Jelly Roll‘s Backroad Baptism Tour kicked off at the end of July, and already he is blown away by the response from his fans. The Nashville native opened up about his thoughts in an emotional and honest post on social media, sharing how thankful he is to have him, and his music, embraced by so many people.

“This tour started a few weeks ago and honestly I haven’t had much time to sit and collect my thoughts,” Jelly Roll began. “So forgive me for this long post — I wanted to share this with you— When I was young there was an Amphitheater in Antioch called ‘Starwood.’ I seen Lynyrd Skynyrd , Tool, Lollapalooza, Sheryl Crow, Weezer, the Eagles, R.E.M., No Doubt, 311 and MANY MORE at this amphitheater.

“We would go early and hang out in the parking lot with other fans while they grilled and pre-gamed — we would slide down the mud on the hill of the lawn when it would rain — we would party in the parking lot after the show while waiting for traffic to slow down,” he continued.

 

Jelly Roll had a troubled childhood, which is what led to him being incarcerated, first as a youth and then as an adult. But he does have some fond memories of his early years, especially when live music was involved.

“Some of my greatest childhood memories are on the lawn of that amphitheater,” Jelly Roll recalled. “I would’ve never dreamed back then that I would one day be headlining these same amphitheaters around America. Every night I look out in the crowd and I remember music transforming my life in those same bleachers and lawns. This tour has been nothing short of UNREAL so far.”

The 38-year-old concluded his emotional post by expressing his thankfulness to his fans for making his dreams come true, night after night, while on the road.

“I’m overwhelmed with gratitude and get emotional on stage almost every night,” he gushed. “Looking out at [tens] of THOUSANDS of people singing along and living in the moment. I get off stage every night feeling hopeful like I just left a good Sunday service on a backroad in Tennessee. I hope y’all are feeling the same when you leave the show as well. Thank y’all for making this tour what it has been so far. I do not take this for granted for a single second.”

 

Jelly Roll has had hit singles and won major awards. But to see the response to his Backroad Baptism Tour is more than he could have ever dreamed for himself. The “Son of a Sinner” singer sold more than 550,000 tickets before the tour even began, a feat he still has trouble fully absorbing.

“It’s a dream,” Jelly Roll told CMT. “That’s 550,000 stories. That’s 550,000 people that felt impacted enough by me that they not only bought a ticket, they found a babysitter, and they drove to the show. They overpaid for parking. They paid too much for drinking. People probably drove in from hours outside of these towns. That’s somebody’s wife getting ready for date night … [I saw] eight buses.  saw eight wrapped semi-trailer trucks. It just instantly becomes different.

“You’re like, ‘Oh my God,'” he added. “I’ve been talking about this in such a casual way that I may have even forgotten how mega this is.”

Jelly Roll just celebrated his second No. 1 single, with “Need A Favor.” The song is from his 2023 Whitsitt Chapel album. Jelly Roll’s Backroad Baptism Tour wraps up on October 14 in Tampa, Florida. Find all of Jelly Roll’s music and upcoming shows at JellyRoll615.com

Read ‘Jelly Roll: 11 Things to Know About the Reformed Singer’ here.