Jelly Roll is being sued by a Pennsylvania wedding band of the same name, spelled “Jellyroll”, which is accusing the country star of copying its name.
In a lawsuit obtained by People Magazine, the musician is being asked to stop using the moniker, which the band claims they have been using in their performances for “celebratory and charitable events” throughout the US, including shows at the White House, “since at least 1980.” The band further alleged that they obtained a trademark for the name “Jellyroll” in 2010.
The lawsuit alleges, “Prior to the Defendant’s recent rise is notoriety, a search of the name of Jellyroll on most search engines, and particularly Google, returned references to the Plaintiff.”
But now, Google searches yield “as many as 18-20 references” to the country singer instead of the band.
Despite prior discussions between legal representatives of both parties, no resolution has been reached.
Born Jason Bradley DeFord, Grammy-winner Jelly Roll has previously disclosed that his stage name was bestowed upon him by his mother during his childhood.
The lawsuit draws attention to Jelly Roll's upcoming Beautifully Broken Tour, scheduled to stop at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, the band's home base.
Consequently, the band asserts that the country singer's use of the name is “creating confusion in the marketplace.”