Charles Kelley, a member of Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his path to sobriety. However, there is one particular event that he has never openly discussed until recently. He has now revealed that there was a time 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 was consuming alcohol, it became a regular habit for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that they were under the influence while driving home. Despite the short duration of the drive, there were instances where they realized the extreme foolishness and danger of their actions. The following day, Kelley reflected on the incident and realized the potential harm they could have caused to others or even themselves.
On one specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with being charged with a DUI. It happened during the Christmas season, and he recalls that his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days. This meant that Kelley had the freedom to drink without any family responsibilities. He spent a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the night, other customers at the bar started to worry about whether or not Kelley intended to drive back home.
"I thought to myself, if I don't drive back, my wife will ask me where my car is," he recalls. "Even though I could have retrieved it the following morning, she wouldn't have been aware since she wasn't present."
However, with a strong determination to return home alone, he stealthily left through the rear exit of the bar and began driving away. Unfortunately, he was stopped by the police during the very brief journey back to his own residence.
The police officer checked my driver's license and asked if I was the person from 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 personally drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or anything. I was amazed and relieved that I got away without any consequences.
However, the occurrence served as a strong reminder for Kelley, prompting him to realize that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expressed that they were completely fed up and exhausted. They had just been pulled over and realized that they had almost made a disastrous mistake that could have had serious consequences for their life. Additionally, they were aware that this incident would have caused negative publicity for the band, which would have been extremely unfortunate.
He made a promise to himself to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation, but eventually relapsed into his old habits of drinking. It took him another year before he finally sought help and fully dedicated himself to achieving and maintaining a sober lifestyle.
Following his time in rehabilitation, it didn't take Kelly much time to share with Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that the primary reason for postponing their 2022 Request Line Tour was to support Kelley's early stages of sobriety. Kelley himself made the decision to be honest about this matter, while his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood proposed finding alternative reasons for the band's tour delay.
Kelley expressed that she was not ashamed of her actions and believed in being honest. She acknowledged that what she was going through was extremely difficult. It would have been easier for her to continue drinking and destroy everything in her life. However, she chose to be grateful for her situation. This moment of gratitude became a turning point for her, and she decided to share her story. As a result, her decision to share has had a positive and beneficial impact on her life.
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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