Their friendship goes back nearly a decade.
Jelly Roll is in hot demand, and it shows. And with an upcoming appearance at CMA Fest in Nashville, Tennessee, you can bet the country star's been flooded with requests. One person he'll surely cover? None other than Dwayne Johnson.
While dishing some golf knowledge at Topgolf, the 38-year-old singer spoke to ET's Kevin Frazier and Rachel Smith about the strong bond he's developed with Johnson over the years. Jelly Roll, born Jason DeFord, says the requests for tickets to CMA Fest have been coming in droves, including from The Rock.
"Yes, he is, dude. Listen, he's been my friend forever," Jelly Roll says.
As the singer tells it, Johnson's been a fan of Jelly Roll's for quite some time now, well before the accolades and fame came pouring in.
"I'm not making this up. The Rock was listening to Jelly Roll music when Spotify numbers said only 30,000 people were listening to Jelly Roll," the musician tells ET. "He's really been with me from the beginning. I don't share what that story is, but he has a story that the music was there for him at a moment when he needed it. And that was awesome to hear from him. This is ... seven, eight years ago even and we've kept in touch. He was the first person to congratulate me on my Grand Ole Opry debut; first person to congratulate [me], and when I played at the [Nashville staple] Ryman [Auditorium]. The first DM I got when I announced [the historic] Bridgestone [Arena show in 2022]. I mean, these pinnacles in my career. He's always the first person in my messages."
Jelly Roll also just dropped his debut country album, Whitsitt Chapel, and the singer says it was Johnson who once again had his back when it came time to promote it, sharing it to his more than 383 million followers on Instagram.
"He not only posted it, he posted the album cover," Jelly Roll shares. "The second biggest Instagram on Earth. Yeah."
Jelly Roll, who is set to appear at CMA Fest for a live taping of the Country Heat Weekly podcast on Amazon Music, has now set his sights on Hollywood, and he also wants to see Johnson join him onstage, too.
"Hey, I told him I'm gonna lose some weight and get my acting chops together," Jelly Roll says. "I want him to sing a song with me at the Grand Ole Opry and I want to do a movie with him, even if I'm an extra like when I'm just in the background. DJ, I'm coming, baby! You know I got your back, baby! I love you!"
Jelly Roll's lived a textured life -- from addiction and life in the streets as a thief to time behind bars -- and it's not something he's shied away from. He buries his emotions in his music. And now fans can get a better perspective in the new documentary Jelly Roll: Save Me, streaming now on Hulu.
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