Jelly Roll Stops His Nashville Show, Hears a Fan’s Story, and Without Hesitation, Offers to Pay Their College Tuition Because He Never Forgets Where He Came From.

Country hitmaker Jelly Roll proved once again that he hasn’t forgotten where he came from, showing his kind heart during a free concert in Nashville last June. On Monday night, June 17, 2024, Jelly Roll headlined 107.5 The River’s River On The Rooftop concert series at Skydeck on Broadway, alongside Haven Madison and Jessie Murph. The trio performed together, with Jessie Murph joining Jelly Roll onstage for their 2023 collaboration “Wild Ones.”

However, the real surprise came when Jelly Roll’s generosity left the crowd stunned. In the audience was 18-year-old Joy Gadalla, a fan whose life had been deeply impacted by Jelly Roll’s story. Gadalla and her family had moved from Egypt to the U.S. in pursuit of the American dream, and despite facing bullying since seventh grade, Gadalla graduated high school with a 3.8 GPA. After hearing Jelly Roll’s story of overcoming struggles, she was inspired to pursue a career as a criminal justice lawyer at Belmont University. The only obstacle? She couldn’t afford tuition.

“I was crying, I was stressing, I took a moment to breathe and pray, and I knew that everything was going to be okay,” Gadalla shared. “I knew God was going to take care of everything.”

That night, after spending five hours in line with her cousin to see Jelly Roll, Gadalla decided to take a leap of faith. She held up her phone with the message: “Please pay my tuition.” After his first song, Jelly Roll saw the sign and made a moment that would change Gadalla’s life forever. “I’m going to give you the opportunity to change your life right here on this date,” Jelly Roll told her. He then promised to have someone from his team reach out to discuss her college details, including her GPA, and if everything checked out, he would help pay for her education.

After the show, Jelly Roll’s team contacted Gadalla, although the official details are still being finalized. What Jelly Roll didn’t know was that Gadalla had been a year and seven months into her sobriety, a journey where his music had played a significant role. All Jelly Roll knew was that she needed help, and he understood that feeling well, having faced the same struggles and not being able to afford college himself.

This is not the first time Jelly Roll has demonstrated his philanthropic spirit. In 2022, he partnered with local mentoring non-profit Impact Youth Outreach, and in a viral TikTok video, he gave a young fan $1,000 at a Whataburger drive-thru, encouraging the fan to share it with their coworkers.

For Joy Gadalla, the encounter with Jelly Roll was nothing short of a miracle. With Jelly Roll’s support, she’s now one step closer to her dream of becoming a criminal justice lawyer and making a difference in the world.

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