Jelly Roll Wows Crowd By Promising To Pay Fan’s College Tuition Mid Show

Jelly Roll has done it again!

The do-gooding country star’s latest act of philanthropy took place during a show in Nashville last month. Jelly Roll (born Jason DeFord) was one song into a free concert at the Skydeck on Broadway on June 17 when he spotted a young woman in the crowd holding up a sign on her phone that read: “please pay my tuition.”

"We're gonna talk about what college you go to, what your GPA is, and if all of that checks out, we will help you get through school," he promised her from the stage. “We’re going to give you the opportunity to change your life…”

"'Cause I tell you what, I didn't have to pay for my college, so I didn't go," Jelly Roll added with a laugh. 

The lucky fan, who was later identified as 18-year-old Joy Gadalla, told WKRN that she and her cousin waited in line for about five hours to see Jelly Roll. She told the local outlet that it was a “much-needed” outing after spending the last month looking after her grandmother in the hospital. 

Gadalla, a first-generation Egyptian immigrant who grew up in Antioch, Tennessee, said she moved to online school after being bullied in seventh grade, but she graduated with a 3.8 GPA. She told WKRN that she has also been sober for almost two years, and that Jelly Roll played a role in her journey to sobriety.  

Jelly Roll’s story of overcoming addiction and incarceration inspired Gadalla to do more with her life. In fact, she enrolled at Belmont University just days before the show. However, the reality of how much it would cost started to sink in the night before.

“I was crying, I was stressing, I took a moment to breathe and pray, and I knew that everything was going to be okay,” Gadalla recalled to WKRN. “I knew God was going to take care of everything.”

She said that making the sign was a last-minute decision. Gadalla didn’t expect Jelly Roll to see it, let alone pledge to pay her tuition.

“I was just in shock, in incredible shock,” she said.  

Jelly Roll’s management has reportedly been in touch with Gadalla, who said that any amount helps.