Jelly Roll hailed Lainey Wilson “an angel on earth.”
The Whitsitt Chapel artist shared a lengthy message on Instagram on Tuesday afternoon (May 28) as he reflected on the 59th ACM Awards, which took place earlier this month at the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Jelly Roll won in the Music Event of the Year category for “Save Me,” his hit single with Wilson.
“You are an angel on earth,” he said of Wilson, the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year, as he thanked her on Instagram. “Your hard work is inspiring but even more inspiring is how you anchor yourself in your family. You are the perfect partner for this song. No matter how big or small you have showed up for me every time I’ve asked. Whether it was a dive bar or a morning TV show, you showed up with a smile no matter how much it inconvenienced you because you knew the power of this song and how it could HEAL! Thank you - you truly are my sister, I’d go to war beside you if it ever came down to it. Send my love to Duck [Wilson’s boyfriend, former football quarterback Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges], and your mom and dad. This song would not be what it is without you!”
“Save Me” was one of 13 tracks to appear on Jelly Roll’s Whitsitt Chapel, titled after his hometown church. That album arrived in June 2023. It also included “Halfway To Hell,” “Behind Bars” with Brantley Gilbert and Struggle Jennings, “Unlive” with Yelawolf, “Need A Favor” and more. Read Jelly Roll’s full Instagram post here:
“It took me a while to gather my thoughts about this. First I want to say thank you to the Academy of Country Music for nominating me and my peers in country music for voting for Save Me to win Music Event of the Year. Walking up to receive this award my mind went blank and all I felt was emotions, and there are still so many people I want to thank. I want to thank God, my wife, Country radio, my label and so many more. Honestly, I couldn’t quit thinking about how much this song has changed my life and so many others. I get thousands of messages a week talking about how much this song helped people, or how it was played at a loved one’s funeral. I wrote this song with a guy I’ve known since I was in high school. We are both just a couple of poor misunderstood kids that grew up never thinking we would amount to anything. I wrote this song from the depth of my soul. I’ve always said that music can change the world. One song at a time.
“Bob Marley said ‘one good thing about music when it hits you, you feel no pain.’ Thank you All again for continuing to change my life, and I promise to continue to write music that makes you feel something. Lastly, but certainly not least, thank you Lainey Wilson. You are an angel on earth. Your hard work is inspiring but even more inspiring is how you anchor yourself in your family. You are the perfect partner for this song. No matter how big or small you have showed up for me every time I’ve asked. Whether it was a dive bar or a morning TV show, you showed up with a smile no matter how much it inconvenienced you because you knew the power of this song and how it could HEAL! Thank you - you truly are my sister, I’d go to war beside you if it ever came down to it. Send my love to Duck, and your mom and dad. This song would not be what it is without you!”