Jelly Roll is getting his first passport stamp. After barnstorming across the continental U.S. for the past two years, the “Save Me” singer announced his first-ever international shows on Tuesday morning (June 18). The gigs will include a July 8th show at the Meridian Center in St. Catharines, Ontario benefitting the Heather Winterstein Foundation, followed by a July 9 show at Ottawa’s Bluesfest, where he’ll join a lineup that includes Carly Rae Jepsen, Charley Crockett, Future Islands, Killer Mike, Maroon 5 and Mt. Joy, among others.
“The Heather Winterstein Foundation and the family of Heather Winterstein are grateful that Jelly Roll is honouring us with his very first Canadian concert on our behalf,” read a statement from Foundation executive director Jennifer Dockstader. “His dedication to raising awareness, sharing his story of healing, and supporting substance use disorder treatments are a beacon of hope for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike across Turtle Island. His message brings the struggles of our loved ones into the open and helps us celebrate the healing journeys of our relatives in our community, offering opportunities for equity and reconciliation.”
Jelly Roll, 39, who has earned three No. 1 hits at Canadian radio to date, will visit Canada for the first time to play the benefit for the foundation dedicated to providing indigenous youth support for mental health and addictions, as well as scholarships to pursue careers in health care. Tickets for the show will be available during a presale starting at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday (June 20), with the general onsale beginning at 10 a.m. ET here.
“When the opportunity to bring in Jelly Roll surfaced, we jumped on it,” Ottawa Bluesfest executive and artistic director Mark Monahan said in a statement. “He has an amazing story, and he’s a great performer.” The visit from the country star is such a big deal that the festival will begin a day earlier to accommodate Jelly, who will perform on the RBC Stage; tickets for the July 9 gig will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Wednesday (June 19) here.
Prior to Tuesday’s announcement of the two Canadian gigs, Jelly Roll had not booked any dates in Canada — or overseas — due to visa restrictions tied to arrests and convictions earlier in his life.
“It’s funny, America has finally agreed to let me leave and give me a passport, but some countries won’t let me come because of my felonies,” Jelly told Jon Bon Jovi in an interview earlier this month. “We’re working on that. I think it’s going to work in my favor.” On Howard Stern‘s SiriusXM show last week after the host asked if Jelly’s past misdeeds are keeping him from using that passport, the singer said, “I actually got off the phone with a lawyer yesterday, We are working… it’s getting good, it’s starting to look promising. It didn’t look good even just six months ago, but it’s starting to look really promising.”
Jelly Roll has been open about his past brushes with the law and his jail time, including dozens of stints behind bars on drug charges going back to when he was 14, as well as an arrest at 16 for aggravated robbery that landed him a year in prison when he was tried as an adult; he faced a potential 20-year sentence in that case, though he served just over a year behind bars and seven years of probation. He’s also talked about the regrets he had about the time in 2008 when, at 23, he was locked up on drug dealing charges while his daughter Bailee was born.
Among the repercussions of his youthful indiscretions were, until recently, an inability to secure a passport and to book shows outside of the U.S. due to legal restrictions on travel by former felons.