Jelly Roll was locked up in Nashville's juvenile detention center as a teenager. He got through it with only a radio and headphones. Years later, he headlined a show at Bridgestone Arena. He used the proceeds to build a real recording studio inside that same facility. He called the launch Redemption Songs. Kids locked up there now write and record in the room that once held him.
Jelly Roll Built a Studio in the Place That Held Him
Walk through Nashville's juvenile detention center today and one room looks nothing like the rest of the building. It has soundproofing, a mixing board, and a set of microphones. It is a working recording studio, built inside the same facility where the man who paid for it was once locked up as a teenager.
A Radio and a Pair of Headphones
Jelly Roll, born Jason DeFord in Antioch, Tennessee, spent much of his teenage years and twenties cycling in and out of the legal system. He has said the years inside were some of the hardest of his life, and that music was the one thing that never let him down.
"When I was incarcerated, I had a set of headphones and a little radio," he said. That was often his only escape.
The Show That Paid For It
By December 2023, Jelly Roll was headlining Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, the same city where he had once been held as a kid.
Rather than keep all the proceeds, he set aside a portion of the money from that show to fund a project inside Nashville's juvenile detention center: a real, working recording studio for the kids currently held there.
Redemption Songs
The studio launched in April 2024 at an event called Redemption Songs, hosted by the Beat of Life Organization. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell and Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway both attended, alongside fellow Nashville artist ERNEST, who performed at the event.
Thirty five professional songwriters, including Jeffrey Steele, signed on to keep working with the kids using the new space.
The Room That Once Held Him
MusicRow described the studio as "a lasting resource for aspiring musicians to create in the very place Jelly Roll was once housed."
The goal isn't a one-time visit. It's an ongoing outlet, in the same hallways where Jelly Roll once had nothing but a radio and a pair of headphones to get him through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Jelly Roll build a recording studio?
How did Jelly Roll pay for the studio?
What was the launch event for the studio called?
Was Jelly Roll actually held at that detention center?
Who else was involved in launching the studio?
Verified Fact
Verified Jul 31, 2026 · 2 sources checked
Source: MusicRowShow verification details
Claims checked
- Jelly Roll was once housed in Nashville's juvenile detention center
- He funded a recording studio inside that facility with proceeds from his Bridgestone Arena headlining show
- Studio launch was named Redemption Songs, held in April 2024 (specific day corrected from April 19)
- Event included Mayor O'Connell, Judge Calloway, and performer ERNEST
Sources: MusicRow, ET Online
