Charles Kelley, a member of Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his path to sobriety. However, there was one specific incident that he had never openly discussed until recently. This incident involved him almost receiving a DUI after driving under the influence.
In an interview on Elizabeth Vargas' podcast, Kelley confesses that when he used to consume alcohol, it became a regular 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 they were driving under the influence on their way home. Although the distance was only 10 minutes, there were instances during the drive where Kelley realized the extreme foolishness and danger of their actions. Reflecting on the incident the following day, Kelley was struck by the realization that they could have caused harm to someone else or even lost their own life.
On a specific occasion, Kelley had a close encounter 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 freedom to drink without any familial responsibilities. He spent the day playing golf and having drinks at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the night, other individuals at the bar began to voice their worries about whether Kelley intended 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 following morning, she wouldn't have known since she wasn't present," he recalls.
However, with a strong determination to make it back home alone, he managed to discreetly leave the bar through the rear exit and began driving towards his house. Unfortunately, during the brief journey, he was stopped by the police.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked if I was the person in the band. I confirmed that I was. Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to pull my car to the side and offered to drive me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any other penalties. I was amazed and relieved by the fortunate turn of events.
However, the occurrence served as a sudden realization for Kelley, prompting him to understand the importance of informing his spouse about what had transpired.
The singer expresses their feelings by saying, "I reached a point where I felt completely exhausted and ready to give up. I had just been stopped by the police, which could have potentially had severe consequences for my life. It also caused a lot of disruption and turmoil for the band. It would have definitely resulted in negative publicity."
He made a firm decision to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months without it, but eventually relapsed into his previous drinking habits. It took another year for him to finally seek professional help and fully dedicate himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his 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 they had postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour to prioritize Kelley's newfound sobriety. It was Kelley's personal choice to be honest about the situation. Meanwhile, his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood initially proposed using alternative reasons to explain the band's absence from the tour.
Kelley expressed that she was not ashamed and wanted to be honest about the fact that what she was going through was the most difficult thing she had ever experienced. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroying everything, she decided to be grateful for her situation. This shift in perspective marked a turning point for her, and she realized that she was ready to share her story. As a result, things have been progressing in a positive and beneficial manner.
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