Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal struggle to overcome addiction. However, there was one specific event that he had never directly addressed before. Kelley has now revealed that there was a time when he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
In an interview on the Heart of the Matter podcast hosted by Elizabeth Vargas, Kelley confesses that when he used to consume alcohol, it became a regular 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 she was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Although the journey only took 10 minutes, there were instances during the drive where she realized the extreme recklessness and perilous nature of her actions. The following day, she reflected on the situation and realized the potential consequences, recognizing that she could have caused harm to both others and herself.
On a specific occasion, Kelley had a close encounter with being charged with driving under the influence. This incident occurred during the Christmas season, and he vividly recalls that his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days, granting him the freedom to consume alcohol without any familial responsibilities. He utilized this opportunity by spending 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 Kelley's intentions to drive back home.
He recalls, "I thought to myself, if I don't drive back, my wife would wonder where my car is. Even though I 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 discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and departed in his vehicle. Within a brief distance from the bar, he was stopped by law enforcement.
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person in that band?" I replied, "Yes." Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to stop my car and personally drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or anything. I was amazed and relieved that I escaped a potential problem.
However, the occurrence served as a sudden realization for Kelley, prompting him to understand that he needed to inform his spouse about what had transpired.
"I felt completely drained and reached a point where I had enough. It was tiring. I had just been stopped by the police, and it was a close call that could have potentially ruined my life. It also caused a lot of turmoil within the band. It would have resulted in negative publicity, which would have been very unfortunate," explains the vocalist.
After making a firm decision to quit drinking, he managed to resist alcohol for three months by sheer willpower. However, he eventually relapsed and fell back into his previous drinking habits. It took him a whole year before he finally sought professional help and fully dedicated himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his stint in rehab, it didn't take Kelly much time to share with Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their loyal supporters, explaining that the primary reason for postponing their 2022 Request Line Tour was to prioritize Kelly's early stage sobriety. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself, while his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, initially proposed using alternative excuses to explain the band's absence from the tour.
Kelley expressed that she was not ashamed of what she was about to say and acknowledged that it was the most difficult thing she had ever faced. Instead of taking the easy way out and continuing to drink and destroy everything, she chose to be honest. She mentioned that she was grateful for the situation, which became a pivotal moment for her. It was at that point that she decided to share her story, and it has since gained momentum in a positive and beneficial manner.
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