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 incident that he has never discussed openly until recently. Kelley revealed that he had a close encounter with getting a DUI while driving under the influence.
In an interview on Elizabeth Vargas' Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confesses that when he was drinking, it became a regular thing for him to consume "four or five drinks" while playing golf in a day, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that they were driving home while under the influence of alcohol. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where Kelley realized the extreme foolishness and danger of their actions. Reflecting on the following day, Kelley was struck by the realization that their reckless behavior could have resulted in the loss of someone else's life or even their own.
On a specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with getting 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 a day playing golf and consuming alcohol at a nearby bar. As the night came to an end, fellow customers at the bar began to worry and question whether Kelley intended to drive back home.
He recalls, "I thought to myself, if I don't drive back home, my wife will ask, 'Where is your car?' even though I could have retrieved it the next morning. She wouldn't have been aware since she wasn't present."
However, with a strong determination to return home alone, he discreetly left the bar through the rear exit and proceeded to drive away. Unfortunately, he was stopped by law enforcement during the extremely brief journey 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 park my car and personally drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalties. I was amazed and relieved that I had narrowly escaped a potentially serious situation.
Nevertheless, the occurrence served as a sudden realization for Kelley, prompting him to feel the need to inform his spouse about what had transpired.
"I felt completely drained and reached a breaking point. I had just been pulled over, and it felt like my life was on the line. The situation caused so much disorder and trouble for the band. It would have been terrible publicity, without a doubt," expresses the vocalist.
He made a promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually fell back into his old habits of drinking. It took him another year before he finally decided to seek help and fully dedicate himself to a sober lifestyle by going to rehab.
Following his rehabilitation, it didn't take much time for Kelly to share his struggle with alcohol with Lady A fans. The country trio made it known to their fanbase that they had postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour to prioritize Kelley's newfound sobriety. Kelley himself made the decision to be transparent about this matter. Meanwhile, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood had proposed coming up with alternative explanations for why the band was not going on tour.
"I told myself, 'No, let's be truthful… I have no shame about this… This is the most difficult thing I have ever done.'" Kelley expresses. "The easier option would have been to continue drinking and destroy everything. I said, 'I am thankful for this.'" Kelley explains. "… And that was when I realized, 'Okay, I suppose I am going to share it now.' So it has gradually grown and developed in a very positive and beneficial manner."
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