Country artist Jelly Roll surprises dying cancer patient with private concert

By 
 July 21, 2023

A Nashville woman with terminal lung cancer had one last wish - to meet country artist Jelly Roll before passing away.

That dream came to life for Suzanne Durham on Monday when Jelly Roll stopped by to meet her - and even put on a private concert. 

Jelly Roll and his wife, Bunnie XO, heard about the woman through the James Bess Foundation, a charity that grants final wishes for adults with terminal diseases.

Cancer patient's dying wish

In a TikTok Video from the James Bess Foundation, Durham, 65, tearfully explains that she was given five months to live but suspects she has even less time than that.

Durham, a former drug addict who later ran a rehab facility, said her last wish was to meet Jelly Roll - and the request grabbed the attention of his wife, who replied to ask how a meeting could be arranged.

"We can def make this happen. What city is she in?" she wrote.

In another video, Durham is all smiles as Jelly Roll walks into a room and gives her a big hug. He then treats Durham to a mini concert, performing a cover of the Eagles' "Take It Easy."

Touching encounter

The encounter, which took place at a church, touched Jelly Roll - a felon and former drug dealer who has struggled with drugs himself.

“I’m glad I could come to visit you. This is cool, and I’m glad you had some friends come too," he told Durham, according to Music Mayhem. 

"I was coming to you if you were by yourself in a bed…I got choked up earlier, not about her situation but because I was able to serve a woman who spent her life serving,” he said. “Somebody who came out of the situation you came out of and turned her life around and immediately found purpose helping people who were in that same situation.”

After the encounter, Durham told Music Mayhem that she had the "best night ever," adding that Jelly Roll and his wife "are the most humble people I’ve ever met."

The namesake of the James Bess foundation died of cancer without his dying wish coming true - to meet Garth Brooks. The group has granted 33 wishes across the country since it was founded in 2017.

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