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 event that he has never directly addressed until recently. Kelley has now revealed that he had a close encounter with getting a DUI when he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
In an interview on Elizabeth Vargas' Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confesses that when he consumed alcohol, it became a regular habit for him to consume "four or five drinks" while playing golf, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol while heading home. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where Kelley realized the extreme foolishness and hazardous nature of her actions. The following day, Kelley felt a profound sense of regret and contemplated the potential consequences, realizing that she could have caused harm to someone else or even lost her own life.
On a specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with being charged with driving under the influence (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 consume alcohol without any familial responsibilities. He spent a day enjoying a game of golf and having drinks at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the evening, other customers at the bar began showing worry about whether Kelley intended to drive back home.
"And I thought to myself, 'Oh no, if I don't go back and drive my car, my wife will ask me, 'Where is your car?'' Even though I could have just gotten it the next morning without her knowing, since she wasn't there," he recalls.
However, with a strong resolve to get back home by himself, he managed to discreetly leave the bar through the rear exit and proceeded to drive away. Unfortunately, during the brief distance he covered on his way back to his house, he caught the attention of law enforcement and
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked if I was the person in that band. I confirmed that I was indeed the band member. Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to pull my car over and kindly drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalties. I was amazed and relieved that I had avoided a potentially serious situation.
Nevertheless, the occurrence served as a reminder that Kelley needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expresses their feelings of exhaustion and frustration, stating that they had reached a point where they wanted to give up. They had recently been pulled over and felt that they had made a serious mistake that could have had a detrimental impact on their life and caused a lot of trouble for the band. They were worried about the negative publicity and the potential consequences it could have had.
He made a solemn vow to abstain from consuming alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually succumbed and returned to his previous habits of drinking. It took an additional year for him to finally seek professional help and wholeheartedly dedicate himself to a life of sobriety.
Shortly after completing rehabilitation, Kelly wasted no time in sharing his struggle with alcohol with fans of Lady A. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that the postponement of their 2022 Request Line Tour was to ensure Kelley's newly established sobriety remained intact. This decision to be honest with fans was made by Kelley himself. On the other hand, his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood had proposed fabricating alternative reasons for the band's tour delay.
Kelley expressed that she was not ashamed of her actions and acknowledged that what she had done was incredibly difficult. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and causing more destruction, she chose to be honest and face the consequences. She mentioned that she was grateful for the experience, and this realization marked a turning point for her. As a result, she decided to share her story, and it has since gained momentum in a positive and beneficial manner.
Here is a collection of 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. These musicians have made the decision to abstain from alcohol and drugs, and their
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