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 discussed directly before today. He recently opened up about the time when he came close to receiving a DUI after 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 thing 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 operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The journey lasted approximately ten minutes, but there were instances during the drive where Kelley realized the extreme foolishness and danger of their actions. The following day, they reflected on the situation and realized the potential consequences: 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 when his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days, giving Kelley the freedom to drink without any family responsibilities. He spent the day playing golf and indulging in drinks at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the night, other people at the bar began to worry and question whether Kelley intended to drive home.
He recalls, "I thought to myself, if I don't drive back, my wife will wonder where my car is, even though I could have picked it up the next morning. She wouldn't have been aware since she wasn't there."
However, with a strong determination to return home by himself, he stealthily exited through the rear exit of the establishment and departed in his vehicle. Unfortunately, during the brief journey to his residence, 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, "Yes." Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and kindly offered to drive me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalties. I was astonished and relieved, thinking, "Wow, that was a close call."
However, the situation served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expresses their feelings by saying, "I reached a point where I felt completely drained. I had just been stopped by the police, and it felt like I had come dangerously close to destroying my entire life. It also caused a lot of turmoil for the band, which would have resulted in negative publicity, undoubtedly."
He made a firm decision to stop consuming alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually fell back into his old habits of drinking. It took him another year before he finally decided to seek professional help and fully dedicate himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his stint in rehab, it didn't take long for Kelly to disclose his struggles with alcohol to Lady A fans. The country trio was transparent with their supporters, explaining that they postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour to prioritize Kelley's newfound sobriety. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself, while his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood had initially proposed using alternative excuses for the tour postponement.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in being honest about her experience, stating that it was the most difficult thing she had ever done. She acknowledged that the easier option would have been to continue drinking and destroy everything. However, she chose to be grateful for her situation, which marked a turning point for her. As a result, she decided to share her story, and it has since gained momentum in a positive and beneficial manner.
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