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 had not previously discussed: the moment when he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI for driving under the influence.
In an interview on Elizabeth Vargas' podcast, Kelley confesses that when he consumed alcohol, it became a regular habit for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf, and then proceed to drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that they were driving under the influence on their way home. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where Kelley realized the extreme foolishness and danger of their actions. Reflecting on the incident the following day, Kelley expressed deep remorse, recognizing the potential harm they could have caused to others or themselves.
On one 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 family responsibilities. He spent the day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. As the night neared its end, other people at the bar began to show worry about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
"I thought to myself, 'If I don't drive back, my wife will ask me where my car is.' Even though I could have picked it up the next morning, she wouldn't have known because she wasn't there," he explains.
However, with a strong determination to return home on his own, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and began driving away. However, during the extremely brief journey back to his house, he was stopped by law enforcement.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked if I was the person from that band. I confirmed that I was. Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and then drove me the rest of the way home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalty. I was amazed and relieved by how fortunate I was to have avoided trouble in that situation.
However, the occurrence served as a moment of realization for Kelley. He recognized the urgency of informing his wife about the incident.
The singer expressed their feelings by saying, "I had reached my limit. It was tiring and overwhelming. I had just been stopped by the police, and it felt like I had almost completely destroyed my life. The situation caused a lot of trouble for the band, and it would have resulted in negative publicity, which would have been terrible."
He made a promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and endured three months of intense struggle and determination, but unfortunately, he eventually succumbed to his previous 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 rehab, it didn't take long for Kelly to share with Lady A fans his struggles with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that the postponement of their 2022 Request Line Tour was to prioritize Kelley's newly found sobriety. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself. His fellow band members, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, had initially proposed using other excuses to explain the tour cancellation.
"I expressed my honesty and lack of shame about the situation by saying, 'No, let's not hide the truth… I'm not embarrassed about this… This has been the most challenging thing I've ever done.' The easier option would have been to continue drinking and destroy everything. I mentioned that I am grateful for this experience," Kelley explains. "… And that was when I realized, 'Okay, I suppose I'm going to share it now.' So it has gradually gained momentum in a very positive and beneficial manner."
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