Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal journey towards sobriety. However, there is one particular event that he has never discussed publicly before. It is the incident when he came close to receiving a DUI while 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 thing for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf and then drive himself back home.
Kelley acknowledges that they were driving while intoxicated on their way 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 situation the following day, Kelley expressed deep remorse, realizing the potential consequences of their reckless behavior, including the possibility of causing harm to others or even losing their own life.
On a specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with a DUI charge. It occurred 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 consume as much alcohol as he desired without any familial responsibilities. He spent a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the evening, other customers at the bar began expressing worry about whether Kelley intended to drive back home.
He recalls, "I thought to myself, if I don't drive back, my wife will ask, 'Where is your car?' even though I could have picked it up the following morning. She wouldn't have been aware since she wasn't present."
However, with a strong resolve to make his way home alone, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and departed in his vehicle. Within a brief distance to his residence, he was stopped by law enforcement.
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 kindly drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or take any further action. I was amazed and relieved by my fortunate escape from trouble.
Nevertheless, the occurrence served as a reminder that Kelley needed to inform his spouse about what had transpired.
The singer expressed their frustration and exhaustion after a recent incident where they were pulled over, feeling like they had almost destroyed their life and caused unnecessary trouble for their band. They acknowledged that it would have resulted in negative publicity, which they wanted to avoid.
He made a firm decision to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation. However, he eventually succumbed to his old habits of drinking. It took another year before he finally sought help and wholeheartedly dedicated himself to living a sober lifestyle.
Following his time in rehabilitation, it didn't take Kelly much time to reveal to Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase regarding the postponement of their 2022 Request Line Tour, stating that it was necessary to prioritize Kelley's early stages of sobriety. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself. His bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, had proposed creating alternative explanations for why the band was not going on tour.
Kelley expressed that she was not ashamed of her actions and acknowledged that what she had done was extremely difficult. Instead of taking the easy path of continuing to drink and causing destruction, she chose to face her challenges head-on. Kelley mentioned feeling gratitude for her experiences, which marked a significant turning point for her. As a result, she decided to share her story, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Here are 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. Additionally, we've compiled a list of 11 country songs that center around the theme of getting
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