‘The Voice’ Finalist Jacquie Roar Performs With Jelly Roll After Chance Encounter at Oregon State Penitentiary

Earlier this week, The Voice Season 24 finalist Jacquie Roar experienced a full circle moment when she got the chance to meet and perform alongside an artist who has served as a major influence throughout her career – Jelly Roll. 

The Voice alum was among the artists invited to perform at the Oregon State Penitentiary, singing a few songs for a group of level three inmates, who were charged with minimal crimes and have demonstrated exceptionally good behavior. In a new video shared via Instagram stories, Roar says the overall experience was “really cool” as she saw how grateful those in attendance were for the chance to hear live music. 

“It was overwhelming, to be honest, because when I got on stage, they presented me with such beautiful handmade artwork by an inmate. A couple of inmates actually had drawn pictures of me…it really was an overwhelming blessing to me to feel that appreciated and to top it all off, they also gave me a Prison Blues jacket,” she shared. 

Meeting Jelly Roll For The First Time

The songstress goes on to recount the moment that came earlier in the day when she had a special one-on-one interaction with Jelly Roll, who was also set to perform and speak with the inmates later that day. When being introduced to each other, Roar excitedly shared that Jelly Roll admitted to already knowing who she was as he saw her perform his hit, “Need a Favor,” with fellow contestant, BIAS, on Season 24 of The Voice.

“He’s like, ‘No, I know who this is. I followed you as soon as I saw you performed my song on The Voice.’ So I was like, ‘Oh my God. That’s so cool, man. Thank you so much. It was such an honor being able to sing that with BIAS and for you.’”

He then offered her some positive words of advice and invited her to join him on stage during his set after learning that she has always wanted to sing “Need A Favor” with him. 

“I said, ‘Would you mind if we did something for content for TikTok or Instagram?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, what do you want to do?’ I was like, ‘Well, I’ve always wanted to sing ‘Need A Favor’ with you. I sang it with BIAS and I’d love to sing it with you. It’s been a dream since the day I sang it on The Voice.’ He’s like, ‘Well, we don’t need to do it for content. Why don’t you get on stage with me and sing with me?’ I was like, what? I was just thinking a little snippet of it so I have content.’”

“I Really Honestly Cannot Believe He Did That”

Jelly Roll stuck to his promise and invited her up on stage at the very beginning of his set to help deliver the powerful tune. Together, they belted out the hard-hitting narrative and were both overcome with awe in hearing the other showcase their singing abilities. Roar says she could not believe that he was kind enough to give her that opportunity, especially because she has looked up to Jelly Roll’s ability to move past his difficult upbringing and establish such a successful career. 

“I really honestly cannot believe he did it. He called my name up. He knew my name. There was no hesitation. He wasn’t trying to remember it. He knew my name. And I’m fangirling right now, and I feel so stupid, but I’m going to say I’m so excited because I got to literally stand next to Jelly Roll, look into his eyes and sing his song with him, harmonize with him…it’s such an honor when you are validated by somebody that you are truly inspired by. I mean, he had a rough upbringing. I had a rough upbringing. Some traumatic things happened to me in my childhood, and he’s in the same age range as I am and he’s making it. He turned his life around. He’s not a victim, he is a survivor, and he’s been in the game for a very long time, pushing through.”

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This performance came at just the right time as it’s officially been one year since Roar showcased her talent with “Need A Favor” on The Voice. This time, she got to use her powerful vocals for “an even bigger purpose.” 

“Changing people’s lives. Giving humans the gift of music and therapy. I am so overwhelmed with joy. God is good. Jelly Roll is good too 🫶🏻🥹,” she wrote in the caption of the clip she proudly shared to Instagram. 

The “I Am Not Okay” singer also took to his own social media accounts to reflect on how special it was to get to visit the Oregon State Penitentiary and bring live music to the Prison Yard for the first time in 20 years. 

Brought Live Music To The Prison For The First Time In 20 Years

“It felt so good bringing a little light to such a dark place. I am a firm believer that if we commit crimes we should do our time and be held accountable for our actions, but I also believe that every human deserves love no matter how bad of a decision they have made. It felt good to go love on these guys. I remember being in a dark place and no one ever coming through and showing us any hope of changing the path of our lives, if one inmate was inspired to do better by my presence yesterday it was worth my weight in gold to stop by and sing,” he wrote, before thanking everyone who had a part in planning the memorable day. 

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Jacquie Roar seems to be feeling even more motivated and excited about the future of her career. She is next scheduled to bring her incredible talent to Garibaldi, OR on Sept. 7 and Nashville, TN on Sept. 24.