Jelly Roll Honors School Shooting Survivors by Singing with Kids at the Opry in a Moving Tribute

Jelly Roll Delivers a Heartwarming Surprise at the Opry with School Kids Performance

Jelly Roll gave fans a truly touching moment during his performance at the Grand Ole Opry on Thursday, June 5, by inviting a group of elementary school children to join him on stage for an unforgettable rendition of his song “I Am Not Okay.”

The special evening at the Opry, part of CMA Fest’s kickoff in Nashville, featured a stacked lineup of artists, but Jelly Roll’s surprise stole the show. After delivering crowd favorites and a powerful duet of “Hard Fought Hallelujah” with Brandon Lake, he introduced the real stars of the night—a group of students from Ruby Major Elementary School.

Before the kids took the stage, Jelly Roll explained their significance. He had first learned about the children when they performed “I Am Not Okay” for students at Antioch High School, a community recently shaken by a school shooting. Deeply moved, Jelly Roll said he knew he had to find a way to sing with them—and the Opry was the perfect place to make that dream real.

As the children stepped into the spotlight, Jelly Roll greeted each of them with a high five and beamed with pride. Together, they launched into the emotional anthem, which has become a mental health touchstone since its release last year as the lead single from Beautifully Broken. The song has since topped the Country Airplay chart, gone Platinum, and even earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song.

In the final moments of the performance, Jelly Roll stepped back, giving the kids center stage to sing the closing lines solo—an act of pure generosity and love.

The performance was a beautiful reminder of music’s power to heal, unite, and lift others up. Jelly Roll didn’t just perform at the Opry—he gave a group of young kids a memory that will last a lifetime.

@theeasttexaspickers Jelly Roll brings special guests from Ruby Major Elementary to perform “I Am Not Okay” at Grand Ole Opry. #sourcingandsightseeing #theeasttexaspickers #grandoleopry #jellyroll #fyp ♬ original sound – theeasttexaspickers