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 now. He recently revealed that he had a close call with getting a DUI while driving under the influence.
In an interview on Elizabeth Vargas' Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley acknowledges that when he consumed alcohol, it became a regular thing for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf in a day, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The duration of the drive was only ten minutes, however, there were instances during the journey where Kelley realized the extreme recklessness and danger of her actions. Reflecting on the incident the following day, Kelley was struck by the realization that her irresponsible 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, and he recalls that his wife Cassie and son Ward were not around for a few days, giving him the freedom to drink without any family responsibilities. He spent a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the night, other people at the bar began to worry if Kelley intended to drive home.
"I thought to myself, if I don't drive back, my wife is going to ask me where my car is," he recalls. "Even though I could have easily gotten it the next morning without her knowing, since she wasn't there."
However, with a strong determination to return home alone, he discreetly left the bar through the rear exit and started driving away. Unfortunately, during his brief journey back to his house, he was stopped by the police.
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked if I was the person in 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 park my car and personally drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalty. I was amazed and relieved that I had avoided a potentially serious situation.
However, the occurrence served as a realization for Kelley, prompting him to understand the importance of informing his wife about what had transpired.
The singer expressed their feelings of being completely worn out and fed up. They had just experienced getting pulled over, which had the potential to seriously impact their life. They acknowledged that their actions could have caused a lot of trouble and negative attention for the band.
He made a promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and tried very hard for three months, but eventually found himself falling back into his old habits of drinking. It took him another year before he finally decided to seek professional help and fully dedicate himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his time in rehab, it didn't take Kelly much time to inform Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that they postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour to support and safeguard Kelley's early stages of sobriety. This decision to be open about his journey was made solely by Kelley. While his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, proposed creating alternative explanations for the band's absence on tour.
"I told myself, 'No, let's be truthful … I'm not ashamed of this … This is the most challenging thing I have ever done.'" Kelley explains. "The simpler option would have been to continue drinking and destroy everything. I said, 'I am thankful for this.'" Kelley continues. "… And that was the moment when I decided, 'Okay, I suppose I'm going to share it now.' So it has gradually gained momentum in a very optimistic and beneficial manner."
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