Jelly Roll Praised For Extremely Charitable Thanksgiving Decision

Thanksgiving is meant to be a time of reflection and gratitude, as well as helping the less fortunate. Singer Jelly Roll made sure he spent his holiday doing all of that.

On Thursday, the "Save Me" performer visited Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility in Nashville to serve Thanksgiving dinner to incarcerated people and prison staffers who were unable to be with their families. The generous showing had added meaning to Jelly Roll, who knows from personal experience what the inmates are going through.

Jelly Roll understands prisoners' plight

Jelly Roll, who turns 41 this week, spent a decade in an out of federal prison, even learning he became a father while behind bars in 2008. The Antioch, Tennessee native, whose real name is Jason DeFord, even served time at Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility, the same place he visited on Thanksgiving.

It was during one of his prison stints that Jelly Roll began writing music, he explained during a parole board hearing earlier this year.

"It started as a passion project that felt therapeutic and would end up changing my life in ways that I never dreamed imaginable and opened doors that I’ve never thought possible,” the "I Am Not Okay" singer said, via Biography.

Unselfish gesture draws attention, praise

While there's no indication Jelly Roll did this for any publicity, he couldn't help but earn some positive feedback from Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall, who shared video of the award-winning artist during his visit to the detention center.

"During this season, I'd like to give thanks for giving Jelly Roll. Last night, he provided a holiday meal to 300 inmates and staff on the same site where he was once incarcerated," Hall wrote in the caption of the Facebook post.

The law enforcement official also included photos of the visit in a separate post.

"Moments like this show the impact one person can make when they choose to lift others up," Hall added in the caption for that content. "Thank you Jelly Roll for turning your past into purpose."

Jelly Roll also helps the homeless

In addition to his trip to Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility, Jelly Roll also made it to the Nashville Rescue Mission for the organization's Great Thanksgiving Day Banquet.

The Nashville Rescue Mission is a center whose mission is helping anyone who is "hungry, hurting, and experiencing homelessness" and has been in service for more than 70 years.

“Any day is a good day to serve. I want to bring my boys here, and I wanted to pour into the graduates from this program, which is why we’re here. But, the Nashville community, nothing in the world means more to me,” Jelly Roll told WKRN. “I can now say that I’m an artist who has traveled the world. There’s no place like home. This is the city that made me who I am and gave me my spirit for giving.”