Tonight, March 10, Jelly Roll steps onto the Grand Ole Opry stage for his official induction. Before the big moment, he sat down with Opry host Kelly Sutton for a conversation surrounding the big night and revealed a special piece of Johnny Cash’s jewelry he’d be wearing to honor the country legend.

He shared with media that John Carter Cash, the son of the late icon, visited him backstage and personally presented him with an important piece from his father’s jewelry collection, a stunning gold cross necklace.

“He opens up a box and he goes, ‘I got something of my father’s I think that he would want you to wear.’ And he opened up this cross necklace that was Johnny Cash’s necklace. He said it was his father’s favorite piece of jewelry that his father owned. And he thinks that he would want me to wear this during the induction of his son.”

This gift meant a lot to Jelly Roll, especially since it comes from such a prominent member of country music history. He also reflected on the deep connection he’s always felt with Johnny Cash, noting their shared experiences of facing life’s struggles and the lessons he learned from the legendary singer. Having something of Cash’s to wear for such a milestone in his career was admittedly an incredibly emotional sentiment for him to try and wrap his head around.

“I lived my entire life somewhere between two middle fingers and the grace of Jesus Christ. And I learned that from Johnny Cash,” Jelly Roll shared. “This is the same guy that famously kicked the lights out on stage at the Ryman and flipped the bird to the photographer while breaking something. That’s breaking a law, by the way. He could have went to jail for that destruction of property. And this is also the same guy that I know is sitting right next to Jesus in the throne of heaven, smiling down for all the work he did for God on this planet too. So dude, I wear black because of Johnny Cash. So man, I could cry about this alone. My uncle grabbed it and almost cried.”

The country star went on to share another funny yet touching moment from his interaction with John Carter Cash: Jelly Roll discovered that he and Johnny Cash were the same height. The realization brought some laughs, but he turned it into something meaningful when he said he likes to imagine that the cross pendant on the necklace has rested close to both of their hearts.

This night is a full circle moment for Jelly Roll. He made his Grand Ole Opry debut on November 9, 2021, and has made it a priority to return to the Opry stage as much as possible ever since then. His invitation to join the historic community came last fall while appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience. During the interview, Rogan surprised him with a video message from Craig Morgan who personally welcomed him into the Opry family.

“Who would’ve ever dreamed back then that I’d be back at the Opry house today to say, Jelly Roll, you’re officially invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. It’s an honor to say, welcome to the family brother,” said Morgan.

The moment was so unexpected that Jelly Roll was clearly stunned. He immediately threw his headphones aside, buried his face in his hands and let the tears flow from his eyes as Morgan’s words sunk in.

Tonight, the “I Am Not Okay” singer will officially be inducted by his friend and duet partner, Opry member Lainey Wilson. Several of his other fellow country stars will also perform throughout the evening, including Craig Morgan, Leanne Morgan, and more, making it a celebration of both his career and the friendships he’s built along the way.