Charles Kelley, a member of Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal journey towards sobriety. However, there is one particular incident that he has never addressed directly until recently. He revealed that there was a time when he came dangerously close to getting a DUI while driving under the influence.
Kelley confesses in an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on her Heart of the Matter podcast 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 operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The distance covered during this journey was only ten minutes, however, there were instances where Kelley realized the extreme foolishness and danger of their actions. Reflecting on the situation the following day, Kelley expressed a deep sense of remorse, acknowledging the potential consequences of their irresponsible behavior, such as causing harm to others or even losing their own life.
On one occasion, Kelley came close to being charged with a DUI. It happened during the Christmas season when his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days. This gave Kelley the freedom to drink as much as he pleased without any familial responsibilities. He spent the day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the night, other people at the bar became worried about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
"I thought to myself, if I don't drive back, my wife will question me about the whereabouts of my car," he recalls. "Even though I could have retrieved it the next morning without her knowing, she wasn't present at the time."
However, with a strong resolve to return home alone, he discretely left the bar from its rear exit and departed in his car. Unfortunately, he was stopped by a police officer during the extremely brief journey to his house.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person from that band?" I replied affirmatively. Instead of charging me with DUI, the officer instructed me to pull my car over and personally drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or take any further action. I was amazed and relieved that I had narrowly escaped trouble.
Nevertheless, the occurrence served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expresses their feelings of frustration and exhaustion after a recent incident where they were pulled over. They acknowledge that their actions could have had severe consequences and caused chaos for their band. They also mention that it would have generated negative publicity for them.
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 him another year to finally seek professional 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 transparently informed their fanbase that the postponement of their 2022 Request Line Tour was primarily to safeguard Kelley's early stages of sobriety. Kelley made the personal choice to be honest about his situation. However, his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, proposed finding alternative reasons for the band's absence on the tour.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she was about to say was the most challenging thing she had ever done. Instead of taking the easy way out, which would have involved continuing to drink and destroying everything, she chose to face the situation honestly. Kelley mentioned feeling grateful for the experience, and this gratitude marked a turning point for her. She realized that she was now ready to share her story, and since then, it has gained momentum in a 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
Additional content from Taste of Country can be found here. We also provide information and