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 addressed directly until recently: the moment when he came close to receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
In an episode of 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 later drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that they were driving under the influence on their way home. 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 reckless behavior had the potential to cause harm to others or even lead to their own demise.
On a specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with being charged with a DUI. It happened during the Christmas season, and his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days, giving Kelley the freedom to consume alcohol without any family responsibilities. He spent a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the evening, other customers at the bar began to worry about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
"I thought to myself, if I don't drive back, my wife will question me about the whereabouts of my car," he recalls. "Even though I could have retrieved it the following morning without her finding out, she wasn't present at the time."
However, he was determined to make his way home alone, so he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and started driving. Unfortunately, he was stopped by the police during the brief journey back to his house.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person from that band?" I confirmed that I was indeed a member. Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to pull my car to the side and kindly offered to drive me the rest of the way home. Surprisingly, he didn't issue me a ticket or any form of punishment. I was astonished and relieved that I had managed to avoid any trouble.
However, the incident served as a reminder that Kelley needed to inform his spouse about the situation he had experienced.
The singer expressed feelings of exhaustion and frustration after a recent incident where they were pulled over. They felt like they had almost caused significant harm to their own life and had also created chaos for their band. The singer acknowledged that this incident could have resulted in negative publicity for the band.
He made a firm decision to stop consuming alcohol and struggled for three months without it, but eventually relapsed into his previous habits of drinking. It took another year for him to finally seek professional help and fully dedicate himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his time in rehabilitation, it did not take much time for Kelly to inform Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio decided to be transparent with their fanbase and explained that the postponement of their 2022 Request Line Tour was due to the need to prioritize Kelley's newfound sobriety. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself, while his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood considered coming up with alternative reasons for the tour's delay.
"I refused to hide or be embarrassed about it. This was the most difficult thing I've ever had to face," Kelley stated. "The simpler option would have been to continue drinking and destroy everything in my life. But I chose to see it as a blessing," Kelley explained. "That moment was when I realized I should share my story. And since then, it has gained momentum in a very 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
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