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 event that he has never discussed openly until now – 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 was consuming alcohol, it became a regular habit for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf and then drive himself back home.
Kelley acknowledges that they were operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where they realized the extreme foolishness and potential danger of their actions. The following day, they reflected on the severity of the situation and realized the potential for causing harm to others or even losing their own life.
On one specific instance, Kelley had a close encounter with being charged with driving under the influence. This incident took place during the Christmas season, and he recalls that his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days, which meant he had no family responsibilities. With this freedom, Kelley indulged in drinking as much as he desired, while also spending a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. As the night drew to a close, fellow bar-goers began expressing worry regarding Kelley's intention to drive home.
"I thought to myself, 'If I don't go back home by driving, my wife will ask me, 'Where is your car?'' Even though I could have retrieved it the following morning. She wouldn't have been aware of it because she wasn't present," he recalls.
However, with a strong resolve to reach his home by himself, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and departed in his vehicle. Unfortunately, during the brief journey back to his house, he was stopped by the police.
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked if I was the person from that band. I confirmed that I was, and instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalties. I was amazed and relieved that I had avoided a potentially serious consequence.
However, the incident served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about what had occurred.
The singer expressed their thoughts by saying, "I reached a point where I felt completely drained. I had just been stopped by the police, and it was a close call that could have potentially destroyed my life. It also caused a lot of disruption for the band. It would have resulted in negative attention from the media, which would have been really unfortunate."
He made a firm decision to stop consuming alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually returned to his previous habit of drinking. It took another year before he finally sought help and fully dedicated himself to a life of being sober.
Following his time in rehabilitation, it didn't take much time for Kelly to share his struggle with alcohol with Lady A fans. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that the primary reason for postponing their 2022 Request Line Tour was to ensure Kelley's early stages of sobriety were protected. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself. On the other hand, his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, proposed using alternative explanations for why the band couldn't embark on the tour.
"I responded with honesty and said, 'No, I am not ashamed of this. This has been the most difficult thing I have ever done.' It would have been easier to continue drinking and destroy everything. Instead, I expressed gratitude for the situation," Kelley explains. "… And that was the moment when I realized, 'Okay, I guess I am going to share this now.' So, it has gradually gained momentum in a very positive and beneficial manner."
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