Jelly Roll is on top of the world, but there was a time in the country singer’s life when he was at rock bottom.

“I made a series of decisions from the age of 14 to 25 that would lead me to spending most of that time in and out of the judicial system,” Jelly Roll (real name Jason DeFord) said during a recent appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show. “Rightfully so. I was—I had a completely wrong approach to life.”

Jelly Roll spent his formative years in and out of detention centers and prison cells, serving time for a number of charges, including aggravated robbery and drug possession. His jail time and drug addiction came to a head when he missed out on one of the most important moments in his life.

“One time, while I was incarcerated—my last time, my daughter was born,” he said. “They knocked on my door and  told me I had a little girl.”

I instantly—I compare it to the Damascus Road experience, where there was no more Saul, only Paul. At that moment, I just wanted to be a father,” said the “Save Me” singer, referencing the conversion of Saul of Tarsus to Paul the Apostle from the Bible.

Once out of jail, Jelly Roll got his life back on track. He came home and focused on his music career, selling mix tapes out of the trunk of his car. “[I was] just trying to figure it out,” he said. “And God just kept blessing me, man. And I just kept working for it.”

Success came in 2022 with his breakthrough country hit, “Son of a Sinner.” It reached No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the U.S. Country Airplay Charts. Since then, his career has taken off.

“Now I’m on Jennifer Hudson. I’m with JHud,” he proudly said during the interview. “I’m doing okay.”