Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has always been open with his fans about his personal struggle with addiction and his path towards sobriety. However, there is one particular incident that he had never discussed openly before – the time when he came dangerously 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 was drinking, it became a regular thing for him to consume "four or five drinks" while playing golf and then drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that they were driving under the influence on their way home. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where they realized the immense risk and foolishness of their actions. The following day, Kelley reflects on the situation with a sense of shock and remorse, realizing that they could have caused harm to someone else or even lost their own life.
On one 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 drink as much as he pleased without any familial responsibilities. He spent his day playing golf and consuming alcoholic beverages at a nearby bar. As the night came to a close, other customers at the bar began to voice their worries about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
"I thought to myself, 'If I don't drive back, my wife will ask, 'Where's your car?'' I could have easily retrieved it the next morning without her knowing, since she wasn't present," he recalls.
However, with a strong resolve to make his way home alone, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and began driving towards his house. Unfortunately, during this brief journey, he was stopped by the police.
The police officer examined 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 park my car and kindly offered to drive me home. Surprisingly, he didn't issue me a ticket or take any further action. I was amazed and relieved by my lucky escape from a potential penalty.
However, the incident served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about what had transpired.
The singer expressed how they felt completely worn out and fed up after a recent incident where they were pulled over. They believed that their actions could have potentially had a disastrous impact on their life and caused a lot of trouble for the band. They were well aware that it would have generated negative publicity, which they wanted to avoid at all costs.
He made a promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually fell back into his old habit of drinking. It took another year before he finally decided to seek help and fully dedicate himself to living a sober life.
Following his rehabilitation, it didn't take much time for Kelly to reveal his struggle with alcohol to Lady A fans. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that they postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour to prioritize Kelley's newly formed sobriety. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself. However, his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood proposed creating alternative explanations for why the band was not embarking on the tour.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she was about to do was very difficult. She acknowledged that it would have been easier to continue drinking and destroy everything. However, she chose to be grateful for the situation and that moment became a turning point for her. She realized that she was ready to share her experience, and since then, it has gained momentum in a positive and beneficial manner.
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