Country music star Jelly Roll is facing a lawsuit over a name dispute by a Philadelphia wedding band with the same name.
The lawsuit contends that Jelly Roll’s recent surge in popularity, exemplified by his song “Need a Favor” reaching No. 13 on the Hot 100 in November, has saturated the market with his name. This saturation makes it challenging for potential clients to locate Mr. Titchenell’s band.
Before the defendant’s recent rise in fame, a search for “Jellyroll” predominantly returned references to Mr. Titchenell’s band. However, a search on Google currently yields numerous references to the defendant, potentially up to 18–20 references, before any mention of Mr. Titchenell’s entertainment dance band.
Mr. Titchenell asserts that he has been using the name for his band since 1980. A 2019 article in the Inquirer, commemorating the band’s 40th anniversary, depicted Jellyroll as a fixture in Philadelphia’s music scene, having performed at countless weddings, galas, and public events.
According to media interviews, Jelly Roll adopted the nickname bestowed by his mother during his childhood. He first used the name on a 2003 self-released mixtape titled The Plain Shmear Tape, and subsequently on numerous releases over almost two decades as a relatively unknown Nashville rapper.
The two artists seemed to coexist peacefully until Jelly Roll’s recent ascent to stardom. Following the success of his 2021 hit “Son of a Sinner” and last year’s “Need a Favor,” he received a nomination for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards and clinched three major awards at the Country Music Awards this year.
In the lawsuit, Mr. Titchenell’s legal team claims they sent a cease-and-desist letter to Jelly Roll in February, sparking “several discussions” regarding the naming dispute. However, no resolution was reached. At one juncture, Jelly Roll’s legal representatives queried whether their client was genuinely competing with Mr. Titchenell.
Presently, Mr. Titchenell’s lawyers seek an immediate court injunction to prohibit Jelly Roll from using the name “Jelly Roll.” They specifically highlighted an upcoming concert scheduled for October at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center.
This is not the first time Jelly Roll has come under fire for copyright infringement. In 2013, the country singer was sued by Waffle House. The artist’s mixtape and song “Whiskey, Weed and Waffle House” used the restaurant’s logo without permission. Waffle House sent a cease-and-desist notice to Jelly Roll in addition to freezing his YouTube account. Rather than proceed with litigation, Jelly Roll paid Waffle House $10,000, removed the logo, and changed the name of the album to “Whiskey, Weed and Women.”
The Epoch Times contacted Mr. Titchenell and Jell Roll for comment but did not receive a response by press time.
