Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has always been open about his path to sobriety. However, he recently shared a previously undisclosed incident where he came close to receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
Kelley revealed in an interview on Elizabeth Vargas' Heart of the Matter podcast that he regularly consumed four or five alcoholic beverages while playing golf, and would then proceed to drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Although the journey only lasted for 10 minutes, there were instances where she realized the extreme foolishness and perilous nature of her actions. The following day, she reflected on the situation and realized the grave consequences that could have occurred, such as causing harm to another individual or even losing her own life.
On a specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with getting charged with a DUI. This incident 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 drink without any family responsibilities. He spent a day playing golf and having drinks at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the night, other customers at the bar began to express worry about Kelley's intention to drive home.
"I thought to myself, 'If I don't drive back, my wife will ask me where my car is.' Even though I could have retrieved it the next morning without her finding out since she wasn't there," he recalls.
However, with a strong resolve to return home alone, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and began driving towards his house. However, he was soon stopped by the police during the brief journey back to his residence.
The police officer examined 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 pull over and drove me all the way home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalties. I was amazed and relieved that I had escaped trouble.
However, the incident served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about what had transpired.
The singer expresses their frustration and exhaustion after getting pulled over, feeling like they are at a breaking point. They believe that this incident could have potentially had severe consequences and caused a lot of trouble for the band, which would have resulted in negative media attention.
He made a firm decision to stop consuming alcohol and struggled for three months to stay away from it, but eventually relapsed and returned to his previous habits of drinking. It took another year for him to finally seek professional help and fully dedicate himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his stint in rehabilitation, it didn't take much time for Kelly to share his struggle with alcohol with Lady A fans. The country trio decided to be transparent with their fanbase, explaining that the primary reason for postponing their 2022 Request Line Tour was to safeguard Kelley's newfound sobriety. This choice to be honest was made by Kelley himself, while his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, proposed fabricating alternative justifications for the tour's cancellation.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she was about to do was the most challenging thing she had ever faced. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroying everything in her life, she chose to be honest and face her struggles. She mentioned feeling grateful for this decision, which became a turning point for her. It was at that moment that she decided to share her experience, and since then, it has gained momentum in a positive and beneficial manner.
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