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 event that he has never addressed directly until recently. It involves a moment when he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI charge due to 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 they were under the influence while driving back home. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where Kelley realized the extreme stupidity and danger of their actions. Reflecting on the incident the next day, Kelley expressed deep remorse and the realization that their reckless behavior could have resulted in the loss of someone's life, including their own.
On a specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with a DUI charge. It happened during the Christmas season, and his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days, giving him the freedom to consume alcohol without any familial responsibilities. He spent the day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. As the night drew to a close, other customers at the bar began expressing worry about whether Kelley intended to drive himself home.
He recalls, "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 without her knowing, she wasn't present at the time."
However, with a strong determination to return home alone, he secretly left through the rear exit of the bar and departed in his car. Within a brief distance to his house, he was stopped by a police officer.
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person in that band?" I replied, "Yes." Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to pull over and drove me home. He didn't give me a ticket or any penalties. I was amazed and relieved that I had avoided a serious consequence.
However, the situation served as a sudden realization for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about what had transpired.
The singer expresses their feeling of being completely exhausted and frustrated. They explain that they had recently been pulled over, which almost had a detrimental impact on their life. They also mention how this incident could have caused a lot of negative attention and chaos for their band.
He made a firm decision 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 sought professional help and fully dedicated himself to living a sober life.
Following his rehabilitation, it didn't take much time for Kelly to inform Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that the primary reason for postponing their 2022 Request Line Tour was to ensure Kelley's fresh recovery from addiction. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself, whereas his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, had proposed alternative excuses for the band's absence from the tour.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she was about to do was the most challenging thing she had ever faced. She acknowledged that it would have been easier to continue drinking and destroy everything in her life. However, she chose to be grateful for the situation, which was a turning point for her. This led to her decision to share her story, and it has since gained positive momentum.
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