Charles Kelley, a member of Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his path to sobriety. However, there is one specific event that he had not previously discussed, until now. He recently revealed that he came close to receiving a DUI when he was caught driving under the influence.
In an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on her podcast, Heart of the Matter, 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 single day, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was under the influence while driving back home. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where she realized the extreme foolishness and peril she put herself in. Reflecting upon the incident the following day, Kelley was struck by the realization that her actions could have resulted in the loss of someone's life, including 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 their son Ward were away for a few days, giving him the freedom to consume alcohol without any familial responsibilities. He spent a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar, and as the night drew to a close, fellow customers began expressing worry about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
The person recalls thinking that if they didn't drive back, their wife would question them about the whereabouts of their car. However, they could have easily retrieved it the following morning without their wife knowing since she wasn't present.
However, with a strong resolve to make his way back home alone, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and departed in his vehicle. Unfortunately, during the brief distance he had to cover to reach his house, he was stopped by the police.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked if I was the person from 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 over and kindly offered to drive me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalty. I was amazed and relieved that I had narrowly escaped a potentially serious situation.
However, the occurrence served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about the situation that had taken place.
The singer expressed their feeling of being completely exhausted and fed up. They had just experienced getting pulled over, which made them feel like they were on the verge of ruining their entire life. This incident also caused a lot of trouble and chaos for the band. The singer acknowledges that if this had been reported by the media, it would have resulted in extremely negative publicity.
He made a promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually succumbed to his old habits of drinking. It took him another year to finally seek help and fully devote himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his time in rehabilitation, it didn't take long for Kelly to inform Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their followers, explaining that the primary reason for postponing their 2022 Request Line Tour was to prioritize Kelley's early stages of sobriety. This decision to be honest with their fans was made by Kelley himself. However, his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood initially proposed creating alternative explanations for the band's tour delay.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in being honest about her experience, stating that it was the most challenging thing she had ever gone through. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroying everything in her life, she chose to face her struggles. She acknowledged that she was grateful for this opportunity, which marked a turning point for her. This realization led her to decide to share her story, and it has since gained momentum in a 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 talk about the experience of being
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