Charles Kelley, a member of Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his path to sobriety. However, he has never directly addressed one specific incident until recently. Kelley has now revealed that he came close to receiving a DUI when he was driving under the influence.
In an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on her Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confesses that when he used to consume 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. Although the journey only lasted for about 10 minutes, there were instances where she realized the extreme foolishness and danger of her actions. The following day, she reflected upon the situation and came to the realization that she had the potential to cause harm to others or even lose her own life.
There was a specific incident that occurred when Kelley almost got 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, which meant he had no family responsibilities. With this freedom, he took the opportunity to drink as much as he pleased. He spent the day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the night, other customers at the bar began to express worry about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
"I thought to myself, 'If I don't drive back, my wife will ask, 'Where's your car?'' Even though I could have retrieved it the following morning. She wouldn't have been aware of it since she wasn't present," he recalls.
However, with a strong resolve to return home alone, he quietly exited through the rear exit of the bar and departed in his car. Unfortunately, he was stopped by law enforcement during his brief journey back to his residence.
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked me 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 pull over my car and kindly drove me the rest of the way home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalties. I was amazed and relieved, thinking that I narrowly escaped a potential problem.
However, the occurrence served as a jolt for Kelley, prompting him to realize that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expressed their feelings of being completely exhausted and fed up. They recounted a recent incident where they were pulled over by the police, realizing that they had come dangerously close to ruining their life. They acknowledged the negative impact it could have had on their band, as it would have generated extremely negative publicity.
He made a strong decision to stop consuming alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually relapsed into his previous drinking habits. It took him another year before he finally sought professional help and fully dedicated himself to leading a sober lifestyle.
Following his time in rehabilitation, it didn't take Kelly much time to inform Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their loyal supporters, explaining that the postponement of their 2022 Request Line Tour was primarily to safeguard Kelley's newfound sobriety. This decision to be honest with their fans was made by Kelley himself, while his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood proposed inventing alternative reasons for the band's tour delay.
Kelley expressed that she was not ashamed of her actions and wanted to be honest about them. She admitted that what she went through was extremely difficult and could have taken the easy route by continuing to drink and destroying everything in her life. However, she chose to be grateful for the experience, which marked a turning point for her. This led her to decide to share her story, and it has since gained momentum in a positive and beneficial way.
Here is a compilation of 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. Additionally, we have gathered 11 noteworthy country songs that revolve around the theme
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