Jelly Roll visited Apalachee High School to bring hope and healing after tragedy
On September 4, a school shooting at Apalachee High School devastated the community of Winder, Georgia. The 14-year-old gunman fatally shot four people, including two teachers and two students, and wounded nine more.
Last weekend, Jelly Roll was in the Atlanta area while on the road for his Beautifully Broken tour. The rapper-turned-country star regularly makes it a priority to visit those who are struggling. Having a troubled past himself, Jelly Roll knows the therapeutic power that music has to bring healing.
The “Save Me” singer recalled the importance of fitting the visit into his busy tour schedule. He said:
“I don’t care what it takes. I’ve got to go down there and I’ve got to meet these people that have been coming together and doing this and changing the world and Georgia.”
Jelly Roll performed a private concert on Saturday, October 26th, at Jug Taven Park in Winder, just a few miles away from Apalachee High School. He addressed the audience:
“I want you to know that for the last month, I have watched one of the strongest communities I have ever seen rally together.”
@safevillain Thank you Jelly Roll for taking time out of your busy schedule to bring some joy to the students and staff of Apalachee High School. This private concert was a blessing to these kids. Thank you 🤗 #apalacheehighschool #barrowstrong #cheenation #cheestrong #apalachee #ahs #apalacheeschoolshooting #jellyroll #jellyrollofficial #jellyrollconcert ♬ 10 Minutes of Silence – Silenzio
The school shooting victims were personally honored during the private concert
During the show, Jelly Roll paused from singing to honor the names of the four individuals lost at Apalachee High School. He named each victim personally, emphasizing that the names Mason Schermerhorn, Christian Angulo, Richard Aspinwall, and Cristina Irimie would never be forgotten.
The Tennessee native applauded the crowd for their humanity and encouraged them:
“I have so much love and respect for y’all. I am simply a man with a microphone, y’all are f***ing heroes!”
He continued:
“I believe that music can heal. I believe that music is medicine. I believe that in some of the darkest moments of our lives music can stand there with us and be the friend that we didn’t know we had.”
Watch Jelly Roll’s impassioned speech followed by a performance of “I Am Not Okay” in the video below!