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 event that he had never addressed directly before, which is the time he came very close to receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
In an interview on Elizabeth Vargas' Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confesses that while he consumed alcohol, it became a frequent habit 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 while under the influence of alcohol on their way home. Despite it being a short 10-minute drive, Kelley acknowledges that there were a few instances during the journey where they realized how foolish and extremely perilous their actions were. The following day, Kelley reflects on the situation and realizes the gravity of their actions, acknowledging that they could have caused harm to someone else or even lost their own life.
On a 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 consume alcohol without any familial responsibilities. He spent a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the evening, fellow customers began to worry about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
He recalls, "I thought to myself, if I don't drive back, my wife will ask me where my car is. Even though I could have retrieved it the following morning without her knowing, she wasn't present at the time."
However, with a strong resolve to return home alone, he managed to discreetly leave through the rear exit of the bar and departed in his car. Unfortunately, during the extremely brief journey to his house, he was stopped by law enforcement.
The police officer glanced at my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person in that band?" I replied affirmatively, and 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 penalties. I was amazed and relieved, thinking to myself, "What a close call!"
However, the occurrence served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expressed feeling completely worn out and exasperated. They had just experienced getting pulled over and realized the potential consequences could have been disastrous, causing a lot of trouble for the band. They were fully aware that it would have resulted in negative publicity, which would have been extremely unfortunate.
He made a promise to himself to quit drinking and went through a challenging period of three months where he struggled to resist the temptation. However, he eventually fell back into his previous habits of drinking. It took him another year before he finally sought professional help and wholeheartedly dedicated himself to a life of sob
Following his time in rehabilitation, it didn't take long for Kelly to inform Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country group was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that they postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour in order 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, had suggested using alternative excuses for the band's absence on tour.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she was about to say was difficult for her. She acknowledged that taking the easy way out would have been to continue drinking and destroy everything. However, she chose to be grateful for the situation instead. This shift in mindset was the turning point for her decision to share her experience, and it has since grown and evolved in a positive and beneficial manner.
There are 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. These artists have made the decision to refrain from consuming alcohol or using drugs. They serve as an
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