US country music star Jelly Roll is seeking a pardon to wipe his criminal convictions from the record, after spending time behind bars as a teenager.

He told the Tennessee Board of Parole that while in detention, he fell in love with songwriting which he says changed his life in ways he “never dreamed imaginable”.

Now aged 40, the rapper-turned-country singer, real name Jason DeFord, wants to be able to travel internationally to perform, but his criminal past currently makes that difficult.

“I want to be an inspiration for people who are now where I used to be – to let them know that change is truly possible,” Jelly Roll told the board, which has recommended a pardon. The final decision rests with the state’s Republican Governor Bill Lee.

The singer broke into country music with the 2023 album “Whitsitt Chapel” and crossover songs like “Need a Favor”. He has been recognised at both the CMT Music Awards and Country Music Association (CMA) Awards and earned four Grammy nominations, including for new artist of the year.

As a part of the pardon application, friends and local leaders wrote to the board about Jelly Roll’s transformation and generosity.

Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall described how the star had an awakening in one of the jails he managed, while Live Nation Entertainment CEO and President Michael Rapino pointed out his charity work.

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Jelly Roll has spoken openly about his criminal record and what it has taken to overcome it. He often visits jails before performing concerts and helps feed people who are homeless.

Due to his criminal record, which includes a robbery at age 17 and drug charges at 23, he says it “takes a team of lawyers and a mountain of paperwork” to perform internationally, sometimes requiring special permits.

Last year, he gave evidence before a Senate committee about his own drug addiction and called for stronger legislation against the fentanyl crisis, saying he has “attended more funerals than I care to share”.

He was recently able to make his first international tour, taking in Canada and the UK, where he spoke about a rehabilitation programme.

Governor Lee said every case seeking clemency, such as pardons, is equally important and goes through a thorough process.

“The reporting on Jelly Roll, that’s encouraging for his situation, but there are steps yet to happen in that case,” he told reporters.

It is rare for art to imitate life quite so literally as Conclave does in the wake of the death of Pope Francis.

The papal drama, which is based on Robert Harris’s book of the same name and directed by Edward Berger, is a fictional take on the closed-door process of appointing a new pontiff, known as a conclave, which is set to begin for real in the Vatican on 5 May.

Cardinals from across the world – depicted in the 2024 film by stars including Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow and Stanley Tucci – will descend on Rome, where they will be cut off from the outside world until a new pope is chosen.

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As with anything given the Hollywood treatment, some elements of the film were added for dramatic effect. The biggest twists (don’t worry, you are safe from major spoilers) were read by some as anti-Catholic propaganda.

But on the whole, Conclave – which took home four BAFTA Awards, including best film, and best adapted screenplay at the Oscars – now feels bizarrely prescient, having been released months before cardinals first became concerned for Pope Francis‘s health.

So how accurately does it depict the highly secretive conclave process?

The basics

On the basics, the film does an accurate job of depicting what we know an actual conclave involves.

Cardinals are seen living, eating and socialising together at a version of the purpose-built Casa Santa Marta, a guesthouse on the grounds of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican City, which is what will happen at the beginning of next month.

The film also shows the Sistine Chapel – the famous Vatican hall decorated with the works of Michelangelo – being swept for listening devices before the start of the highly classified morning and evening voting sessions, where cardinals write down the name of the person they wish to become pope.

Berger’s thriller also accurately depicts cardinals putting their votes inside a sealed container – which in real life is a silver urn. Once all votes have been cast, a Vatican dignitary reads the votes aloud.

If a two-thirds majority has not been reached, the votes are threaded together and burnt with an additive to produce black smoke, only showing white smoke when enough cardinals agree on a candidate to take over the papacy – details also true to the real process.

Internal politics

The film shows clear factions within the group of voting cardinals, with some clearly backing particular candidates more than others, largely depending on their beliefs.

Cardinal Aldo Bellini (played by Tucci) is depicted as the leading liberal candidate, who seeks to reform the church and follow in the footsteps of the late pope. Whereas Cardinal Goffredo Tedesco (played by Sergio Castellitto) is an Italian who represents the church’s conservative wing.

It is true that every pope will have their own beliefs, some of which are seen as more liberal or conservative than others. Pope Francis in fact diverged from his predecessors on many contentious issues within the Church.

He more openly embraced LGBTQ individuals (although stopped short of full acceptance), decried climate change, and called publicly for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Speaking to Sky News’ Katie Spencer in February after the film’s release, Fiennes said it is “human” how the cardinals are seen positioning themselves for the top role.

