Lady A's Charles Kelley on His Sobriety Journey: 'I've Learned There's Degrees of Alcoholics'

The musician told CBS Mornings he was "scared to death" to go to rehab, but it was ultimately what ended up helping him

Charles Kelley is getting candid about his journey to sobriety.

In a sitdown with CBS Mornings' Gayle King on Wednesday, the Lady A singer, 41, opened up about how he realized there are different levels of alcoholism and you don't have to be "waking up in a bush" to be an alcoholic.

"What I've learned is, there's degrees of alcoholics," said Kelley, who spent a month in a rehab facility last year. "I think that's one of the things too that I want to even share is, like, just because you're not living on the street, or you're not waking up in a bush, like some stories you may hear, it can get there and it can get there really easily."

"No one who starts drinking just starts at the top; it's just this gradual thing," he added.

The country star revealed that he had tried to quit drinking before and had previously refused to go to rehab because he was "scared to death," but it was ultimately what ended up helping him.

Related:Lady A's Charles Kelley Was 'Crushed' When Wife Cassie Told Him Son, 7, 'Was Noticing' His Drinking

He explained, "I was scared to death, I had several people and several therapists suggest it and I said, 'No I will never, ever go into a rehab facility, that's for people who wake up in the morning and…' "

"They're in the sidewalk?" King, 68, interjected. "Yeah, they're pouring up," he added.

Kelley said that he is now managing his alcoholism by "putting the tools in."

Related:Lady A's Charles Kelley Thanks Fans for Support on His 'Journey to Sobriety' After Tour Postponement

"A lot of meetings, I go to a lot of group meetings with other alcoholics, and I've got a case manager," he said. "I'm not even ashamed to admit it, I've got this little device [to check for alcohol] I blow in every morning and every night and it's not even for me — it's for me wife, my band, for everyone else to know."

"Slowly, but surely, that has built the trust back that eventually I think that won't be a necessity," Kelley added.

Kelley's wife Cassie, with whom he shares 7-year-old son Ward, also made an appearance during the interview and spoke of how "proud" she is of her husband for putting the work in for his sobriety.

Last August, Lady A — whose members also include Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood – announced that they were postponing their upcoming tour to 2023 so that Kelley could get sober.

"Being on the road with our fans is our greatest joy, so it was a hard but important decision to make," the group wrote in a statement at the time. "We are a band, but more importantly … we're family. We're proud to say that Charles has embarked on a journey to sobriety."

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The statement continued: "So, right now in order to be the healthiest, strongest and most creative band we can be, Lady A will take the time with the support of our families and team of professionals to walk through this together. It's early on this road, but we are determined to do what will best set us up for many more years together. We're grateful for your patience."

The band's tour is due to kick off on May 12 in Indio, California.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

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