Jelly Roll took a gamble with his fan base – and John Rich said the country star knew exactly what was at stake.
Rich warned that the “Save Me” singer’s candid political comments could cost him a significant portion of the audience that helped fuel his rise to stardom. Jelly Roll faced backlash after appearing on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and speaking candidly about his political views, sparking a heated reaction among some country music fans.
During an appearance on “The Benny Show,” Rich said country music fans have long been drawn to artists who come across as authentic and willing to tell the truth.
He distinguished between singers who follow industry trends and artists who stand by what they believe, regardless of what is popular at the time.
Pointing to country legends such as Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, Rich said truth-telling has always carried significant weight with the genre’s audience.
Rich said Jelly Roll has built much of his public story around redemption and the second chances he received in America after spending time behind bars.
He suggested the singer’s recent decision to speak candidly about his political views was significant because Jelly Roll knows his country music audience and likely understood the reaction his comments could provoke.
“He knows how this works, OK? He knows who the audience is,” the country music singer claimed. “And so I have to think he really believes every single word he said, or he wouldn’t have said it.”
“Because you know when you make statements that are that hardcore and to a large extent counteractive to the presentation you’ve been making – you do understand in country music that half or more of your audience may disown you,” Rich added.
“They may turn their back on you. They may stop listening to you. They may turn you off. But you make the statement anyway.”
Rich compared Jelly Roll’s situation to his own career, saying he knowingly spoke out about his political beliefs despite expecting backlash from what he described as a predominantly liberal music industry. He said those decisions ultimately cost him country radio support, a record deal and invitations to award shows.
“Jelly Roll knew the same thing concerning his audience,” Rich said. “Yet, he did it anyway. So to me, what that says is this guy is really who he says he is… what you saw him saying and how he presented himself on Jimmy Kimmel, that’s Jelly Roll. That’s who he is.”
“And I think what you’re seeing from the backlash is people didn’t know that’s who he really is and that’s how he really thinks,” the singer continued.
Jelly Roll clarified his political stance while filling in for Kimmel and making some jokes about President Donald Trump.
“It is funny that, before this week, everybody thought I was MAGA. And now they think I’m some sort of liberal snowflake,” Jelly Roll said. “Hosting Jimmy Kimmel’s show doesn’t mean I have all of Jimmy Kimmel’s politics. Sure, I lean left on some things, but like most folks, I’m pretty down the middle.”
“I am a Christian. I am a country music singer. I’m a farmer. I’m a bow hunter. And most of the things I eat, I prefer to get with a stick and a string,” he added. “That’s the truth.”
Rich suggested the backlash stemmed less from Jelly Roll’s beliefs than from fans feeling blindsided by them.
“He should have been talking that way from the very beginning, and he probably wouldn’t have this problem,” Rich said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Jelly Roll’s representative for comment.
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