Jelly Roll Was NOT Mistaken for Homeless at Michigan Burger King
Country star Jelly Roll has spent quite a bit of time in Michigan recently.
He headlined the first night at this year's Faster Horses Festival in Brooklyn, was deputized at the Genesee County Jail, and performed at "Tailgate N' Tallboys" in Midland.
SEE ALSO: Pictures From Faster Horses 2024
But did he actually get mistaken for a homeless man while making a stop at a Burger King while he was in Midland?
There's a story making its way around social media right now that's quite - wait for it - a whopper.
An article posted on the Facebook page for the "Midland Gazette" over the weekend told the story of a retired couple who encountered Jelly Roll at a Midland Burger King, and not realizing he was a famous singer, mistook him for a homeless man and offered to pay for his meal.
The post - completely fabricated - fooled a lot of people, as evidenced by the comments below it, many pointing out how sweet the elderly couple was to try to help.
How We Know the Jelly Roll/Burger King Story's a Fake
The first clue that this whole story was made up comes from the Facebook page itself. The "Midland Gazette" admits right up front that it's a "Satire/Parody" page, despite its claim to deliver "100% accurate news and updates covering Midland County, Michigan."
The Midland Daily News is the actual newspaper that serves that community.
Secondly, let me assure you that at this point in his career, Jelly Roll goes nowhere in the public by himself - especially not a Burger King in Midland, Michigan.
I have had the privilege of covering multiple Jelly Roll concerts, and I can tell you that that man is surrounded by more security at any given time than any other artist I've covered. I had to go through no less than 5 levels of security backstage at Faster Horses just to snag an interview with Jelly Roll. He's not rolling up into BK for a Combo #1 all by himself, looking homeless. He's just not.
Could Jelly Roll Really Be Mistaken for a Homeless Person?
Granted, Jelly Roll's look isn't that of your typical country music superstar. He's heavily tattooed, often appears disheveled, and usually wears clothes that aren't the perfect fit.
Last Halloween, I spent the day in costume as Jelly Roll. I showed him the photo backstage at Faster Horses, and even he was impressed.
I got a little taste that day of how differently some people treat you when you don't look like everyone else. It's completely possible that if Jelly Roll were to make a public appearance somewhere without security and encountered a non-fan, that they could jump to the wrong conclusions about him.
RELATED: I Spent a Day in Costume as Jelly Roll - Here's What Happened
The moral of the story? Don't be gullible. Enjoy satire/parody sites like the "Midland Gazette" for the entertainment they are. Just don't automatically believe and spread those stories like they're the gospel truth.
Still not convinced this story was made up? Have it your way.
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes