Singer Jelly Roll has had a shady past, having spent about 40 times behind bars for drug charges. However, he said it was his daughter’s birth in 2008 that forced him to rethink his life, comparing the moment to Paul’s Damascus Road encounter in the Bible. For the 39-year-old, whose birth name is Jason DeFord, arrests started when he was just 14 years old. His struggles ran deep, with drug use plaguing his life.

He told People Magazine, “I had to learn that you could drink alcohol without doing cocaine. It took me a long time to learn that. I’ve never said that, but that’s real.” Addressing the severity of his issues, he added, “There was a long time where I just assumed, when people told me they drank without doing cocaine, I was like, I thought we only drank to do cocaine.” The artist said he was in jail for crack cocaine when his daughter, Bailee, was born.

That moment seemed to have a profound impact on Jelly Roll, who compared it to the “Christian Scripture of when Saul turned into Paul on the Damascus Road.” A few decades later, Jelly Roll is on top of the musical world, producing hit songs and nabbing Grammy nominations, as reported by People Magazine. His album “Whitsitt Chapel,” which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard all-genre chart in June, is a collection of pop-rock anthems with flourishes of country, and it spawned a pair of hits — the introspective “Need a Favor” and the new version of his viral breakout “Save Me,” featuring Lainey Wilson.

He is nominated for two 2024 Grammys at next month’s ceremony: Best New Artist and Best Country Group/Duo Performance. At 39, with many mixtapes under his belt, Jelly Roll isn’t a traditional new artist nominee, but his creative rebirth and move from underground circles to the mainstream spotlight makes him eligible by Grammy guidelines. His competition includes budding pop, rap, dance, R&B and country acts: Gracie Abrams, Fred again.., Ice Spice, Coco Jones, Noah Kahan, Victoria Monét, the War and Treaty.

Despite his success, the singer hasn’t forgotten his past, and he said he likes to give back to those in need. When People Magazine reached out to him for an interview, he was on his way to play music at a prison, and he said he visits rehab and juvenile centers to encourage those struggling. He told the outlet, “I always said that if I ever got in this situation, I would do everything I could to give back. The fact that just me showing up places can make people happy is such a gift, and I feel like, if God gave me that gift, I should show up.”

Jelly Roll’s relationship with faith is complex, as he indicated in an interview with Grammy.com last summer. Speaking about redemption, he praised the concept, spoke about how he views God and the church and reflected on Bailee’s baptism. He said, “And then you start thinking about redemption. Outside of religion, the idea of being able to be redeemed is just a great idea. The idea that who we were is not who we are is so powerful.”

Jelly Roll still has his struggles but is continuing to avoid hard drugs. Pray for him for resilience, true faith, and peace as his fame increases.