Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal journey towards sobriety. However, there is one particular incident that he had not previously discussed until recently. He revealed that there was a time when he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI after driving under the influence.
In an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on the Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confesses that when he used to consume alcohol, it became a frequent habit for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf in a single day, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where she realized the foolishness and extreme risk of her actions. The following day, she felt a deep sense of regret, realizing that her reckless behavior could have resulted in the loss of someone's life, including her own.
On one specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with being charged with a DUI. It happened during the Christmas season, and he recalls that his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days, giving him the opportunity to drink without any family responsibilities. He spent a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the evening, other customers at the bar began to worry about whether Kelley intended to drive back home.
He recalls thinking, "If I don't drive back, my wife will wonder where my car is." Even though he could have retrieved it the next morning without her ever finding out because she wasn't present.
However, he was determined to make his way back home alone, so he discreetly left the bar through the rear exit and started driving. Unfortunately, he was stopped by the police during the extremely brief journey to his house.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked if I was the person from that band. I confirmed that I was indeed part of the band. Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to pull my car to the side of the road and drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any form of punishment. I was amazed and relieved that I had escaped any serious consequences.
However, the occurrence served as a reminder to Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expressed their feeling of being completely tired and fed up, stating that they had reached their limit. They had recently been pulled over, and the incident had the potential to negatively impact their life and cause a lot of trouble for their band. They acknowledged that it would have resulted in unfavorable publicity, which is something they definitely wanted to avoid.
He made a promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation. However, he eventually gave in and returned to his previous habits of drinking. It took another year before he finally decided to seek professional help and fully dedicated himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his rehabilitation, it didn't take much time for Kelly to disclose his struggles with alcohol to Lady A fans. 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 stages of sobriety. Kelley himself made the decision to be honest about the situation, while his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood proposed offering alternative explanations for the tour's delay.
"I expressed my refusal to hide the truth and admitted that I do not feel ashamed of this experience. This has been the most difficult challenge I have ever faced." Kelley explains. "Taking the easy way out would have been to continue drinking and let everything fall apart. Instead, I expressed gratitude for this situation." Kelley reflects. "That was the moment when I realized it was time to share my story. Since then, it has gained momentum in a very positive and beneficial manner."
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