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 specific incident that he had never previously discussed: the moment when he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI after driving while under the influence.
In an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on her 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 single day, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Even though the journey only lasted for 10 minutes, there were instances where she realized the extreme recklessness and danger of her actions. The following day, she reflected on the situation and was overwhelmed by the realization that her irresponsible behavior could have resulted in the loss of someone's life, including her own.
On a specific occasion, Kelley had a close encounter with being charged with driving under the influence (DUI). It happened during the Christmas season, and Kelley recalls that his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days, giving him the freedom to drink without any family responsibilities. He spent the day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. As the night came to a close, other customers at the bar began expressing worry about whether or not Kelley intended to drive himself home.
He recalls thinking to himself, "If I don't drive back, my wife will wonder where my car is," even though he could have easily retrieved it the following morning without her knowing since she wasn't present.
However, with a strong determination to reach his home alone, he discreetly left the bar through the rear exit and began driving away. Unfortunately, he was stopped by the police during the extremely brief journey back to his house.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked if I was the person in that band. I confirmed that I was indeed a member of the band. Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and personally drove me the rest of the way home. He didn't issue any tickets or penalties. I was amazed and relieved by how fortunate I was to have avoided any consequences.
However, the occurrence served as a reminder for Kelley to take action. He realized that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expressed their feelings of being completely worn out and exasperated. They had recently been pulled over by the police and felt like they had come dangerously close to ruining their life. They also acknowledged that their actions could have caused a lot of negative attention for their band, which would have been a terrible outcome.
He made a firm decision to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months without giving in to temptation. However, he eventually fell back into his previous habits of drinking. It took another year before he finally sought help and fully dedicated himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his time in rehab, it didn't take long for Kelly to share his struggles with alcohol with Lady A fans. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase about the decision to delay their 2022 Request Line Tour in order to prioritize Kelley's newfound sobriety. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself, while his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood had initially considered inventing alternative reasons for the tour postponement.
Kelley expressed that she was not ashamed of the difficult task she had undertaken, stating that it was the hardest thing she had ever done. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and causing destruction, she chose to face the situation honestly. She mentioned feeling grateful for this experience, which marked a turning point for her. As a result, she decided to share her story, and it has since gained momentum in a positive and beneficial manner.
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