Charles Kelley, a member of the music group Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal battle with sobriety. However, there is one specific event that he has never addressed directly until now. It turns out that he once came dangerously close to receiving a DUI while operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
In an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on her Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confesses that when he was drinking, it became a regular thing for him to consume "four or five drinks" while playing golf and then drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where she realized the extreme foolishness and perilous nature of her actions. The following day, she deeply reflected and acknowledged the potential disastrous consequences that could have occurred, including the loss of someone's life or her own.
On a specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with being charged with a DUI. It happened 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 drink without any family responsibilities. Kelley enjoyed a day of playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. As the night came to an end, fellow customers at the bar began to express worry about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
"I thought to myself, if I don't drive back, my wife will ask me where my car is," he shares. "Even though I could have retrieved it the following morning without her knowing, since she wasn't there."
However, with a strong resolve to return home alone, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and began driving towards his house. Unfortunately, during the brief journey, he was stopped by the police.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked, "Are you the individual in that musical group?" I responded affirmatively, saying, "Yes." Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and personally drove me home for the remainder of the journey. He didn't issue me a fine or any other penalty. I was astonished and relieved, thinking to myself, "Wow, that was a close call."
However, this incident served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about what had occurred.
The singer expressed feeling tired and frustrated after a recent incident where they were pulled over by the police. They believed that this incident could have potentially ruined their life and caused a lot of trouble for the band. The singer acknowledged that it would have resulted in negative publicity, which they wanted to avoid.
He made a strong promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months with great determination, but unfortunately, he eventually returned to his old habits of drinking. It took him another year to finally seek help by going to rehab and fully dedicating himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his time in rehabilitation, it didn't take Kelly much time to inform Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their supporters, explaining that the postponement of their 2022 Request Line Tour was to ensure Kelley's newfound sobriety. Kelley made the decision to be honest about this matter. While his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, proposed offering alternative explanations for the tour's cancellation.
Kelley expressed that she was not ashamed and wanted to be honest about her experience, as it was the most challenging thing she had ever faced. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroy everything, she chose to be grateful for the situation. This moment marked a turning point for her, and she decided to share her story. Since then, the response has been overwhelmingly positive and has continued to grow in a beneficial way.
Here are 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. Additionally, we've compiled a list of 11 great country songs that revolve around the theme
Additional content available from Taste of Country. Details and updates can be found on our