West
Jelly Roll performs at Oregon prison that allows live music for first time in 20 years
Jelly Roll just wants to “spread love.”
The country star and former inmate took his music to the yard this week, crooning for convicts housed at the maximum security Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem.
The Grammy-nominated star’s set list at the show in the prison’s yard fittingly included Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” which he personalized to “Oregon State Prison.”
“For the first time in 20 f—— years they have brought music to the prison yard,” Jelly Roll told the prisoners gathered around his impromptu stage.
JELLY ROLL SHARES CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER THAT HAD HIM ‘LOSING HIS MIND’
Jelly Roll performed at Oregon State Penitentiary Monday. (Jelly Roll/Instagram)
“Just trying to spread love,” the “Save Me” singer wrote in the caption for an Instagram video.
He told them, “I wrote my first song behind the walls. It never feels better than to come back behind the wall and sing a song for y’all.”
“If you love drawing, if you love writing, if you love poetry, if you love listening to music, playing the guitar, I just pray that you put that passion into it and live it as much as you possibly can,” he added.
The 39-year-old said friend and famous bowhunter Cam Hanes had encouraged the singer to visit the prison after he made a trip there himself.
Jelly Roll shared photos of himself posing with prisoners. (Jelly Roll/Instagram)
“I was as excited as he was about it, after we chatted for a minute he told me that he had an idea that maybe I could come with him next time and sing songs,” Jelly Roll wrote of Monday’s visit. “I told him right then we was going to make it happen.
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“It felt so good bringing a little light to such a dark place. I am a firm believer that if we commit crimes we should do our time and be held accountable for our actions, but I also believe that every human deserves love no matter how bad of a decision they have made.”
Jelly Roll signing autographs at Oregon State Penitentiary. (Jelly Roll/Instagram)
Hanes was with Jelly Roll during the show.
“What a show. Amazing. These guys enjoyed the show so much,” Hanes said.
Jelly Roll added, “It felt good to go love on these guys. I remember being in a dark place and no one ever coming through and showing us any hope of changing the path of our lives, if one inmate was inspired to do better by my presence yesterday it was worth my weight in gold to stop by and sing.”
He called his visit “chicken soup for the soul,” thanking the prison staff for allowing him to perform.
In his Instagram video, Jelly Roll noted that he had visited prisons before, “but this motherf—– is different.”
“I’m sure I speak for Cam and myself when I say we came into that Penitentiary hoping to bless people and left feeling blessed,” he wrote on Instagram.
Jelly Roll’s set list included Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” which he personalized to “Oregon State Prison.” (Jelly Roll/Instagram)
Jelly Roll stayed around after his show to talk to inmates and sign autographs on the tickets the prison handed out for the concert.
“He was great,” one inmate who met the singer said. Another inmate said after hearing “Save Me” on the radio for the first time, “I got clean that day.”
The singer knows what it’s like. He was arrested dozens of times as a teenager while dealing drugs and first went to jail at 14. Aside from dealing drugs, his charges also included shoplifting and aggravated robbery.
He was charged as an adult at 16 for a robbery that involved a gun.
“I never want to overlook the fact that it was a heinous crime,” he told Billboard last year. “This is a grown man looking back at a 16-year-old kid that made the worst decision that he could have made in life, and people could have got hurt and, by the grace of God, thankfully, nobody did.”
“I wouldn’t be the man I am today if it wasn’t for what I went through,” Jelly Roll told Fox News Digital last year. “I think it empowered me. I think it gave me my voice. It taught me a lot about overcoming. It taught me a lot about changing and the ability to change.
“I was a horrible human for decades, and to just be able to turn that around and give a message in the music and help people … and just try to give back as much as I can in every way I can is very indicative of where I came from and how important it is to me to always reach back.”
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Coffee, croissants and classical music brought office workers, residents and visitors together at One Sansome as the free monthly Baroque & Brew series transformed a weekday morning into a community gathering in downtown San Francisco.
The event, held inside the Conservatory at One Sansome, featured live performances by Philharmonia Baroque and invited attendees to enjoy music in the landmark building’s 8,100-square-foot atrium.
Guests were free to sit or stand while listening, with many nearby office workers stopping in during an early lunch break.
The monthly series is scheduled to return in August and September and aims to bring together downtown workers and neighbors through music and shared public space.
“It’s a beautiful opportunity to have coffee, to be in community, and do what our city is known for—the art, the culture—and to share it with each other,” attendee Roger Joyner said. “It’s a beautiful summertime moment.”
Joyner said events like Baroque & Brew reflect the character of the city.
“I think that’s what San Francisco is meant to be…a city that offers culture and the beauty of art to the world. And we that live here get to enjoy it,” he said.
