How an AA Meeting Inspired Country Star’s Latest Single
By Movieguide® Contributor
Country star Jelly Roll says an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting inspired a track from his upcoming album, titled “Winning Streak.”
During an interview with the New York Times, Jelly Roll was asked about the story behind the song, which “basically describes going to an AA meeting,” as well as if he struggled with addiction.
The country singer shared that “Winning Streak” was written “from the perspective of a story I’d seen happen for real” at an AA meeting, adding that he attends meetings “for my demons.”
“I still will have a cocktail every now and then…but I got away from the drugs that I knew were gonna kill me,” Jelly Roll said. “Something I do [for] maintaining my relationship with those drugs is I will still attend the meetings, even though I’m not a textbook sober guy — but I never share, I just quietly sit and appreciate the message and the meaning.”
He continued, “This is the first time I’ve talked about this publicly at all. I don’t tell people I go to meetings. It’s not a part of my story that I share because I have so much respect for the men and women in that program that get actually completely sober, that I never want my stuff to get in the way of them.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Jelly Roll’s efforts to help others struggling with drug addiction:
Country star Jelly Roll is one of the many voices calling on lawmakers to take action in the fentanyl crisis.
“At every concert I perform, I witness the heartbreaking impact of fentanyl,” the artist said during a Senate hearing about the FEND Off Fentanyl Act. “I see fans grappling with this tragedy in the form of music…that they seek solace in music and hope that their experiences won’t befall others.”
Jelly Roll continued, “These are the people I’m here to speak for, y’all. These people crave reassurance that their elected officials actually care more about human life than they do about ideology and partisanship.”
The singer shared that he has attended many funerals for people who have been affected by the drug — “good people, not just drug addicts. Uncles, friends, cousins, normal people, some people that just got in a car wreck and started taking a pain pill to manage it. One thing led to the other and how fast it spirals out of control — I don’t think people truly, truly understand.”
He then called on the Senate to pass the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, saying, “I stand here as a regular member of society. I am a stupid songwriter, y’all, but I have firsthand witnessed this in a way most people have not. I encourage y’all to not only pass this bill, but I encourage you to bring it up where it matters — at the kitchen table.”
In an interview with Billboard earlier this year, Jelly Roll said he makes “real music for real people with real problems.”
“That struggle is something that a lot of my music touches on,” he continued. “It’s something I am honest about with my own life and something that’s for anyone who is going through that.”
Jelly Roll also recently celebrated a major career milestone — his track, “Get By,” has been chosen as the College GameDay anthem for the 2024-25 season.
“Lifelong dream to have a theme song — this is huge,” Jelly Roll shared. “Big college football fan. I grew up in the South and I’m sure you know this: It goes Jesus, college football, Lynyrd Skynyrd, you know what I’m sayin’? In that order.”
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