Charles Kelley, a member of Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal journey towards sobriety. However, there has been one particular incident that he has never discussed openly before. This incident involves the time when he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
In an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on her podcast "Heart of the Matter," Kelley acknowledges that when he was drinking, it became a regular thing for him to consume "four or five drinks" while playing golf in a single day and then drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The distance she had to travel was only 10 minutes, but there were instances during the journey where she realized the extreme foolishness and danger of her actions. The following day, Kelley reflects on the situation and acknowledges the potential consequences, realizing that she could have caused harm to both herself and others.
On a specific occasion, Kelley came close to being charged with a DUI. This incident occurred 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 familial responsibilities. Kelley spent the day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. As the night progressed, fellow customers at the bar began expressing worries about Kelley's intention 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 retrieved it the next morning. She wouldn't have been aware because she wasn't present," he narrates.
However, with a strong determination to return home by himself, he discreetly left the bar through the rear exit and departed in his vehicle. Unfortunately, during the brief journey to his house, he was stopped by law enforcement.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person from that band?" I replied affirmatively. Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and kindly offered to drive me home. He didn't issue me a fine or any penalties. I was astonished and relieved, thinking to myself, "What a fortunate escape!"
However, the occurrence served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expressed their feelings of being completely drained and fed up. They had recently been pulled over and it was a very close call that could have had serious consequences for their life. The situation they found themselves in also caused a lot of trouble and disorder within the band. They were fully aware that if the incident had been made public, it would have resulted in extremely negative publicity.
He made a promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually relapsed back into his old habits of drinking. It took him another year before he finally decided to seek professional help and fully dedicated 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 fanbase, explaining that the primary reason for postponing their 2022 Request Line Tour was to support Kelley's early stages of sobriety. Kelley personally made the decision to be honest about this matter. On the other hand, his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, proposed finding alternative excuses for why the band couldn't proceed with the tour.
Kelley expressed that she was not ashamed of her actions and felt it was important to be honest about her experience, considering it to be the most difficult challenge she had faced. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and causing further destruction, she chose to be grateful for her situation. This shift in perspective marked a turning point for her, leading her to decide to share her story. As a result, her decision to open up about her experiences has had a positive and beneficial impact.
There are 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. These artists have made the decision to abstain from alcohol and drugs. They serve as an inspiration
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