Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal experience with overcoming addiction. However, there is one particular incident that he had not previously discussed publicly until recently. Kelley has now revealed that he came close to receiving a DUI charge after driving under the influence.
In an interview on Elizabeth Vargas' Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confesses that when he consumed alcohol, it became a regular habit for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf in a day and then proceed to drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol on her way home. Despite the short duration of the drive, she had a few instances where she realized the extreme foolishness and danger of her actions. The following day, she experienced a strong realization of the potential consequences, acknowledging that she could have caused harm to someone else or even lost her own life.
On a specific instance, Kelley had a close call with being charged with a DUI. This incident occurred during the Christmas season, and he vividly recalls that his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days. This meant that Kelley had no family responsibilities, giving him the freedom to consume alcohol as much as he desired. He spent a day enjoying a game of golf and indulging in drinks at a nearby bar. As the night drew to a close, fellow customers began showing worry about whether Kelley intended to drive back home.
"I thought to myself, if I don't drive back, my wife will ask me where my car is," he recalls. "Even though I could have picked it up the next morning without her knowing, since she wasn't there."
However, with a strong resolve to return home alone, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and started driving away. However, he was stopped by the police during the extremely brief journey back to his house.
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 pull my car to the side and actually drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any form of punishment. I was amazed and relieved that I managed to avoid a serious consequence.
However, the occurrence served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expressed their frustration and exhaustion after a recent incident where they were pulled over. They felt like their life was almost ruined and that it caused a lot of chaos for their band. They were aware that it would have been terrible for their public image.
He made a firm decision to stop consuming alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually fell back into his previous habits of drinking. It took him another year before he finally sought professional help and wholeheartedly dedicated himself to a life of sobriety.
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 they had postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour in order to prioritize Kelley's early stages of sobriety. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself, while his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, proposed creating alternative reasons for the band's absence on tour.
"I expressed that there was no shame in being honest about my experience, as it was the most difficult thing I have ever done. Taking the easy way out would have been to continue drinking and destroy everything in my life. Instead, I acknowledged my gratitude for the situation, which became a turning point for me to start sharing my story. Since then, it has gained momentum in a very positive and beneficial manner."
Here is a list of 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. Additionally, there are 11 great country songs that revolve around the theme of
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