How Jelly Roll Wound Up In A Lawsuit Over His Stage Name
Note: The article mentions substance abuse issues.
You may think you know everything about the country singer Jelly Roll, but did you know his nickname and stage name once got him sued? Born Jason Bradley DeFord, Jelly Roll notably faced years of legal troubles before his music career took off, but for a very different reason than his stage name. He was reportedly jailed approximately 40 times, with his first arrest being when he was 14 years old. Jelly Roll had a tragic real-life story involving selling drugs and drug addiction, but things have changed completely since then. He has come a long way from selling drugs and providing a free mixtape to go with them, like he told CBS News about in January 2024.
A new kind of legal trouble followed Jelly Roll into fame. It was announced in April 2024 that another musical act, the Jellyroll Band, sued the singer Jelly Roll for trademark infringement. According to 6ABC, the group is a wedding band from Pennsylvania that has been using that name for years. They felt that the nearly identical names were causing a problem for them and their business.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
What was the motivation of the lawsuit?
When Kurt Titchenell, head of the Pennsylvania-based Jellyroll Band, sued the country singer Jelly Roll, one of the complaints was how the country singer was making it harder for clients to find information about their group when searching the name online. Per Billboard, the filing also stated that Titchenell started using the name in 1980. The Jellyroll Band applied for the trademark in 2010, according to Rolling Stone. Jelly Roll wasn't born until 1984, and Billboard reported that he first used the name in conjunction with his music career in 2003. However, Jelly Roll has gone by that name since childhood. He got the sweet moniker from his mother, Donna DeFord.
"Well, it started with my mother," Jelly Roll said at 2023's CMA Fest while talking to StageRightSecrets. "So I was a chunky little kid who loved doughnuts and every Sunday after church I'd get one. She called me her little Jelly Roll." The name persisted throughout his school years and never went away, becoming the name by which everyone knew him.
The similar names caused difficulties for the Jellyroll Band, claiming there was "confusion in the marketplace" (via Rolling Stone). Titchenell decided to sue Jelly Roll when he sent a cease-and-desist order but heard nothing back, according to Billboard.
The suit against Jelly Roll was dropped
Despite perhaps not being as famous as Jelly Roll the individual, the Jellyroll Band once performed for a United States president at a special event. According to a 2010 interview with Main Line Today, Kurt Titchenell said, "I mean, how lucky are we? We did an event at the Greenville Country Club [in Delaware], and one of the Bush twins was there with some friends. She loved Jellyroll, and a week later, we were invited to a meeting at the White House." The group performed at the Congressional Ball in 2007 for former President George W. Bush and at the high school reunion of former first lady Laura Bush in 2008.
In July 2024, the lawsuit was permanently dropped. In Titchenell's statement shared on the Jellyroll Band website, he said, "The dispute with Jason Bradley DeFord, a.k.a. Jelly Roll, has been resolved, and the legal action has been withdrawn. We look forward to our continued use of the name, Jellyroll Band, in connection with our party band business." Maybe in the same vein as Charli XCX and Lorde collaborating for the "girl, so confusing" remix after rumors of a rift between the two, Jelly Roll and the Jellyroll Band need to "work it out on the remix" and put out a song together.