ORDINARY PEOPLE
BY JACOB SOPHER
When I first heard the recording artist Jelly Roll was coming to the yard at the Oregon State Penitentiary, I thought it was another inmate rumor. Then I heard a guard talking about it. I was finally convinced when I saw the announcement in black and white in the weekly newsletter published by the prison administration.
Only incentive level three inmates were allowed to see the performance live on the yard. Fortunately, for the inmates that were not level three, the administration live streamed the performance on the internal prison television channels where they normally show movies. I was grateful they were streaming the event, and I still felt like part of the community that was being honored by this historic visit. Apparently it has been 20 years since the Department of Corrections had a live concert by a well-known recording artist. First on stage was a young vocalist Jacquie Roar accompanied by a full band. She gave a great performance and interacted with the crowd in a lively fashion.
Next was Huntley, another vocalist that played guitar and sang his songs in a half hour set.
Finally, Jelly Roll came to the stage. He was engaging and encouraging from the start. He sang all his hits, including “Son of a Sinner” and Jacquie Roar joined him onstage for his #1 hit “Need a Favor”.
The highest compliment Jelly Roll paid us was that he wanted to throw a concert behind bars because we are just ordinary people that made poor choices that landed us in here. He shared his struggles with the criminal justice system. He stated from the ages of 15-27 he had done time at about every prison in Tennessee, his home state. He laughed at having to go bow hunting even today because of his felony convictions. He said he wanted to come back and perform next year.
Even watching the concert from the TV in my cell, it helped me feel like a normal person. It was a compliment being called ordinary. Like many serving time, I often feel less than, due to my criminal record.
Let’s hope Jelly Roll’s historic concert opens doors for more prison concerts here in Oregon and across the United States. | JS