The Philadelphia-based wedding and party band Jellyroll has formally dropped their trademark lawsuit against Jelly Roll, the country superstar.
According to a July 9 court document obtained by People, Jellyroll frontman Kurt Titchenell said his group was withdrawing their lawsuit filing. Originally, they filed paperwork asking Jelly to stop using his stage name on the grounds that it was too similar to a band name they’d been using for decades.
“The dispute with Jason Bradley DeFord, a.k.a. Jelly Roll, has been resolved, and the legal action has been withdrawn,” Titchenell’s new statement reads in part. “We look forward to our continued use of the name, Jellyroll Band, in connection with our party band business.”
Original court documents state that the Philadelphia-based band has been using the Jellyroll moniker since “at least 1980,” and stated that their ability to advertise their band online has been negatively affected by Jelly Roll the country singer’s rise to fame.
“Prior to the Defendant’s recent rise in notoriety, a search of the name Jellyroll on most search engines, and particularly Google, returned references to the Plaintiff,” the filing explained, adding that now, those same searches yield “18-20 references [to Jelly Roll] before any reference to Plaintiff’s entertainment dance band known as Jellyroll® can be found.”
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According to previous legal filings, lawyers for Jelly responded to initial cease and desist correspondence, saying they wanted to “discuss” the situation and questioning whether the two acts were really in competition with each other.
But the Jellyroll Band’s lawyers insisted they were — specifically, since Jelly Roll’s upcoming Beautifully Broken Tour includes a stop in Philadelphia, which is the party band’s home turf.
However, the new statement dropping the lawsuit didn’t show much involvement from Jelly’s team. It wasn’t signed by the singer’s attorneys, nor did it indicate that a settlement was reached.
Where Does Jelly Roll’s Name Come From?
Carena Liptak is an Associate Editor and staff writer at Taste of Country. She specializes in breaking country music news, interviews and lists. In particular, she’s got a soft spot for sad songs — check out her roundup of the 50 Saddest Country Songs of All Time!