Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his path to sobriety. However, there was one particular incident that he had not previously discussed publicly: the moment when he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI while 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 later drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that they were operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where Kelley realized the severity of their actions and how hazardous it was. Reflecting on the incident the following day, Kelley expressed remorse for the potential consequences, realizing that they could have caused harm to others or even lost their own life.
On one specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with being charged with a 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, which meant he had no family responsibilities and could freely consume alcohol. Kelley spent his day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. As the night neared its end, other people at the bar began to express worry about whether or not Kelley intended to drive home.
"And I thought to myself, 'If I don't drive back, my wife will ask, 'Where's your car?' Even though I could have picked it up the next morning. She wouldn't have been aware of it. She wasn't present," he retells.
However, with a strong determination to return home alone, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and departed in his vehicle. Within a brief distance on his way back to his residence, he was stopped by the police.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person from that band?" I replied, "Yes." Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and kindly drove me the remainder of the journey home. He didn't issue me a citation or any penalty. I was amazed and relieved, thinking to myself, "Wow, that was a close call."
However, the occurrence served as a moment of realization for Kelley, prompting him to understand that he needed to inform his spouse about what had transpired.
The singer expresses their feelings of being completely exhausted and ready to give up. They had just been pulled over and realized that their actions could have had severe consequences, potentially causing a lot of trouble for the band. They are aware that the negative publicity that would have resulted from their actions would have been terrible.
He made a promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months without giving in, but eventually relapsed and returned to his previous drinking habits. It took him another year before he finally sought help and completely dedicated himself to a sober lifestyle in a rehabilitation program.
Following his rehabilitation process, it didn't take much time for Kelly to share his struggle with alcohol with Lady A fans. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that they had postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour in order to prioritize Kelley's fragile sobriety. This decision to be honest about his situation was made by Kelley himself. His fellow band members, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, had initially proposed creating alternative explanations for why the band would not be embarking on the tour.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she was about to share was the most difficult thing she had ever done. She could have taken the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroying everything around her. However, she chose to be grateful for the situation, which became a turning point for her decision to share her experience. Since then, things have been progressing in a positive and beneficial manner.
Here is a list of 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. Additionally, there are 11 fantastic country songs that depict the theme of getting arrested
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