During Sunday night’s 76th Emmy Awards show (September 15), Jelly Roll had the honor of singing during the In Memoriam segment.
Each year, the Emmy Awards pay tribute to stars and entertainment industry leaders who have died in the past year. This year Jelly Roll took the stage to sing his hit song “I Am Not Okay” as photos of those the industry lost showed on a screen behind him.
As an introduction to the song, Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, told the crowd:
“I believe that music is therapeutic. I believe that music can heal. I also believe that storytelling is just as cathartic. I hope that this song can act as a healing moment for those mourning the storytellers that we have lost this year. If you are feeling lost or alone tonight, I want you to know that it’s OK to not always be OK.”
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Those remembered were “Beverly Hills, 90210” actress Shannen Doherty, fitness icon Richard Simmons, “The Notebook” actress Gena Rowlands, legendary actors Donald Sutherland and James Earl Jones, and iconic comedian Bob Newhart.
During a red carpet interview ahead of the Emmys, Jelly Roll gushed about the event to PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly.
“I’m watching everything I’m watching on my tour bus and living room right behind us. It’s the coolest experience ever,” the singer said, adding that he now has new goals. “I want to be in a tv show so I can come every year, dude. I’m calling all my country music friends to tell them we’re missing the mark. We gotta be at the Emmys.”
Jelly Roll wasn’t the only country star in attendance this year. Reba McEntire made an appearance to present an award alongside her Reba co-star Melissa Peterman. The hilarious duo walked the red carpet together before taking the stage to present the award for Outstanding Scripted Variety Series.
During their red carpet interviews, the pair talked about their decades-long friendship that started when they starred together in the Reba sitcom. They also spoke about starring together on the small screen once again in the upcoming sitcom “Happy’s Place.”
“I think that the chemistry that we have, that dynamic, it’s there, so we’re bringing that to Happy’s Place,” Peterman said of working with Reba again. “We have new characters, it’s a new situation, so the chemistry is still there. It’s that same dynamic that people want to see. We talked about it, that we’ve been waiting a long time, and this time feels right. It feels like we were waiting for the right cast, the right time, and we’re ready.”
