second chances is the heartbeat of The Field of Grace. He’s living proof that redemption isn’t just a word — it’s a practice.
Fans Call It His True Legacy
When Jelly Roll shared his plans publicly, the internet exploded. Hashtags like #FieldOfGrace and #JellyRollHeals began trending as fans flooded social media with praise.
“He’s doing what most artists only sing about,” one fan wrote. Another added, “He’s proof that no matter how lost you are, you can still come home.”
Even industry peers — quietly but unanimously — called the project “his real legacy.”
A Mission, Not a Headline
Though the story could easily dominate entertainment news, Jelly Roll insists this isn’t about fame. He’s funding the center himself, partnering with addiction counselors, mental-health professionals, and former inmates who now work in recovery.
“If one kid doesn’t pick up a needle because of this,” he said, “then every brick is worth it.”
“You can’t teach compassion,” he added. “But you can live it.”
From Bars to Bridges
There’s poetry in it — a man who once sat behind prison bars now building a place with open doors.
“I built a career on pain,” Jelly Roll said. “Now I’m building a place where pain doesn’t get the last word.”
For his fans, this is more than a comeback. It’s proof that the hardest stories can still have soft endings. That grace isn’t found in perfection, but in the act of giving others a chance to heal.
And on that Tennessee land where Jelly Roll once fell apart, a field of grace is rising — brick by brick, song by song, life by life.