Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his path to sobriety. However, he has never directly addressed a particular incident until recently. He shared that there was a time when he came close to receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
In a recent interview on Elizabeth Vargas' Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confessed that when he consumed alcohol, it became a regular thing for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Even though the journey only lasted for 10 minutes, there were instances where she realized how foolish and perilous her actions were. The following day, she reflected on the gravity of the situation and realized that she could have caused harm to someone else or even lost her own life.
On one specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with a DUI charge. 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 a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. As the night drew to a close, fellow customers began expressing 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 without her knowing, she wasn't present," he recalls.
However, with a strong resolve to travel back home alone, he managed to discreetly leave through the rear exit of the establishment and began driving away. Unfortunately, during his brief journey towards his residence, he was stopped by a police officer.
The police officer checked 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 pull over my car, and he drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalties. I was amazed and relieved that I managed to avoid trouble.
However, the incident served as a moment of realization for Kelley, prompting him to recognize the urgency of informing his spouse about what had occurred.
The singer expresses that they were feeling exhausted and frustrated after getting pulled over, thinking that they had almost jeopardized their entire life and caused unnecessary chaos for the band. They acknowledge that it would have resulted in negative publicity, which would have been terrible.
He made a promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and struggled to resist the temptation for three months. However, he eventually gave in and returned to his old habits of drinking. It took him another year before he finally decided to seek professional help and fully dedicate himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his time in rehabilitation, it didn't take much time for Kelly to inform Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their supporters, explaining that they delayed their 2022 Request Line Tour in order to prioritize Kelley's early stages of sobriety. This decision to be truthful was made by Kelley himself. While Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood suggested creating different explanations for why the band wouldn't be embarking on the tour.
In a conversation, Kelley expressed that they were not ashamed of their actions and found it necessary to be honest. They admitted that what they were facing was the most difficult thing they had ever encountered. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and causing destruction, Kelley chose to be grateful for their situation. This gratitude became a turning point for them, leading them to decide to share their experience. As a result, their decision to open up about their struggles has had a positive and beneficial impact.
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