The singer wrote the song that tells the story of his desperate “cry for help.” And to see it perform with Clarkson’s powerhouse vocals must have been something else!

Keep reading to learn more.

Known for blurring the lines between rap, country, and rock, Jelly Roll, 40, stripped things back on “Save Me,” his 2020 hit song that offers fans a haunting ballad about addiction, pain, and redemption.

When he was only 14, the Tennessee-born singer – whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord – was “dabbling in marijuana and trouble,” leading him to federal prison where over the next decade, he served several sentences for charges including felonies. He was even incarcerated when his daughter Bailee was born in 2008, according to Grammy News.

“Early on in my songwriting I chose connection and honesty,” Jelly Roll told Billboard of his heartfelt lyrics that share his journey of redemption. “I didn’t feel that it had to be songs that only seemed like everything was fine, especially when the songs that helped me…were songs that you felt someone was speaking to you from an honest space about something you were going through. That’s where you find connection.”

‘Save Me’

Speaking with the magazine about “Save Me” – one of the most emotionally charged tracks of his career – Jelly said that he “was in the thick of it” when he and producer David Ray wrote the song during the pandemic lockdowns.

“I knew the lifestyle I was living at that moment wasn’t one that could be sustained. I needed to make changes in my life, and it was my personal cry for help,” the “Son of a Sinner” singer shared of the chart-topping song.

In 2023, the father of two released a duet version with Lainey Wilson, and in 2024, rap and country collided when Eminem sampled the ballad in “Somebody Save Me,” featuring vocals from Jelly Roll.

The lyrics hit hard: “Somebody save me, me from myself…I’m a lost cause…I’m so damaged beyond repair.”

‘I cried watching it’

And in 2024, when Kelly Clarkson sang “Save Me,” it was one of the most memorable Kellyoke performances to date.

With a raspy edge in her voice and a fire in her eyes, Clarkson belted out the intense lyrics. From the very first line, you could feel the desperation, the sorrow, and the need for grace that’s laced through every syllable of the original.

She didn’t just cover the song; she honored it and for Jelly Roll, that meant everything.

The same day the Grammy-winning singer performed the track on the stage of the Kelly Clarkson Show, Jelly Roll shared a heartfelt social media post, expressing that her cover of his song was humbling.

“I would’ve never believed you if you would’ve told me that I’d write a song so impactful that incredible Kelly Clarkson would deem it worthy to cover. Thank you Kelly – wow – I’m honored in a way I can’t even described – I cried watching it,” he tweeted on February 15, 2024.

‘You made it’

Clarkson’s performance struck a deep chord with viewers across the country and social media lit up.

“Awesome cover Kelly C!!! And such a beautiful, humble and heartfelt post Jelly Roll!! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again you deserve all the good things!!” writes one fan in the comment section of Jelly Roll’s post.

A second writes, “Omg yes. When I heard this, I thought, ‘you know you made it when Kelly covers you.’ You made it.”

“Although I love me some Kelly Clarkson, Jelly Roll touches my soul with his voice to this song,” a third shares.

‘Saved my life’

Others gushed over Jelly, reminding him of the people he saved with his painful confession in the song.

“[Love] Kelly but YOU are the reason that song has touched so many lives…It’s YOU, Jelly, that makes this song reach down inside of [people’s] souls,” writes one fan.

A second tweets, “I know you hear this all the time…but that one single song literally saved my life. In more than one way. So, I thank you man. You yourself saved ME.”

Another adds, “If you don’t think that your music isn’t inspirational, inspiring, or incredible you are mistaken bud. I hope that you keep doing what you’re doing because you’ve helped me out of some dark places, and I know I’m not the only one you’ve done this for.”

In his interview with Billboard, Jelly Roll explained how “Save Me” helped him through recovery: “Seeing how the song impacted the lives of so many people almost immediately, it helped me find the strength to make the lifestyle changes I needed to make. ‘Save Me’ truly changed my life in more ways than one.”

Jelly Roll’s tearful reaction to Kelly Clarkson’s cover of “Save Me” was not a moment of weakness – it was a moment of power. It was music at its most real, a reminder that even the most broken souls can find healing through song.