Jelly Roll: Key Facts About His Three Half-Siblings

Jelly Roll, born in 1984, is the only child of Buddy and Donna DeFord. His father, Buddy, had three other children from previous relationships. While growing up in Antioch, Tennessee, Jelly was not raised alongside these half-siblings, who are significantly older than him. A childhood photo posted by Jelly on Instagram in 2020 shows him with Roger and Scott, looking at least a decade his seniors. Despite the age gap, Jelly has maintained a strong bond with his brothers. In the Instagram post, he expressed how close he remains with Roger and Scott, which is evident from various family photos, including a 2019 vacation where they shared tequila on the beach.

Family ties are incredibly important to Jelly Roll. He shared his thoughts on this via Facebook in 2021 after his entire family attended one of his shows. He emphasized how pivotal family is in his life, frequently seen with his daughter, wife, nieces, brothers, cousins, and other relatives. A testament to this was another beach vacation in 2020, where most of the family gathered in Hilton Head, South Carolina, to honor their father Buddy on Father’s Day, following his death. Roger and Scott were there with their spouses, Amy and Laura, respectively, along with their children. However, his half-sister Shelby was absent from this gathering.

Source: Various Sources