Jelly Roll Once Played a Show at This West Michigan ‘Dive Bar’
Long before Jelly Roll was filling arenas, he earned his stripes performing in dive bars across the country. One of those dive bars he cut his teeth on is in West Michigan.
Jelly Roll: Long Road to Stardom
Jason Bradley DeFord, better known by his stage name Jelly Roll, named after the classic treat pictured above, launched his music career in 2003. Since then, he has risen to become one of the country’s most prominent artists, making his mark as a rapper, singer, songwriter, and occasional professional wrestler.
Before Jelly Roll’s music career took off, he spent much of his youth caught in a 10-year cycle of arrests, starting at age 14. During that time, he faced multiple charges and felonies, including possession with intent to distribute and aggravated robbery. Amidst it all, he earned his GED in prison at age 23.
Jelly Roll has been on the road for 23 years, but it wasn't until around 2020 that he moved into mainstream fame. Like most artists do, in his early days he was performing at dive bars, county fairs and VFW halls trying to build a following.
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One of those early dive bars Jelly Roll performed in is located in West Michigan.
Small Stage, Big Energy: Jelly Roll Live in Michigan Dive Bar
Papa Pete's has been a staple in downtown Kalamazoo since 1991 and its doors have been open to the public for live entertainment. You can find this legendary speakeasy-style dive bar at 502 S. Burdick Street in the back of the neighboring Blue Dolphin restaurant.
The photo above shows Jelly Roll performing at Papa Pete’s on April 16, 2014, taken from a post he shared on his Facebook page. If you were there, you were among the lucky few to witness a rising star before he exploded onto the music scene as we know him today.
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
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