Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal struggle with addiction and his path to sobriety. However, there is one particular incident that he has never shared until now – the time when he came dangerously close to receiving a DUI after driving under the influence.
In an interview on Elizabeth Vargas' Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confesses that when he was consuming alcohol, it became a frequent habit for him to consume "four or five drinks" while playing golf in a single day and then drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that they were driving under the influence on their way home. Despite it being a short 10-minute drive, there were instances where they realized how foolish and risky their actions were. The following day, they reflected on the situation and realized the potential harm they could have caused to others or even themselves.
On one specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with a DUI charge. It happened 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 drink without any family responsibilities. Kelley spent a day playing golf and consuming alcohol at a nearby bar. As the night came to a close, fellow customers at the bar began to worry if Kelley intended to drive home.
"And I thought to myself, 'If I don't drive back, my wife will ask, 'Where's your car?' even though I could have picked it up the next morning. She wouldn't have been aware since she wasn't there," he recalls.
However, with a strong determination to return home alone, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and departed in his vehicle. Within a brief distance, he was stopped by law enforcement.
The police officer inspected my license and asked if I was the person from that band. I confirmed that I was indeed. Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to stop my car and personally drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any penalties. I was amazed and relieved by how lucky I was to avoid trouble in that situation.
However, the incident served as a moment of realization for Kelley, prompting him to understand the importance of informing his wife about what had transpired.
The singer expresses their feelings by saying, "I reached a point where I felt completely exhausted and ready to give up. Just moments ago, I was pulled over by the police, and it felt like my entire life was in jeopardy. I realized that my actions could have caused a lot of negative attention and trouble for the band."
He made a strong decision to stop consuming alcohol and struggled for three months with self-control, but eventually relapsed into his previous drinking habits. It took him another year to finally seek professional help and completely dedicate 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 chose to be transparent with their fanbase by revealing that the postponement of their 2022 Request Line Tour was primarily to safeguard Kelley's newfound sobriety. It was Kelley's personal choice to be honest about the situation, whereas his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, initially proposed using different explanations for the band's decision to not go on tour.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she had done was difficult. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroying everything, she chose to be honest and face the challenge. She stated that she was grateful for the situation, which marked a turning point for her in deciding to share her experience. As a result, the positive impact of sharing her story has grown rapidly.
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