CMA nominee Jelly Roll says troubled past empowered him to succeed: 'I was a horrible human for decades'

Jelly Roll has turned his life around to become one of country music's brightest stars, and is nominated for five CMA awards including new artist of the year.

"I was a horrible human for decades, and to just be able to turn that around and give a message in the music and help people … and just try to give back as much as I can in every way I can is very indicative of where I came from and how important it is to me to always reach back." Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to Tracy.Wright@fox.com.

The "Save Me" singer, whose full name is Jason Bradley DeFord, has taken country music by storm with his inviting and honest approach to storytelling. He leads the pack as the most nominated male artist at the 2023 CMA Awards with five nods, including new artist of the year.