Lady A Postpones Tour to Help Charles Kelley Begin His 'Journey to Sobriety'
Country superstars Lady A were about to head out on a tour for their upcoming Request Line Tour this summer, but have decided to postpone dates as a way to help bandmate Charles Kelley get back on track. In an announcement shared Thursday afternoon to Instagram, the band revealed that Kelley has begun his "journey to sobriety." The band – consisting of Kelley, Hillary Scott, and Dave Haywood – had been scheduled to kick off the 21-date, multi-city tour at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee on Friday, Aug. 13, though that date, and all other dates, will now be pushed back to 2023.
In the message, Lady A said that while "being on the road with our fans is our greatest joy," they have "decided to postpone our Request Line Tour until next year." The country trio said it "was a hard but important decision to make" before going on to reveal that Kelley would begin "a journey to sobriety." At this time, Kelley does not appear to have released a statement of his own, though he did hint at his sobriety when teasing BRELAND's upcoming song "Told You I Could Drink," which features Lady A, in an Instagram post over the weekend, writing, "fired up for this one. Ironic since I stopped drinking haha."
"We are a band, but more importantly...we're family. We're proud to say that Charles has embarked on a journey to sobriety. 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," the band continued. "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."
According to Lady A, "this update is coming in real time," and fans who purchased tickets for the tour will soon be contacted with new ticket information. The band concluded the post, "we're looking forward to making 2023 our best year yet!"
The Request Line Tour was first announced back in April, with Taste of Country reporting at the time Lady A was set "hit the road beginning in August" for a tour that would "find the group playing in more intimate venues and invite direct fan participation in the shows." The tour was scheduled to kick off in Nashville on Aug. 13 and consist of a total of 21 dates, ending at Old National Centre in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 29. Those dates will now be moved to 2023, though exact dates have not yet been revealed.