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Jelly Roll reveals he broke collarbone days before 2026 Grammys
The musician credits fans for his success, saying their belief made his Grammy moment possible
Jelly Roll opened up about a secret injury that nearly derailed his Grammy moment.
The 41-year-old singer, whose real name is Jason DeFord, revealed on Instagram on Sunday, March 1, that he broke his collarbone in an ATV accident shortly before the 2026 Grammy Awards but kept it under wraps while attending the ceremony.
“Y’all just took this thing out for the first time since I flipped it,” Jelly Roll said, walking viewers through the repaired ATV in a video. “I broke my collarbone. I was so scared to get back on this thing. I just knew if I didn’t get back on it sooner than later, I was just going to be more and more afraid of it.”
He shared photos of the X-ray, the damaged ATV, and a snap of himself on stage at the Grammys, where he celebrated his wins.
“Every time I hugged somebody that week, I wanted to scream. I just didn’t say it, but every time somebody squeezed me, dude, I thought I was gonna cry,” he added.
Jelly Roll, who attended the Grammys with his wife Bunnie Xo on Feb. 1, took home three awards: Best Contemporary Country Album for Beautifully Broken, Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song with Brandon Lake for “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” and Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Shaboozey for “Amen.”
Reflecting on the accident, Jelly Roll joked, “Sometimes the machine can do more than the user thinks it can. This was all user error. Anyways, moral of the story, get back on that pony, baby. Love y’all.” He captioned the Instagram post, “I’ve been keeping a secret from y’all….”
Recovery from a collarbone injury can take up to 12 weeks, according to the Cleveland Clinic, making his Grammy appearances all the more remarkable.