Jelly Roll paid tribute to rock & roll royalty on Saturday night (Oct. 19.)
During the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the hallowed hall welcomed its newest class of members, including legends like Cher, Mary J. Blige, the Dave Matthews Band and more.
One of the night’s inductees was Ozzy Osbourne. The Prince of Darkness was being inducted as a solo artist, after first joining the Hall of Fame in 2006 as the frontman of Black Sabbath.
Rock and metal legends like Billy Idol, Tool frontman Maynard Keenan and Wolfgang van Halen were all on hand to give tribute performances to Osbourne, but they weren’t the only ones. Jelly repped the country genre at the show, stepping up for a gritty performance of Osbourne’s 1991 power ballad, “Mama, I’m Coming Home.”
Though Jelly’s background is mostly in country and hip hop, he’s also got strong rock leanings: “Mama, I’m Coming Home” didn’t feel like too much of a stretch for the singer, who explores a variety of sonic stylings on his new album, Beautifully Broken.
Of course, Jelly has become something of a Prince of Darkness of country music over the years, exploring themes like addiction, abuse and overcoming personal demons in his music.
Jelly was flanked by some more rock royalty during his performance, and the Prince of Darkness himself watched from the sidelines, seated on a black throne decorated with an oversized bat as he took in the tribute performance.
- Guitarist Zakk Wylde, who co-wrote “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and played on Osbourne’s original recording, joined him onstage.
- So did longtime Osbourne producer Andrew Watt.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo — both of whom have a history of performing with Osbourne — checked in to contribute to the performance, too.
What Has Ozzy Osbourne Said About Jelly Roll?
Jelly might not be on most metalheads’ radar, but before the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Osbourne told Rolling Stone that he was thrilled by the choice of tribute performer.
“Who doesn’t love Jelly Roll?” he said at the time. “His voice is soulful, pure and dirty. I’m so honored that someone would do this for me who I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting.”
What Other Country Stars Played at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony?
Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban both took the stage during various points of Saturday night’s show, which was held in Cleveland, Ohio.
Chesney teamed up with singer-songwriter Mac McAnally for a tribute to Jimmy Buffett, who received the Musical Excellence Award posthumously at the show. Urban was among the performers honoring inductee Peter Frampton.
This year’s ceremony streamed on Disney+ and is available to watch next-day on Hulu. An induction ceremony special will air on ABC at a later date.
15 Country Artists Who Deserve to Be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
With Dolly Parton’s 2022 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — and, even more recently, Willie Nelson’s nomination for the 2023 class — it’s clearer than ever that country artists have a place in the Cleveland-based institution’s hallowed halls. But the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has always shown love to country performers, to a certain extent: Johnny Cash, Chet Akins, Brenda Lee, the Everly Brothers and Hank Williams are all past inductees.
Based on the criteria the Hall has set forth, that nominees should be acts who have had “a profound impact on youth culture,” there are still many more country artists who deserve their spot in the Hall. Flip through the gallery below to see Taste of Country’s top picks for who the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should induct next.