Jelly Roll Becomes Emotional As He Watches Bear Bailey Sing 'Hard Fought Hallelujah' On 'Star Search'
The country singer has been having a wild few years, gaining more attention than ever as he wins awards for his music, performs with some of today's top artists, and has lost around 300 pounds through an inspirational, well-documented weight loss journey.
He took on a new role as a television show judge, starring in Star Search on Netflix, a remake of the 1980s and '90s talent competition series, which features contestants showing off all their skills, from singing to dancing and performing comedy skits. During the pilot episode of the reboot, a singing contestant, Bear Bailey, performed a rendition of a song written by Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, and artist Brandon Lake, titled "Hard Fought Hallelujah."
As Bear performed the intense song, the camera continuously panned to an emotional Jason, who could be seen with tears in his eyes and eventually raising his fist. Later, during a red carpet interview following the performance, the singer said he "couldn't get it together."
Fans React To Bear's Performance & Jelly Roll's Viral Reaction
It didn't take long for the videos of the up-and-coming musician and the Tennessee-based songwriter to go viral online. Not only could viewers and other internet users get over how talented Bear was and how much they loved his take on the song, but they also loved the recording artist's emotional reaction.
Many fans of the show and newfound fans of the contestant left messages on platforms like YouTube, cheering both him and the show's judge on.
"This was one of the coolest moments in TV history!" wrote a fan on YouTube. "We were crying."
"Watched live and you can give this man the trophy," commented another. "Had every person in our house crying."
One user wrote that Bear "sang it like it was his own song," and that "Jelly Roll in tears was the best gift."
"I felt chills," commented a fan, as another wrote the moving performance was "absolutely beautiful."
We'll be curious to see how far Bear Bailey makes it in the talent competition, but judging by Jelly Roll and the internet's reaction, it's only assumed he'll be going places regardless.