Charles Kelley, member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his path to sobriety. However, there is one specific incident that he had never previously discussed: the moment when he came close to receiving a DUI after driving under the influence.
In an interview on Elizabeth Vargas' Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confesses that when he consumed alcohol, it became a regular habit for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that they were driving under the influence on their way home. Although the journey only lasted for 10 minutes, there were instances where Kelley realized the extreme foolishness and danger of their actions. The following day, Kelley felt a profound sense of regret and acknowledged that their reckless behavior could have resulted in causing harm to someone else or even their own life.
On one specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with being charged with driving under the influence (DUI). This incident took place during the Christmas season, and he recalls that his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days, giving him the freedom to consume alcohol without any familial responsibilities. Kelley enjoyed a day of playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the night, fellow customers at the bar began expressing worries about whether or not Kelley intended to drive himself home.
"I thought to myself, if I don't drive back home, my wife will ask me where my car is," he recalls. "Even though I could have retrieved it the following morning without her knowing, since she wasn't there."
However, with a strong determination to return home alone, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and drove off. Unfortunately, during the brief journey back to his house, he was stopped by the police.
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked if I was the person in that band. I confirmed that I was indeed a member. Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to stop my car and personally drove me home. I was surprised and grateful that he didn't issue me a ticket. I thought to myself, "Wow, that was a close call."
However, the incident served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his wife about what transpired.
The singer expressed their feeling of being completely exhausted and ready to give up. They had just been pulled over and realized that their actions could have had serious consequences and caused a lot of trouble for the band. They were aware that it would have resulted in negative publicity, which would have been extremely detrimental.
He made a promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually fell back into his old habits of drinking. It took another year for him to finally seek professional help and fully dedicate himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his time in rehab, it didn't take Kelly much time before he shared with Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that they postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour in order to support Kelley's early stages of sobriety. It was Kelley's personal choice to be honest about the situation. On the other hand, his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood initially proposed using different reasons to justify the band's absence from the tour.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she was about to say was the most difficult thing she had ever done. She acknowledged that she could have taken the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroy everything in her life. However, she chose to be grateful for her situation, and that realization became the moment when she decided to share her experience. Since then, her decision to share has gained momentum in a positive and beneficial manner.
Here is a list of 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. Additionally, we have compiled a collection of 11 great country songs that revolve
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