Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal journey to sobriety. However, there is one particular incident that he has never addressed directly until recently. Kelley revealed that there was a time when he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
Kelley confesses in an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on the Heart of the Matter podcast that when he was consuming alcohol, it became a regular habit for him to consume "four or five drinks" while playing golf and then proceed to drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Although it was only a short 10-minute drive, there were instances where she realized the extreme foolishness and riskiness of her actions. The following day, she reflected upon the situation and came to the realization that her reckless behavior could have resulted in the loss of someone else's life or even her own.
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 him the freedom to drink without any family responsibilities. Kelley spent a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the night, other customers at the bar began to worry and question whether Kelley intended to drive home.
He recalls thinking, "If I don't go back home by driving, my wife will ask me where my car is." He could have retrieved it the next morning without her knowing, since she wasn't present.
However, with a strong determination to return home by himself, he quietly left the bar through the rear exit and started driving away. Unfortunately, he was stopped by law enforcement during the extremely brief journey back to his residence.
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked if I was the person from that band. I confirmed that I was. 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 any kind of punishment. I was amazed and relieved that I had avoided a serious consequence.
However, the incident served as a moment of realization for Kelley, prompting him to understand the importance of informing his spouse about what had transpired.
The singer expresses their feeling of being completely fed up and worn out. They recount the recent incident of getting pulled over, realizing how close they came to ruining their entire life. They also acknowledge the chaos it could have caused for their band, resulting in negative publicity.
He made a firm decision to quit drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually relapsed and fell back into his previous drinking habits. It took another year before he finally sought professional help and fully dedicated himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his rehabilitation, it didn't take much time for Kelly to reveal to Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase about the postponement of their 2022 Request Line Tour, attributing it to the need to safeguard Kelley's early recovery from addiction. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself. However, his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood had proposed creating alternative explanations for the band's absence from the tour.
Kelley expressed that she was not ashamed of her actions and admitted that what she had done was extremely challenging. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroying everything, she chose to face the situation honestly. Kelley mentioned feeling grateful for the experience, which marked a turning point for her. She decided to share her story, and it has since gained momentum in a positive and beneficial manner.
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