Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal battle with alcohol addiction and his path to sobriety. However, there is one particular incident that he has never directly addressed until recently: the moment when he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
Kelley revealed in an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on her podcast, Heart of the Matter, that when he consumed alcohol, it became a regular habit for him to consume "four or five drinks" while playing golf and then proceed to drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The journey lasted for approximately 10 minutes, but there were instances where she realized the extreme foolishness and hazardous nature of her actions. The following day, she reflected on the situation and felt a deep sense of remorse, realizing that she could have caused harm to someone else or even lost her own life.
On a specific occasion, Kelley came close to being charged with a DUI. It was 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 as much as he pleased without any family responsibilities. He spent the day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. As the night neared its end, fellow customers began expressing worry about whether Kelley intended to drive himself home.
"And I thought to myself, 'If I don't drive back, my wife will ask me, 'Where's your car?'' Even though I could have picked it up the next morning without her knowing, since she wasn't there," he recalls.
However, with a strong resolve to reach home alone, he surreptitiously left through the rear exit of the bar and departed in his vehicle. Unfortunately, he was stopped by the police during the brief journey back to his residence.
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 park my car and kindly offered to drive me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalties. I was surprised and relieved by the fortunate turn of events.
Nevertheless, the occurrence served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expressed feeling exhausted and frustrated after getting pulled over, thinking that their life was almost ruined and that it caused unnecessary chaos for the band. They believed that it would have resulted in negative publicity, which they wanted to avoid.
He made a firm decision to stop drinking alcohol and tried his best to resist the temptation for three months, but eventually found himself falling back into his old habits of drinking. It took him another year before he finally sought help and fully dedicated himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his time in rehabilitation, Kelly didn't take much time before sharing with Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that they had postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour 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 proposed the idea of coming up with alternative reasons for not going on tour.
"I expressed my refusal by saying, 'No, let's be honest … I have no shame about this … This is the most difficult thing I have ever done.' The easier option would have been to continue drinking and destroy everything. I expressed gratitude for this situation," Kelley explains. "… And that was when I realized, 'Okay, I suppose I am now going to share it.' So it has gradually gained momentum in a very 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
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