Many people have been touched by the music of Jelly Roll. It’s not hard to understand why, because his songs are so full of emotion and they touch the heart because they deal with things that are close to many of us.
Despite the fact that Jelly Roll has climbed to fame and riches, he never forgot his humble beginnings. Last June, we saw a glimpse of this when a fan was given a gift beyond belief.
It happened on June 17, 2024, when the singer was putting on a free event in Nashville. It was part of The River’s River On The Rooftop concert series, and he was headlining.
There were other singers who were singing that day as well, including Jessie Murph and Haven Madison. Jessie even joined him on stage for a performance of the collaboration they had in 2023, ‘Wild Ones.’
There was also a fan in the audience, 18-year-old Joy Gadella, and she had a question for the singer. Her family had come to live in the United States from Egypt and they were pursuing the American dream.
As a result, she finished high school with a 3.8 GPA, despite the fact that she was bullied in the seventh grade. She was able to get her education completed online and she was inspired by Jelly Roll and the accomplishments he had seen on his own.
Joy was enrolled at Belmont University to be a criminal justice lawyer but there was something wrong. She couldn’t afford to pursue her education.
She said: “I was crying, I was stressing, I took a moment to breath and pray, and I knew that everything was going to be okay. I knew God was going to take care of everything.”
When she found herself in line with her cousin waiting for five hours to see Jelly Roll at that free concert, it was well worth it. She had been looking after her grandmother in the hospital for a month, and she needed a little bit of time to unwind.
Joy made her way through the crowd and was only a few feet away from the singer. She decided she would hold up her phone with the words on the screen: “Please pay my tuition.”
Jelly Roll finished his first song, Save Me, and he saw her. He then acknowledged the message and 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.”
After the show, his team did contact Joy but the details are not clear at this time. When he saw her from the stage, he didn’t know about her or her story or how she was sober for seven months. All of that played a role in how she was standing in front of him that day.
This is not the first time that the singer reached out to help others. He has always been known for his philanthropy.
Good for him that he is trying to do something for the benefit of others.
