Charles Kelley, a member of Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his path to sobriety. However, he had never directly addressed a specific incident until recently. Kelley has now revealed that there was a time when he came close to receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
In an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on her Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confesses that when he was consuming 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 operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Even though the journey lasted only 10 minutes, she experienced a few instances where she realized how incredibly foolish and perilous her actions were. The following day, she couldn't help but reflect on the gravity of the situation, realizing that she had the potential to harm not only someone else but also herself.
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 enjoying a game of golf and drinking at a nearby bar. As the night was coming to an end, fellow customers began expressing worry about whether Kelley intended to drive himself home.
"And I thought to myself, 'If I don't drive back, my wife will ask, 'Where's your car?' even though I could have gotten it the following morning. She wouldn't have been aware since she wasn't there," he recalls.
However, with a strong determination to return home by himself, he discreetly left the bar through the rear exit and drove off. Unfortunately, he was stopped by the police during the extremely brief journey to his house.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person in that band?" I replied, "Yes." Instead of arresting me for DUI, the officer instructed me to park my car and drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or anything. I was amazed and relieved that I had escaped a potentially serious situation.
However, the incident served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about what had occurred.
The singer expressed their frustration and exhaustion after being pulled over, feeling like they had made a serious mistake that could have had a negative impact on their life and caused trouble for the band. They acknowledged the potential negative consequences it could have had in terms of media coverage.
He made a firm decision to quit drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually fell back into his previous habit of drinking. It took a whole year for him to finally seek professional help and fully dedicate himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his time in rehab, it didn't take Kelly much time to inform Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country group was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that they had postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour in order to prioritize supporting Kelley's early recovery from addiction. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself. His fellow band members, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, had initially proposed creating alternative excuses for the tour delay.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she was about to do was extremely difficult. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroying everything, she chose to face the challenge. She mentioned that she was grateful for the situation, which marked a turning point for her decision to share her experience. Since then, it has gained momentum in a positive and beneficial manner.
Here is a list of 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. Additionally, we have compiled a collection of 11 great country songs that revolve
Additional content available on Taste of Country's website. We provide information and updates on