Although standing at the top of country music, Jelly Roll never forgot where he came from as he continuously uses his past to help shape the future. While the singer watches as his fanbase grows with each new performance, he always jumps at the chance to talk about his upbringing and how he defied the odds when turning his life around. And while once sitting in jail, Jelly Roll now entertains millions of fans all over the country. Recently, the country star paused his show to announce he would help one lucky fan make her dream come true when it came to affording college.
Holding a free show at the SkyDeck in Nashville, Tennessee resident Joy Gadalla made sure she wasn’t going to miss the concert as she waited in line for over five hours. She told WKRN how Jelly Roll helped change her life when speaking about his life surrounding drugs. Now, Gadalla is nearly two years sober and looking to embark on a new career path as a criminal justice lawyer. The only problem, she couldn’t afford the school. So she had an idea. “I took like a black picture (on my phone) and then wrote, ‘Please pay my tuition,’ and just held it up.”
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While taking the stage, Jelly Roll happened to see the sign and showing just how much he cares about his fans and helping them shape their own future, he said, “I’m going to give you the opportunity to change your life right here on this date. I’m gonna send somebody out from my team to get you. We’re gonna talk about what college you go to and what your GPA is, and if all that checks out we will help you get through school…”
[RELATED: Watch Jelly Roll Belt out His Heart and Soul to a Bob Seger Classic With the Help of MGK]
Jelly Roll Shares Reason He Didn’t Go To College
With the crowd shocked about the promise, Jelly Roll insisted, “That’s my word to you. Because I’ll tell you what, I don’t have nobody to pay for my college so I didn’t go.”
Although excited to see Jelly Roll perform, Gadalla explained how she stressed before the concert, hoping to find a way to afford college. “I was crying. I was stressing.” She continued, “I took a moment to breathe and pray and I knew that everything was going to be okay. I knew that God was going to take care of everything.”
With Jelly Roll in her corner and more than willing to help make her dreams a reality, it seems that Gadalla is one step closer to becoming a criminal justice lawyer.
(Photo by Carly Mackler/Getty Images)
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