“They’re full of pride, ambition, things they’ve kept hidden and I think that’s what’s great [is this film] is not cynical and that’s what drew me to it.”

But Bill Cavanaugh, a professor of Catholic Studies at DePaul University, told The Guardian that the politicisation of the process in the film is likely “a little bit exaggerated”.

He said cardinals do not often fall “neatly into progressive and conservative camps”.

The character of Cardinal Lawrence

Central to the film is Fiennes’ character Cardinal Lawrence, a key dignitary within the Vatican who is tasked with overseeing the fictional conclave.

Cardinal Lawrence is depicted in the film, at times, as fulfilling the roles of both the camerlengo, the person who traditionally takes over the Holy See – the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City – after the death of a pope, and the dean of the College of Cardinals.

But in reality these are two separate roles.

After Pope Francis’s death on Monday, Irish-born American Cardinal Kevin Farrell took over the Holy See as camerlengo. The traditional role involves helping to organise the conclave but also includes announcing the pope’s death, sealing the papal apartment and breaking the pontiff’s fisherman’s ring – a sign that there is a vacancy in the Vatican.

Cardinal Farrell will also play a key role in the pope’s funeral, which will take place in Rome on 26 April.

This differs from the dean of the College of Cardinals, who is seen as the “first among equals” – essentially the head of the body of cardinals who elect the new pontiff.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re has been in the position since 2020 and will now preside over the general congregation meetings, the gathering of the cardinals currently in Rome, which finalises the details of the pontiff’s funeral and upcoming conclave.

Once a new pontiff is chosen, Cardinal Battista will also be the person to accept the election and ask the newest pope what name he will take.

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A secret cardinal

One of the film’s main characters, Cardinal Vincent Benitez (played by Carlos Diehz), is described as a cardinal in pectore, which refers to the real process of a pope appointing a cardinal in secret.

A pope is entitled to keep the name of the newly elected cardinal secret for various reasons, but they are not officially recognised as a cardinal until their name is known publicly.

Contrary to what the film depicts, cardinals who have only been named in secret cannot take part in a conclave.

The Who’s Zak Starkey is back in the band after reports earlier this week he’d been sacked.

A statement on the band’s official social media pages written by guitarist Pete Townshend said “communication issues” had been “aired happily” and Starkey was “not being asked to step down”.

Townshend also acknowledged the situation “blew up very quickly and got too much oxygen”, concluding “it’s over” and acknowledged his part in “the confusion”.

Titled, “News Flash! Who Backs Zak,” the long statement said Starkey was “not being asked to step down from The Who”.

It said: “There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily.

“Roger and I would like Zak to tighten up his latest evolved drumming style to accommodate our non-orchestral line-up and he has readily agreed.”

The rock and roll row followed the band’s Teenage Cancer Trust shows in March.

Townsend’s statement went on: “I take responsibility for some of the confusion. Our TCT shows at the Royal Albert Hall were a little tricky for me.

“I thought that four and a half weeks would be enough time to recover completely from having a complete knee replacement. (Why did I ever think I could land on my knees?) Wrong!

“Maybe we didn’t put enough time into sound checks, giving us problems on stage. The sound in the centre of the stage is always the most difficult to work with.”

So what went wrong?

Going on to highlight the specifics of what went wrong, Townshend added: “Roger did nothing wrong but fiddle with his in-ear monitors. Zak made a few mistakes and he has apologised. Albeit with a rubber duck drummer.

“We are a family, this blew up very quickly and got too much oxygen. It’s over. We move forward now with optimism and fire in our bellies.”

A review of one gig, published in the Metro, suggested frontman Roger Daltrey – who launched the annual gig series for the charity in 2000 – had been “frustrated” with the drumming during some tracks.

Townsend also said he owed drummer Scott Devours “an apology” for not “crushing the rumour” that he would be replacing Starkey in the Who line-up.

Devours is supporting Roger Daltrey on his solo tour, which kicked off this weekend.

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Starkey – who is the son of The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr – reposted Townshend’s statement, with the message: “V grateful to be a part of the Who family Thanks Roger and Pete xx”.

The 59-year-old drummer previously said he was “surprised and saddened” by news of his sacking.

He’s been with The Who for nearly three decades, after joining in 1996 for their Quadrophenia tour.

Starkey also drums for supergroup Mantra Of The Cosmos – along with fellow musicians Shaun Ryder and Bez from Happy Mondays, and Andy Bell of Ride and Oasis – and has previously played with Oasis, Lightning Seeds and Johnny Marr.