If you didn’t have Jon Bon Jovi and Jelly Roll on your team-up bingo card this year, you’re not alone.
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The two singer-songwriters first met in 2024 at the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala, where Jelly Roll was performing. After this meeting, they collaborated on a new version of “Living Proof” for Bon Jovi’s album Forever, which came out earlier this year.
Since their meeting, the “Livin’ On A Prayer” singer and Jelly Roll have developed a friendship. Bon Jovi praised the “I Am Not Okay” singer during an episode of Joel Madden’s Artist Friendly podcast.
Jon Bon Jovi Talked About Jelly Roll’s Weight Loss
When speaking with Madden last month, Bon Jovi said he “can’t get enough” of Jelly Roll.
“He’s an inspiration,” he said. “You know, I mean, what he’s done physically is one thing and that’s okay, wonderful, God bless him for it.”
Much ink has been spilled about the “Save Me” singer’s dramatic weight loss. He has dropped over 200 pounds over the last couple of years, and Jelly Roll started wondering if he might need some plastic surgery when all is said and done.
“We’re trying to see if a facelift might be in order,” he said recently.
Bon Jovi Also Talked About Jelly Roll’s Songwriting Skills
Jelly Roll has faced plenty of challenges in his life. Despite his past legal troubles, he found an outlet in music. Bon Jovi admires how Jelly Roll overcame his struggles and used them in his songwriting.
He said, “He was late getting to the starting gate, really, but when he got there, all that life experience came with him, so he had something to say.”
He continued, “You know, and then really early on, I realized how smart he was and how worldly he was. Not just the troubled side, but the music business side. And then his voice, he felt the emotion, he knew what he was going to sing about.”
Jelly Roll took his commitment to helping others to another level when he recently announced that when he performs at the Grand Ole Opry between now and September 2026, a portion of every ticket sold will go to the Judge Dinkins Educational Center.
The non-profit was co-founded by General Sessions Court Judge Jim Todd, the former prosecutor who put Jelly Roll in jail. It helps at-risk minors get the training they need to finish high school and earn a trade certification.
You can check out a clip of Bon Jovi’s appearance on Artist Friendly below.
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