The pros and cons of being a sober country star are well-balanced. On one hand: If you slip up, some guy in some bar who is quick with his phone will make sure everyone knows it. On the other hand: The resources available to you are unbounded, and you can call up Tim McGraw for advice.
But the refrains of sobriety often sound the same whether you're 41-year-old Charles Kelley, colead singer of Lady A, or one of the folks in his audience. "In almost every story, there's atinge of similarity," Kelley says. He's been attending men's recovery meetings for several months now, listening to the stories of others. "How you can justify it. How you hide your drinking. How you say, 'Oh, I just had a couple on the golf course.' Which really meant...six."
Likewise with "just one glass of wine," which is what Kelley told his wife, Cassie McConnell Kelley, over dinner in Paris this past spring. He had been trying to quit drinking "on my own," he says, since January 2022. It was his third attempt at sobriety. The first was six or seven years ago, at the bandmates, urging of his Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood. After that dinner, he slipped back into a cycle of escalating drinking-once he was home, it was two glasses, then three, then he was right back in it-that jammed to a halt this past summer, when he and Cassie were on vacation with friends in Greece. Kelley doesn't feel that he ever hit the proverbial "crashing a car in a ditch" rock bottom. But this time, his decision to stop drinking felt different. "This is the first time I actually put tools in place," he told his bandmates, who were supportive but skeptical after witnessing previous attempts. There would be no more "on my own."
Denne historien er fra January - February 2023-utgaven av Men's Health US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January - February 2023-utgaven av Men's Health US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
CONFESSIONS OF A CEREAL KILLER
COLD POP-TARTS? ALMOND MILK? PROTEIN CEREAL? WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THAT? WE ASKED LIFELONG BREAKFAST LOVER JERRY SEINFELD.
When Cancer Comes for Your Nuts
Testicular cancer rates are rising, and it's most common among young men ages 20 to 40. Here, one guy describes his shocking diagnosis when he was just 24-and the warning signs that other guys should never ignore.
"Everything You Want is on the Other Side of Fear."
Ryan Gosling and David Leitch are the star and director of The Fall Guy, the romantic-action-comedy blockbuster stunt-fest you'll see at least twice this summer. But they've also built a bond over stunt work, pain, and purpose.
6 A.M. With...the Olympic Fencer
Miles Chamley-Watson's workouts are filled with jokes-and rapier-sharp intensity.
WHAT MAKES A FATHER TOUGH
Social-media wormholes, political tensions, planetary peril-who would WANT TO RAISE A KID in this world, anyway? Well, these guys. Here's what BEING A DAD has TAUGHT EACH OF THEM about HAVING GRIT right now.
FRAUD-PROOF YOUR FINANCES
Scams are everywhere, and money is one of the biggest sources of anxiety for American men. Protect your money (and peace of mind) with these moves.
THE SEMI-COMPLETE USER'S GUIDE TO...THE PANCREAS
For a small, blow-dryer-shaped organ deep in the abdomen, the pancreas has a lot of power. Here's how to keep it happy so you stay healthy.
THE NEW SCIENCE OF HIP MOBILITY
Own the weight room, crush backyard football, and beat back pain by strengthening and stretching your hips.
GOT L-THEANINE ON THE BRAIN?
Supplement makers claim this amino acid focuses the mind and calms the nerves. We have questions.
THE MOVEMENT + MUSCLE WORKOUT
Get stronger and faster with this two-part session that packs on muscle-and primes you for light-speed runs, too.