When it comes to lessons about life, apparently Jelly Roll is the one to go to, and Marcus King has a hilarious story to prove it.
Marcus King and Jelly Roll’s Friendship
Aside from being two of the most recognized artists in the industry, the duo developed a friendship rooted in their experiences with troubled pasts, and the redemption that followed.
In a recent interview, King shared via Whiskey Riff the advice that Jelly Roll gave him: “You’ve got to be funny, you know. If you’re gonna be ugly, you got to be funny. That’s a rule of thumb.”
He added, “That’s like Jelly Roll always says, ‘You can’t be fat and smell bad.’ You got to pick one. You can be fat and smell good. Um, but he’s not fat anymore. Jelly Roll looks great. Jelly looks great. It’s insane… Veggie Roll, that’s what his crew is calling him.”
On Meeting His Wife
Another thing that Jelly Roll and King have in common is that they both have powerful women in their lives who have helped them turn their lives around. King’s wife, Briley Hussey, who was the inspiration for his song “Carolina Honey,” was not timid in setting ground rules with the “Honky Tonk Hell” singer at the start of their relationship.
Marcus King, The Marcus King Band – Carolina Honey (Official Lyric Video)
King shared (via PEOPLE), “She gave me a nice smooch the first night we met. She couldn’t resist my charms all the way.” But before he would get any idea to take things further, Hussey stopped him: “She was like, ‘Hell no, I don’t know where the hell that thing’s been.’ She’s like, ‘You need to go get checked out,’” something King didn’t mind doing.
“I went and I got checked out, and I was like, ‘You guys call me and leave me a voicemail that says all is well.’ And so they did that, and I sent her the voicemail. I was like, ‘I’m good to go.’”
The lead singer and founder of The Marcus King band also revealed how his wife’s tough love straightened him up. “I get really depressed when I’m not around her. It’s different than any relationship I’ve ever had,” King admitted. “I like somebody that’s like, ‘No, you need to get up and do some s*** for yourself.’ ‘Cause I need that kind of tough love.”
