Lady A postponed their fall Request Line Tour so Charles Kelley could work on his newfound sobriety. Now, Kelley has released his own single, “As Far As You Could,” his goodbye letter to alcohol, after years of heavy drinking.

“For me, the biggest word I’ve been holding onto is gratitude, not pride,” Kelley says of becoming sober. “I’m grateful. I finally see the light and am connecting with what life is all about. Some days are hard, but the good outweighs those bad moments. There’s some beauty in all this and I’ve had time to reflect, time to get healthy, time to write. I’ve probably written 50 songs this fall, and I feel like all of it was leading to this one song.”

Kelley co-wrote “As Far As You Could” with band member Dave Haywood, along with Jimmy Robbins. The father of one reveals he considered making it a Lady A song, and adding Hillary Scott as well, but ultimately decided it was best if it was released by himself.

“We were almost afraid that if we put a bunch of vocals on it, that might take away from the pain and authenticity of that singular vocal,” Kelley explains. “Hillary especially felt it was important for me to tell my story, kind of the same way she was able to do with ‘Thy Will.’ With their blessing, I’m putting this out, but it will live right alongside everything else we do.”

In August, less than two weeks before the Request Line Tour was scheduled to begin, Lady A shared in a joint statement that the Request Line Tour would take place in 2023 instead, as Kelley focused on overcoming his addiction.

“Being on the road with our fans is our greatest joy, so it was a hard but important decision to make. We are a band, but more importantly…we’re family,” Lady A shared. “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. 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.”

Kelley’s wife, Cassie, is also celebrating her husband’s sobriety, sharing her praise of the effort he has put into it in an Instagram Story.

“Really proud of how hard this man works daily on his recovery,” she posted. “There has been no greater gift for our family than his sobriety.”

Lady A’s Request Line Tour will now begin with two back-to-back shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on April 14 and 15. Download or stream “As Far As You Could” here.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of BMLG / Hodges Usry

Read ’12 Country Music Singers Who Are Sober’ here.