Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal journey to sobriety. However, there is one particular incident that he has never previously discussed: 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 was consuming alcohol, it became a regular thing for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf in a day and then drive back home.
Kelley confessed that she was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Even though the distance she had to cover was short, she experienced a few instances where she realized the extreme foolishness and potential danger of her actions. Reflecting on the incident the following day, Kelley expressed deep regret, acknowledging that her reckless behavior could have resulted in harm to others or even her own life.
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 familial responsibilities. He spent the day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the evening, fellow customers at the bar began to express worry about Kelley's intention to drive home.
He recalls, "I thought to myself, if I don't drive back, my wife will ask me where my car is. Even though I could have retrieved it the following morning without her knowing, she wasn't present at the time."
However, with a strong resolve to go home alone, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and began driving away. Unfortunately, during the extremely brief journey back to his residence, he was stopped by law enforcement.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person in that band?" I replied, "Yes." Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to stop my car and drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalties. I was amazed and relieved. It was a close call.
Nevertheless, the occurrence served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expressed their feelings of frustration and exhaustion, stating that they had reached a breaking point. They were recently pulled over by the police and felt that their actions could have potentially had devastating consequences, causing a great deal of trouble for the band. They acknowledged that the negative publicity that would have resulted from their actions would have been truly dreadful.
He made a firm decision to quit drinking and struggled for three months to resist the temptation. However, he eventually fell back into his previous habits of drinking. It took him another year to finally seek professional help and fully dedicate himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his rehabilitation, it didn't take much time for Kelly to disclose his struggle with alcohol to Lady A fans. The country trio was transparent with their loyal supporters, explaining that the primary reason for postponing their 2022 Request Line Tour was to safeguard Kelley's newly attained sobriety. This decision to be candid about his journey was solely made by Kelley himself. However, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, his bandmates, proposed the idea of offering alternative excuses for the band's absence from the tour.
Kelley expressed that she was not ashamed and wanted to be honest about her experience, stating that it was the most difficult thing she had ever done. She acknowledged that the easy option would have been to continue drinking and destroy everything. However, she expressed gratitude for the situation, which marked a turning point for her decision to share her story. As a result, things have progressed in a positive and beneficial manner.
Here are 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. Additionally, we have compiled a list of 11 great country songs that revolve around the theme
Additional content can be found on Taste of Country. For more information, you can