Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media, Inc.
The group formerly known as “Philly’s favorite wedding band” has chosen to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit against the country star.
The frontman of the luxury wedding and event band Jellyroll has agreed to drop the lawsuit against country star Jelly Roll.
In a court filing on Tuesday, July 9, Kurt Titchenell, leader of Jellyroll—referred to as the top wedding band in Philadelphia—voluntarily dismissed the copyright infringement claim against Jelly Roll (Jason DeFord) permanently.
“The dispute with Jason Bradley DeFord, a.k.a. Jelly Roll, has been resolved, and the legal action has been withdrawn,” Titchenell stated. “We look forward to our continued use of the name, Jellyroll Band, in connection with our party band business.”
The court documents did not mention any settlement, and the dismissal was not signed by Jelly Roll’s attorneys. A representative for Jelly Roll has not yet responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The “Son of a Sinner” singer, aged 39, was sued on Monday, April 8, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
In the filing, attorneys representing Titchenell requested that Jelly Roll cease using the moniker, asserting that the band first adopted the name around 1980 and secured a trademark in 2010, renewing it in 2019.
According to the court documents, Jellyroll has performed at various “celebratory and charitable events” across the United States since at least 1980, initially in the Delaware Valley and later expanding throughout the Northeast. The lawsuit also claims that the band performed twice at the White House for President George W. Bush and his family.
Jelly Roll, born in 1984, has previously mentioned that his stage name originated from his mother when he was a child. He began his music career in the early 2000s, although the complaint alleges he did not adopt his moniker until around 2010.
The primary issue for Titchenell appeared to be name recognition.
“Prior to the Defendant’s recent rise in notoriety, a search of the name Jellyroll on most search engines, particularly Google, prominently featured references to the Plaintiff,” the filing stated.
Titchenell’s legal team further noted that Google search results typically displayed “18-20 references to the Plaintiff’s entertainment dance band known as Jellyroll® before any mention of the Defendant.”
According to the legal filing, the lead singer of Jellyroll sent a cease-and-desist notice to “various email addresses believed linked to” Jelly Roll and his team, who were seeking to “discuss” the matter at the time.
“Several discussions took place, during which the Defendant’s legal representatives asked whether their client was genuinely competing with the Plaintiff,” stated Titchenell’s attorneys.
The lawsuit highlights Jelly Roll’s upcoming Beautifully Broken Tour, which includes dates in the Northeast and a performance at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center — a venue central to Jellyroll’s business.
Titchenell’s lawyers argued that Jelly Roll’s use of the name had led to “marketplace confusion” about which artist would appear at specific events.
Since the release of his 2021 album Ballads of the Broken, Jelly Roll has gained widespread popularity with hits such as “Need a Favor” and “Save Me.”
In 2024, he secured three CMT Music Awards and two iHeartRadio Music Awards, as well as his first Academy of Country Music Award.
