Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal struggle with sobriety. However, there is one specific incident that he has never publicly discussed until recently – the time he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
Kelley revealed in an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on her Heart of the Matter podcast that when he used to consume alcohol, it became a frequent habit for him to consume "four or five drinks" while playing golf, and later drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Despite the short duration of the drive, Kelley acknowledges that there were instances during which she realized the extreme foolishness and perilous nature of her actions. The following day, Kelley reflects on the potential consequences of her recklessness, expressing remorse and recognizing that her actions could have resulted in the loss of someone's life, including her own.
On one specific occasion, Kelley came close to 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 a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the night, other customers at the bar began expressing worry about whether Kelley intended to drive back home.
"I thought to myself, 'If I don't drive back, my wife will ask, '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 determination to return home alone, he managed to secretly leave the bar through the rear exit and began driving towards his house. Unfortunately, during the brief journey, he was stopped by the police.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person who is part of that band?" I replied affirmatively. Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and offered to drive me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalties. I was astonished and relieved, thinking to myself, "What a lucky escape!"
Nevertheless, this incident served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about what had occurred.
The singer expressed their feelings by saying, "I reached a point where I felt completely drained. I had just been pulled over by the police, and it felt like I had almost caused irreversible damage to my life. It also created a lot of unnecessary trouble for the band." They were aware that such incidents would have resulted in negative publicity, which would have been highly undesirable.
He made a firm decision to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually fell back into his old habits of drinking. It took another year for him to finally seek help and fully dedicate himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his rehabilitation, it didn't take much time for Kelly to reveal his struggle with alcohol to Lady A fans. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase about the postponement of their 2022 Request Line Tour, explaining that it was necessary to prioritize Kelley's newfound sobriety. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself, while his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood proposed finding alternative reasons for the tour's cancellation.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she was going through was extremely difficult. Instead of taking the easy route of continuing to drink and destroying everything, she decided to face her problems head-on. She mentioned that she was grateful for this challenging experience, which marked a turning point for her. From that moment on, she decided to share her story, and it has since gained momentum in a positive and beneficial manner.
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