Jelly Roll brings message of recovery, resilience to The Royal ahead of Bluesfest

Before he took to the stage at Ottawa Bluesfest, country music superstar Jelly Roll made a stop at The Royal on Tuesday to share his journey with mental health challenges and his path to wellness.

Jelly Roll met with patients and participated in a Q&A session where he talked about recovery and resilience and performed an acoustic set ahead of his performance at LeBreton Flats Tuesday night.

"I'm just here to tell you that I don't know what you're going through or what you see people going through in here, but I want you to know there is a light on the other side of it," Jelly Roll told the crowd.

"It can turn around for you in a moment. You'll never believe it, you'll never understand it. This is why when I won the award for New Artist of the Year I stood right on stage, looked right at the camera and said the windshield is bigger than the rear-view mirror for a reason because what's in front of us is more important than what's behind us."

He also performed for the crowd at the Royal, including singing his hit Need a Favor.

Jelly Roll has been open about his time in prison for crimes including aggravated robbery and his time as a drug dealer.

In January, he appeared before U.S. lawmakers encouraging them to pass legislation that would combat the supply and distribution of fentanyl.

Jelly Roll was the headliner for night five of Ottawa Bluesfest at LeBreton Flats. 

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