WATCH: Jelly Roll Makes ‘Tonight Show’ Debut With Electrifying Performance Of ‘Halfway To Hell’
“What a wild ride.. Jimmy Fallon and Jelly,” the genre-bending star shared following the show.
Jelly Roll; Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC
Jelly Roll made his debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday evening with an energy-filled performance of “Halfway To Hell.”
The Tennessee native’s Tonight Show appearance was something he was “so fired up” about and marked another milestone moment of his wildly successful year.
“Halfway To Hell”
For his performance, Jelly Roll delivered the television debut of “Halfway To Hell,” which is the opening track off his debut country record, Whitsitt Chapel.
The song was written by Jelly Roll (Jason DeFord) alongside Jesse Frasure, Matt Jenkins, and Jessie Jo Dillon and finds him crooning over finding balance in his life between Heaven and Hell.
“Halfway to Heaven or halfway to Hell/ My angels and demons at war with myself/ One foot in the fire and I still can’t tell/ Am I halfway to Heaven/ Halfway to Heaven or Hell,” he sang from the famous NYC studio.
Fans may have noticed that Jelly Roll subtly gave a nod to his son, Noah, on the show as he sported a shirt with “Noah” name tag on the lapel.
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Following his performance, Jelly Roll shared his disbelief over having the opportunity to bring his music to the popular late-night show.
“Things I started to believe would never happen have been happening. What a wild ride.. Jimmy Fallon and Jelly,” he shared on X alongside a photo of him and the talk show host.
“What A Wild Ride”
The genre-bending star made his way to the Big Apple in the midst of his sold-out Backroad Baptism Tour, which runs through October 14. In fact, he performed on The Tonight Show and flew directly to his concert in Charleston, West Virginia that same evening.
Performed A Concert In West Virginia After The Tonight Show
Some NYC traffic delayed his concert a bit, but according to social media, Jelly Roll made it on stage by 9:50 and went on to deliver a full concert for the capacity crowd.
“Charleston WV – we are on the way be patient – should be there soon,” he wrote on social media.
Jelly Roll’s Tonight Show performance comes as his latest single, “Save Me,” featuring Lainey Wilson continues to climb the charts at country radio. The buzzed-about track is already in the Top 20 and shows no signs of slowing down.
“Save Me” officially impacted country radio on September 5 and earned a whopping 60 first-week adds on stations around the country.
Five CMA Awards Nominations
After taking home four trophies at last week’s People’s Choice Country Awards, Jelly Roll is heading into the upcoming 2023 CMA Awards with five nominations as a first-time nominee.
Jelly Roll landed nops in the following categories: Single Of The Year (“NEED A FAVOR”), Male Vocalist Of The Year, Musical Event Of The Year (“Save Me” with Lainey Wilson) and Music Video Of The Year (“NEED A FAVOR”).
With his five nods, Jelly Roll joins Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Maren Morris, Willie Nelson and Gretchen Wilson who also received five nods in a first appearance on the Final Ballot.
According to the Country Music Association (CMA), the record for most nominations in a debut year is six, with Glen Campbell, Kacey Musgraves, Brad Paisley and Lainey Wilson holding the current record.
Upon hearing the news of his nominations, Jelly Roll took to social media to share his reaction with fans.
“Unreal”
“It is known as Country Music’s biggest night. It literally doesn’t get any bigger than this and I have 5 nominations,” the “Need a Favor” singer began. “I couldn’t control myself when I got the news .. everything about this is unreal.”
Jelly Roll went on to admit that no matter what happens during the upcoming CMA Awards broadcast, the nominations alone are a win in his eyes.
“The truth is being nominated is already a win for me. Just being recognized by my peers and by the industry for the work we put in is amazing, especially for my people, this is a win for all the underdogs and forgotten,” he wrote. “These are the moments I hope my people are the most proud of, that I have taken our message to the masses without compromise and have been embraced.”
In closing, Jelly Roll added, “Thank you to CMA’s. This is magical and you can bet the farm that my wife and I will show up dressed to impress yet trashy as ever – see y’all November 8th.”
Fans can tune into the 2023 CMA Awards in November to see if Jelly Roll will take home the trophies. Co-hosted by country superstar Luke Bryan and National Football League Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, the 57th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville on Wednesday, November 8 at 8/7c on ABC.
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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