See Inside Jelly Roll’s Dream Come True New Year’s Eve
Jelly Roll says he will cherish this night “forever.”
Jelly Roll with daughter, Bailey Bailee Ann, and wife, Bunnie XO; Photo Courtesy Jelly Roll, Instagram
Jelly Roll had the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream on New Year’s Eve when he performed live from New York’s Times Square as part of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2024.
Shared The Memorable Moment With His Wife And Daughter
With his daughter, Bailee Ann, and wife, Bunnie XO, by his side, the newly crowned CMA New Artist of the Year took center stage in Times Square to perform a medley of his hits, including “Halfway to Hell”, “Wild Ones” (with Jessie Murph), and “Need a Favor.”
Unlike most artists, Jelly Roll chose to sing live for this performance and did not lip sync. He later explained his decision on social media, telling fans, “For sure – cause I am who I am all the time – I don’t hide behind anything. Good bad or indifferent.”
After the big show, Jelly Roll took time to reflect on what it meant to him to be a part of the iconic New Year’s Eve show.
He Grew Up Watching New Year’s Rockin’ Eve
He wrote, “I’ll try to make this short. When I was growing up Nashville was a really small town. Like 1/6 of what it is now. And even though Nashville was a party town even back then, we didn’t have a big New Year’s Eve scene when I was a kid. And my daddy would always say ‘We don’t go out and drink with the amateurs on holidays’ so we always stayed in, and back then especially, just like the rest of the world our eyes would be glued to BALL in Times Square.”
The chart-topping star went on to explain how the show has been a focal point of so many New Year’s Eve nights in his life and admitted that he is in disbelief that he had the chance to perform.
“I have literally watched dozens of Dick Clark’s Rocking New Year’s Eve. Even a few of New Years that Bunnie and I have been together we have watched this show. And both talked about how much it meant to our childhood,” he shared. “To get the call to not only be a participant in it but to also be able to bring my family was something I will cherish forever. I got to watch the Ball drop in the middle of Times Square standing next to my Daughter, Wife, Ryan Seacrest, and LL Cool J on National Television.”
Dream Come True Moments
Jelly Roll confessed that these are moments that he “never even dreamed could happen.”
In closing, he wrote, “What a beautiful night. Happy New Year Everybody. My prayer is we all act out of more love and compassion this year.”
This milestone career moment was one of many for Jelly Roll in 2023. Throughout the year, he earned three chart-topping singles, performed a sold-out headlining tour, won a CMA Award, and released his debut country album.
When looking ahead to the new year, the genre-bending artist recently made a bold prediction about the future of country music as he confidently stated, “Country music’s best day[s] are still ahead.”
“It’s going to be a big 2024. In fact, I predict country artists will bridge the gap between rock, pop, and hip-hop next year. Big crossover collabs,” he wrote in a post on Instagram.
The Tennessee native is so sure of his prediction for country music, that he even told fans to “save this comment” to look back on at a later date.
There’s no telling what the new year might have in store for country music, but chances are, Jelly Roll’s prediction won’t be too far off.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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