Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal struggle with alcohol and his path to sobriety. However, there is one particular incident that he has never discussed openly until recently. Kelley has revealed that he came 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 consumed alcohol, it became a regular thing for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf in a single day, and then he would 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 Kelley realized the extreme foolishness and danger of their actions. Reflecting on the situation the following day, Kelley realized the potential consequences of their actions, acknowledging that they could have caused harm to someone else or even lost their own life.
On a 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, giving him the freedom to consume alcohol without any familial responsibilities. He spent the day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the night, fellow customers at the bar began expressing worry about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
He recalls, "I thought to myself, if I don't drive back, my wife will probably ask me where my car is. Even though I could have picked it up the next morning without her knowing because she wasn't there."
However, with a strong resolve to return home by himself, he managed to discreetly exit through the rear of the bar and departed in his vehicle. Within a brief distance towards his house, he was stopped by law enforcement.
The police officer glanced at 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 stop my car and kindly offered to drive me home. He didn't issue me any citation. I was amazed and relieved. I thought to myself, "What a fortunate escape!"
However, the incident served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about what had transpired.
The singer expresses their feeling of being completely fed up and exhausted. They recall a recent incident where they were pulled over, which had the potential to drastically impact their life. They acknowledge that this incident could have caused a lot of negative attention for the band, which they wanted to avoid at all costs.
He made a firm decision to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to abstain from it, but eventually relapsed and fell back into his previous habits of drinking. It took him another year before he finally sought professional help and completely dedicated himself to living a sober life.
Following his rehabilitation, it didn't take much time for Kelly to inform Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that they decided to postpone their 2022 Request Line Tour in order to prioritize Kelley's early stages of sobriety. This decision to be honest was solely made by Kelley himself. On the other hand, his bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood proposed creating alternative reasons for the band's absence from the tour.
"I told myself, 'No, let's be truthful… I am not ashamed of this… This is the most difficult task I have ever undertaken.'" Kelley explains. "The easier option would have been to continue drinking and destroy everything. I said, 'I am grateful for this.'" Kelley continues, "… And that was the moment when I realized, 'Okay, I suppose I am now ready to share it.' So it has gradually gained momentum in a very positive and beneficial manner."
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