Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal journey towards sobriety. However, he has never directly addressed one particular incident until now: the moment when he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI while operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
In an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on her podcast Heart of the Matter, Kelley confesses that when he was consuming alcohol, it became a regular thing for him to have about "four or five drinks" while playing golf in a day, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was driving under the influence of alcohol on her way home. Although the distance was only a 10-minute drive, there were instances where Kelley realized the extreme foolishness and danger of her actions. The following day, she reflected on the situation and realized the potential consequences of her reckless behavior, acknowledging that she could have caused harm to someone else or even lost her own life.
On one specific occasion, Kelley came close to being charged with a DUI. This incident happened during the Christmas season, and Kelley 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. As the night came to a close, fellow customers at the bar began expressing worry about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
He recalls saying, "I thought to myself, if I don't drive back, my wife will ask me where my car is." He knew he could have retrieved it the following morning without her knowing since she wasn't present.
However, with a strong resolve to return home by himself, he quietly left the bar through the rear exit and embarked on his journey. Unfortunately, during the brief distance he had to cover to reach his house, he was stopped by the police.
The police officer inspected my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person from that band?" I replied, "Yes." 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 penalties. I exclaimed, "Wow, what a relief!" I narrowly escaped a potentially serious situation.
However, the incident served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his wife about the situation.
The singer expresses feeling overwhelmed and exhausted after a recent incident where they were pulled over by the police. They believed that their actions could have had severe consequences and caused chaos for their band. They acknowledge that it would have resulted in negative publicity, which they wanted to avoid.
He made a strong decision to stop consuming alcohol and struggled for three months to stay away from it, but eventually relapsed and fell back into his previous drinking habits. It took him an additional year to finally seek professional help and fully dedicate himself to a sober lifestyle.
Following his time in rehab, it didn't take long for Kelly to share with Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that the postponement of their 2022 Request Line Tour was primarily to ensure Kelley's newfound sobriety was protected. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself, while his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood initially proposed using alternative explanations for the tour delay.
"I told myself, 'No, let's be truthful… I don't feel ashamed about this… This is the most challenging thing I have ever done.'" Kelley explains. "The easier option would have been to continue drinking and destroy everything. I then said, 'I am thankful for this.'" Kelley reflects. "… And that moment was when I realized, 'Okay, I suppose I am now going to share it.' So it has gradually gained momentum in a very positive and beneficial manner."
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