Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal struggle with alcohol and his path to sobriety. However, he recently revealed a previously undisclosed incident where he came 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 in a single day, and afterwards, he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses to driving while under the influence of alcohol. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where Kelley realized the extreme foolishness and danger of their actions. Reflecting on the incident the following day, Kelley was struck by the realization that their irresponsible behavior could have resulted in the loss of someone's life, including their own.
On a specific occasion, Kelley came close to being charged with a DUI. It happened during Christmas time when his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days, giving him the freedom to drink without any familial responsibilities. Kelley spent a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the night, other customers at the bar began to worry about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
"And I thought to myself, 'If I don't drive back, my wife will ask, 'Where is your car?'' even though I could have retrieved it the following morning. She wouldn't have been aware because she wasn't present," he recalls.
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 to his house, he was stopped by law enforcement.
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked if I was the person from that band. I confirmed, and instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and offered to drive me home. I was surprised that he didn't give me a ticket or any punishment. I thought, "Wow, I really got lucky and avoided a potentially bad situation."
However, the occurrence served as a reminder for Kelley to take action. He realized that he needed to inform his wife about the incident.
The singer expressed their feeling of being completely tired and overwhelmed, thinking to themselves, "I've reached my limit. This is so draining. I was just pulled over by the police, and it almost had a disastrous impact on my life. It caused so much disorder within the band." The singer acknowledges that it would have resulted in extremely negative publicity for them and their band.
He made a promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually succumbed to his old habits. It took him another year before he finally sought help and fully dedicated himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his 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 fanbase, explaining that they postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour to prioritize Kelley's early stages of sobriety. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself, while his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood proposed using alternative explanations for the tour's delay.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she was about to do was the most challenging thing she had ever faced. She acknowledged that taking the easy way out would have involved continuing to drink excessively and destroying everything in her life. However, she chose a different path and expressed gratitude for the difficult journey she was embarking on. This realization became the turning point for her decision to share her story, and since then, it has gained momentum in a positive and beneficial manner.
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