Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his path to sobriety. However, there is one particular incident that he has never directly addressed before now. This incident involves the time when he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
In an interview on Elizabeth Vargas' Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confesses that when he was consuming alcohol, it became frequent for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf in a day, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that they were driving under the influence while heading home. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where Kelley realized the extreme foolishness and perilous nature of their actions. The following day, they were filled with regret and the realization that their irresponsible behavior could have resulted in the loss of someone's life, including their own.
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. Towards the end of the night, other people at the bar began to worry about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
He recalls saying, "I thought to myself, if I don't go back home by driving, my wife will ask, 'Where is your car?'. Even though I could have retrieved it the following morning without her knowing since she wasn't present."
However, with a strong determination to return home alone, he discreetly left the bar through the rear exit and proceeded to drive away. Unfortunately, during the brief journey back to his house, he was stopped by law enforcement.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person from that band?" I responded affirmatively. Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any punishment. I was incredibly relieved and exclaimed, "Wow, that was close! I narrowly escaped a potential problem."
However, the occurrence served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expresses their frustration and exhaustion after a recent incident where they were pulled over. They reflect on how this incident could have potentially caused a lot of trouble for the band and generated negative publicity.
He made a firm decision to stop consuming alcohol and endured three months of intense self-control, but eventually relapsed into his previous drinking habits. It took him another year to finally seek professional help and fully embrace a sober lifestyle.
Following his time in rehab, it didn't take long for Kelly to share his struggle with alcohol with Lady A fans. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase about the decision to postpone their 2022 Request Line Tour, as they wanted to prioritize Kelley's recently established sobriety. This choice to be honest with the fans was made by Kelley himself, while his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood had initially proposed finding alternative reasons for the tour delay.
"I expressed my honesty and lack of shame about the situation, acknowledging that it was the most difficult thing I have ever faced. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroy everything, I chose to be grateful for this experience," Kelley shares. "This was the turning point that made me realize I should share my story. And since then, it has grown in a very positive and beneficial manner."
Here is a collection of 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. These individuals have made the decision to abstain from alcohol and drugs, and their
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