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 discussed openly until recently. Kelley has now revealed that there was a time when he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI charge due to 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 thing for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf in a single day and then drive back home.
Kelley confesses that they were driving while under the influence of alcohol. Although the distance they had to cover was only 10 minutes, there were instances where they realized the extreme foolishness and danger of their actions. The following day, Kelley reflects on the situation with regret and acknowledges 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 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 consume alcohol without any family responsibilities. He spent a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar, and as the night was coming to an end, fellow customers began to worry if Kelley intended to drive back home.
"And I thought to myself, 'If I don't drive back, my wife is going to ask, 'Where is your car?'' even though I could have retrieved it the following morning. She wouldn't have been aware because she wasn't present," he recalls.
However, with a strong resolve to go home alone, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and started driving towards his house. Unfortunately, he was stopped by the police during the brief journey.
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked if I was the person from 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 pull over my car and drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalties. I was amazed and relieved that I had escaped a potentially serious situation.
However, the occurrence served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about what had transpired.
The singer expressed their feelings of being completely overwhelmed and exhausted. They had recently been pulled over and felt that it could have potentially had severe consequences that would have caused a lot of trouble for their band. They were fully aware of the negative publicity it would have generated.
He made a firm decision to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation. However, he eventually succumbed to his old habits of drinking. It took him another year to finally seek professional help and fully dedicate himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his time in rehab, it didn't take Kelly much time to reveal to Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their dedicated fanbase about the decision to postpone their 2022 Request Line Tour in order to prioritize Kelley's early stages of sobriety. This choice to be honest was solely made by Kelley himself, as his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood had initially proposed finding alternative reasons for the band's tour delay.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she was about to do was the most challenging thing she had ever done. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroying everything, she chose to face her situation honestly. She mentioned feeling grateful for this experience, which marked a turning point for her. This led to her decision to share her story, and it has since gained momentum in a very positive and beneficial manner.
Here is a compilation of 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. These individuals have made the decision to abstain from alcohol and drugs, prioritizing
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