Does Brett Eldredge love his first No. 1 single? Of course he does.

After years of hard work, blood, sweat and maybe a few more tears than he'd like to admit, he finally saw "Don't Ya" hit the top of the charts just a few weeks ago. And for him, it was a feeling like no other.

The singer's mom and dad, friends, industry peers, his label team at Warner Music Nashville packed into the posh back room of Nashville's Cabana restaurant on Monday (Sept. 23) to hear him share hilarious and heartwarming stories of how he got his start in town. Perhaps his most notable moment took place right outside the windows of the restaurant years before.

"This is very surreal for me," Eldredge said. "On this very street right here, we were driving to, I think, Destin, Fla., on vacation, and I had a CD of recordings that I probably wouldn't want any of you guys to hear, but a CD of covers of songs that I dropped off at a publishing office right over here to a friend still in the business. ... I dropped off a CD over there [with] a picture of me that looked like it was from the 1970s with my hair all weird, highlighted and all sorts of weird stuff. ... I love my family for sticking with me and doing crazy stuff like that."

Eldredge recalls hitting the highways with his parents in pursuit of his dream, sleeping on rooftops of parking garages to snag auditions and, most importantly, his parents' steadfast faith that one day it would all pay off.

And, boy, did it. So far, "Don't Ya" has been heard on the airwaves by more than 800 million radio listeners.

Warner Music Nashville chief John Esposito remarked that of all the artists he's guided to the top of the charts, Eldredge's journey has been the most fulfilling for him. It didn't happen overnight, but it was well worth the wait.

"Don't Ya" is featured on Eldredge's debut album, Bring You Back.