We now know who will be joining Morgan Wallen as one of the headliners for the 12th Annual Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam next year. Jelly Roll has been announced as a headliner for one of the nights, with his performance taking place on Friday, May 31.
“Jelly Roll is absolutely exploding, and he was one of the top artists our Jammers kept raving about when we started putting our lineup together,” festival Executive Producer Rendy Lovelady said. “We can’t be more excited to have him as one of our headliners next year.”
“Jelly Roll sold out Bridgestone Arena in Nashville last year, he’s winning awards, and his music and his amazing story are connecting with fans in a huge way,” added Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam COO Mark Sheldon. “We can’t wait to have him on our stage!”
Photo Courtesy of Getty Images for CMT
Wallen was originally scheduled to headline in 2023, but had to cancel his performance due to being on six weeks of vocal rest. He was replaced at the last minute by Kenny Chesney, who had just concluded his own headlining I Go Back Tour.
“When we got the call, even though we were basically done, I thought it over, and of course we wanted to be there for the fans,” Chesney said at the time. “They’re the reason we do this – and the opportunity to step in and let even more people see how white hot and awesome these players are is awesome. Funny how life has a way of stepping in!”
For Lovelady and the rest of the Gulf Coast Jam staff, having Chesney perform in 2023, with Wallen promised as a 2024 headliner, was a win-win for everyone.
“Our Jammers love Kenny Chesney and have been asking for him to headline for years,” Lovelady said.
Lovelady announced during the opening night of the recent Gulf Coast Jam that Wallen was slated to perform in 2024 instead.
“As we said last year, Morgan Wallen is one of the most requested headliners we have ever had in the history of Gulf Coast Jam, and his star is continuing to shine even brighter,” he said at the time. “We’ve been working feverishly with Morgan and his team over the last three weeks to figure out a way to get him down here next year, and we’re happy to announce he is locked for 2024!”
The addition of Jelly Roll to the lineup comes as his career is at an all-time high. The Nashville native just released his Whitsitt Chapel album, named after his childhood church. The record came shortly after Jelly Roll had a record-breaking, No. 1 hit with “Son of a Sinner.”
“I wrote these songs for anybody that’s dealing with the duality of life … It’s always about that somewhere between being right and wrong, because I think that’s the exact place I live in,” Jelly Roll told Grammy.com. “I know my heart’s pure. I know my spirit’s right. I also know that I make really politically incorrect jokes. And party sometimes, and I’m a little silly and outrageous. But I also know that my heart is to be a man of service and to help people. So I write for those kinds of people, the struggling poet of the broken man. Always trying to be the voice for the voiceless.”
Jelly Roll’s Save Me documentary, covering his life and career, including his troubled childhood and time in prison, is streaming now on Hulu. He will embark on his headlining Backroad Baptism Tour later this month, joined by a rotating list of opening acts, including Ashley McBryde, Chase Rice, Struggle Jennings, Caitlynne Curtis, Elle King, Merkules, Three 6 Mafia, Yelawolf and Josh Adam Meyers.
Whitsitt Chapel and all of Jelly Roll’s music and upcoming shows can be found at JellyRoll615.com.
The 12th Annual Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam will be held in Panama City Beach May 30 to June 2, 2024. Two more headliners will be announced in the near future. Tickets are on sale now at GulfCoastJam.com.