Charles Kelley, a member of Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal struggle with alcohol addiction and the path he took to achieve sobriety. However, there was one specific incident that he had never openly discussed until recently: the near occurrence of him receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
In an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on her podcast Heart of the Matter, Kelley acknowledges that when he was consuming alcohol, it became a regular thing for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf in a day, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley acknowledges that she was driving under the influence of alcohol on her way home. Although it was a relatively short 10-minute drive, there were instances where she realized the extreme foolishness and potential danger of her actions. The following day, she experienced a profound realization of the potential consequences of her reckless behavior, expressing remorse for the fact that she could have caused harm to someone else or even lost her own life.
On one specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with getting charged for driving under the influence (DUI). 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 consume alcohol without any family responsibilities. He spent a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. As the night came to a close, other customers at the bar began expressing worry about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
He recalls thinking, "If I don't drive back, my wife will wonder where my car is," even though he could have retrieved it the following morning without her knowing since she wasn't present.
However, with a strong determination to return home on his own, he discreetly left the bar through the rear exit and proceeded to drive away. Unfortunately, during the brief journey back to his house, he was stopped by law enforcement.
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person in that band?" I replied, "Yes." Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and offered to drive me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or anything. I was amazed and relieved that I managed to avoid trouble.
However, this occurrence served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expresses that they were completely fed up and mentally drained. They had just experienced being pulled over, which made them feel like they were on the verge of destroying their life. They were also aware that this incident would have caused negative publicity for the band, which would have been highly undesirable.
He made a strong promise to himself that he would stop consuming alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but ultimately ended up falling back into his previous drinking habits. It took him another year before he finally decided to seek professional help and fully dedicate himself to living a sober life.
Following his time in rehab, it didn't take long for Kelly to share with Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their supporters, explaining that they had postponed their 2022 Request Line Tour in order to prioritize Kelley's early stages of sobriety. Kelley himself made the decision to be honest about this situation. Meanwhile, his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood had initially suggested creating alternative reasons for the tour's delay.
Kelley expressed that she had no shame in admitting that what she was about to share was the most difficult thing she had ever done. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroying everything in her life, she decided to face her challenges head-on. She mentioned that she was grateful for this experience, which marked a turning point for her. From that moment on, she decided 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, we have compiled a collection of 11 great country songs that revolve
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