Organizers said the performances are intended to make live classical music more accessible while contributing to ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown San Francisco.
“It’s just a really nice way for us to get the music out of the concert hall to the people downtown, trying to reactivate Downtown San Francisco and show what a welcoming place we can be as a city,” said Isaac Bunch, general manager of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale.
For Joyner, the event also offered a chance to pause amid the pace of daily life.
“We get to take a break. We are hustle and bustle, doing what we do to make the city work, and then we get refreshed by it,” he said. “I think it’s great — it brings it right into the middle of our hub.”
The gathering highlighted how music, conversation and public spaces can bring people together as downtown San Francisco continues its recovery.
Denver, CO
One tree at a time: Denver nonprofit works to close shade gap as heat dome threatens neighborhoods
DENVER — Some Denver neighborhoods are far more vulnerable to this weekend’s incoming heat dome than others — and the difference comes down to trees.
The Valverde neighborhood on the city’s west side has about 9% canopy cover, leaving residents with little shade as temperatures climb toward triple digits.
▶️ WATCH: Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio learns more about The Park People and how it is helping neighborhoods in Denver.
One tree at a time: Denver nonprofit works to close shade gap as heat dome threatens neighborhoods
Kim Yuan-Farrell, executive director of The Park People, a nonprofit that plants trees in underserved neighborhoods, said the disparity across Denver is stark.
“We have some neighborhoods that have wonderful canopy cover, like 20 to 30% of those neighborhoods are forested. Then a number of our neighborhoods have really low canopy cover, between four or 8% where it’s just significantly less,” Yuan-Farrell said.
Denver7
The Park People identified 28 neighborhoods in need of more tree cover, including Westwood, Globeville and Northeast Park Hill.
Trees can cool an area by 15 to 20 degrees, making a significant difference.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned the heat dome could last through next weekend.
“The exceptional thing about this is how long it will last,” said NWS meteorologist Russell Danielson. “If you do have trees to take shelter under, it does actually cool down the temperature a decent amount.”
Yuan-Farrell said trees are more than a comfort — they are a critical piece of urban infrastructure.
Denver7
“We really consider it a really essential element of green infrastructure, a real nature-based solution to a lot of these really serious local environmental problems,” Yuan-Farrell said.
In the map below, explore Denver’s libraries and rec centers that welcome the public in from the heat during business hours.
When asked whether Denver has a long road ahead, she did not hesitate.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us,” Yuan-Farrell said. “And we really need our whole community to get involved in that.”
The Park People plant anywhere from 1,200 to 2,000 trees a year. You can apply for one in your yard. Planting is set to begin in September.
Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Claire Lavezzorio
Denver7’s Claire Lavezzorio covers topics that have an impact across Colorado. If you’d like to get in touch with Claire, fill out the form below to send her an email.
(QUICK LINKS: Music lineups … vendor list … food and drink … Kids Zone info)
6:04 PM: At West Seattle Summer Fest, the crowd has grown steadily, especially now that the workday is over. Main-stage music continues – here’s the second band of the day, Chico Detour:
That’s their song “Crying at My Party.” As main-stage music continues, The Big Dark Corner is just getting going at California/Alaska by KeyBank, a new space this year – programmed by West Seattle’s The Big Dark Records. And you have a wide variety of choices for dinner and drinks – The Porch in the lot behind KeyBank, stands on that side of SW Alaska, some vendors on newly pedestrian-only SW Oregon, the beverage garden by the main stage ..
… and of course all the year-round local venues, many with outdoor cafés. Coordinators say it’s gone smoothly so far. Updates to come!
6:25 PM: That’s Leonard Jarvey and The Sock Monkeys, opening the night at The Big Dark Corner. Still to come there tonight – Sad Dad Autumn at 7, Across 35th at 7:30. Meantime, over in the Kids Zone, the foam party’s back this year:
7:39 PM: A bit of Zookraught and their dance-punk sound on the main stage:
And Across 35th has a throng at The Big Dark Corner – video:
8:20 PM: Vendors are wrapping up for the day, since the festival’s official end time – not counting music – was 8 pm. Here at the Info Booth, most everything’s rolled up too, except our table, and we’re packing up shortly (after one more band – added, here’s that video of Blackie:)
The night wraps up with Alien Crime Syndicate at 10 pm.
ADDED 11:45 PM: Thanks to WSB contributor Jason Grotelueschen for clips from the night’s last two main-stage bands – Caitlin & Brent with the Passenger String Quartet:
And Alien Crime Syndicate:
P.S. Thanks to the many kind people who stopped by our table to say hi – we’ll be back tomorrow, starting at 10 am.
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One tree at a time: Denver nonprofit works to close shade gap as heat dome threatens neighborhoods
