Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his path to sobriety. However, there has been one particular incident that he has not previously discussed openly: the moment 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 consumed alcohol, it became a regular habit for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was under the influence while driving back home. Although the journey lasted only 10 minutes, there were instances during which she realized the extreme foolishness and perilousness of her actions. The following day, she reflected on the situation and was struck by the realization 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 being charged with driving under the influence. This incident occurred 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 familial responsibilities. With this freedom, he indulged in alcohol without any restrictions. Kelley spent the day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. As the night came to a close, fellow customers began expressing worry about his intention to drive back home.
"And I thought to myself, 'Oh no, if I don't return home by driving, my wife will question me about the whereabouts of my car!' Even though I could have just retrieved it the following morning without her knowing, as she wasn't present," he narrates.
However, with a strong resolve to return home by himself, he covertly left through the rear exit of the bar and proceeded to drive away. Within a brief distance towards his residence, he was stopped by law enforcement.
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked if I was the person in that band. I confirmed that I was. Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and kindly drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any punishment. I was amazed and relieved that I had avoided a potentially serious situation.
However, this occurrence served as a realization for Kelley, prompting him to understand that he must inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expresses their feelings of frustration and exhaustion, stating that they reached a breaking point. They had recently been pulled over and realized that their actions could have potentially had serious negative consequences, causing a lot of trouble for their band. They acknowledge that it would have resulted in terrible publicity.
He made a promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually fell back into his usual drinking habits. It took him another year to finally seek help and fully dedicate himself to achieving sobriety.
Following his rehabilitation, it didn't take much time for Kelly to reveal to Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that they had postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour in order to prioritize Kelley's early stages of sobriety. The decision to be honest about this matter was made by Kelley himself. On the other hand, his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, proposed offering alternative explanations for the band's absence from the tour.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she was about to do was the most difficult thing she had ever faced. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroying everything, she chose to be honest and face her challenges head-on. Kelley mentioned that she was grateful for the opportunity to do so, and this gratitude marked a turning point for her. She decided to share her experience, 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. For more information, please