Jelly Roll Lives Nashville Farm Life Dream While Dominating Country Music

Country music sensation Jelly Roll is living his dream life on a sprawling Nashville farm, all while continuing to dominate the charts. The 40-year-old artist recently added three mini-cows—Crunch, Brownie, and S'more—to his family’s growing menagerie, alongside a donkey named Griz. His wife, Bunnie Xo, shared the heartwarming moment on social media, captioning the video, "Our lil' farm is starting."

What started as a plan for just one farm animal quickly snowballed into a full-fledged farm. Jelly Roll admitted he couldn’t resist having his own furry companion. The singer was particularly charmed by Griz, exclaiming, "I love the donkey. I can't believe he's that small!" in a video from their Nashville ranch.

The couple's 500-acre property has become the realization of a childhood dream for Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord. In a reflective Instagram post, he shared how visits to his uncle’s Tennessee farm growing up instilled in him "core traditional Southern values." He recalled asking his father why they never owned a farm, to which his dad replied with a piece of wisdom: "Son, it's probably one of the mistakes I regret the most, is that I didn't buy dirt. They're never gonna make no more of it. If you don't listen to no advice from me, buy dirt." Decades later, Jelly Roll is standing on his own land, fulfilling that advice.

The farm purchase in Nashville is deeply personal for the artist, who has had a tumultuous journey to success. After spending much of the last two years on tour, he returned to the property in October to reflect and give thanks. In an emotional video, he said, "I came here today to pray over it... and most important, I came here today to pull this phone out of my pocket and look y'all in the eye and say thank you, man. I never would have dreamed that this could have been anything about my story." He credited his fans with enabling him to break generational curses, adding, "I hope that inspires one of y'all to do the same thing."

Jelly Roll’s rise to fame has been nothing short of meteoric. After years of struggle, the "Save Me" singer finally broke into the mainstream with hits like "Son of a Sinner" and "Need a Favor" in 2022. Since then, he’s won multiple CMA Awards—including the coveted New Artist of the Year in 2023—and embarked on a headlining tour in 2024. But his success hasn’t erased his past; he frequently speaks about overcoming substance abuse and his time in prison for aggravated robbery and drug charges.

In January 2024, Jelly Roll testified before Congress about the devastating impact of fentanyl, stating, "I was a part of the problem. I am here now standing as a man that wants to be a part of [the] solution." Despite his non-political stance, his testimony was a powerful call to action, highlighting his journey from a troubled past to being an agent of change.

Reflecting on his transformation, Jelly Roll told Fox News Digital, "I think [my past] empowered me. It taught me a lot about overcoming and the ability to change. 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... it’s very indicative of where I came from."

Now, with a thriving career, a supportive family, and a dream farm, Jelly Roll is proving that redemption stories can be as inspiring as they are real. And let’s be honest—who wouldn’t want to live on a farm with animals named Crunch, Brownie, and Griz?