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 specific event that he had not previously discussed: the moment when he came close to receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
In an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on her Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confesses that when he consumed alcohol, it became a frequent habit for him to consume "four or five drinks" while playing golf and then drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where she realized the extreme foolishness and perilousness of her actions. The following day, she reflected on the situation and realized the potential consequences, recognizing that she could have caused harm or even lost her own life.
On a specific occasion, Kelley had a close encounter with a potential 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 indulge in as much alcohol as he desired without any familial responsibilities. He spent the day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. As the night drew to a close, fellow customers began showing worry about whether 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. She wasn't present," he recalls.
However, with a strong resolve to get back home by himself, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the establishment and departed in his vehicle. Unfortunately, during the extremely brief journey to his residence, he was stopped by law enforcement.
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked if I was the person from the band. I confirmed, and instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to pull over and drove me home. Surprisingly, he didn't issue me a ticket or any punishment. I was amazed and relieved that I managed to avoid a potentially serious situation.
Nevertheless, the occurrence served as a moment of realization for Kelley. He recognized the need to inform his spouse about what had transpired.
The singer expresses their feelings of exhaustion and frustration after getting pulled over, feeling like they had almost jeopardized their own life and caused chaos for their band. They acknowledge that it would have resulted in negative publicity, which they wanted to avoid.
He made a firm decision to stop consuming alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually relapsed into his previous drinking habits. It took an additional year for him to finally seek professional help and completely dedicate himself to a life of sobriety.
Following his 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 loyal supporters, explaining that the postponement of their 2022 Request Line Tour was primarily to ensure Kelley's newfound sobriety remained intact. This decision to be open and honest about his situation was solely made by Kelley. Meanwhile, his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, had proposed the idea of creating alternative explanations for why the band couldn't embark 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 with herself. She even mentioned feeling grateful for the experience, which marked a turning point for her. As a result, she decided to share her story, and it has since gained momentum in a positive and beneficial manner.
Here are 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. Additionally, we have compiled a list of 11 great country songs that revolve around the theme
Additional content from Taste of Country can be found here. For more information, please