Chris Young Gives Props to Inspirational Step-Dad

Chris Young has penned some of country's most notable love songs in recent years, including 'Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)' and his recent No. 1 hit, 'Tomorrow.' But while some may speculate his romantic side spawns from his own relationships, the 26-year-old actually credits his step-father with inspiring the emotional tunes.

"He is the total, ultimate man. The dude trumps me all the time," Chris, who calls his step-father 'Dad,' confesses to CMT. "I can't top some of the stuff he's done. When I was like 11 or 12, he asked my mom to marry him on Valentine's Day. He got down on one knee, then called us all downstairs and asked her kids if he could marry her. Even the little stuff that he does all the time makes me think, 'Oh, crap. I'll never be able to beat that.' My dad is totally the guy I will always look up to."

The Tennessee native acknowledges watching the love story unfold between his parents has helped him write honest, heartfelt lyrics because he has had an intimate look at a true love story. "A big part of being a songwriter is that you write on what you know and stories you've heard and see in life," he notes. "The reason I'm able to do that is the relationship my mom and my step-dad have."

Chris is still in a celebratory mood following last month's release of his third CD, 'Neon,' which landed at the No. 2 slot, and scored a Top 5 debut on the Billboard 200 chart. "I am completely blown away," Chris admits to The Boot. "For 'Neon' to get such an amazing response from the fans and then for 'Tomorrow' to go to No. 1, it feels like I'm living a dream! I have moments where I feel like that every day, especially going into this new album cycle and the new tour. All this stuff, this is what I want to do for living, and every day there is something else happening, new opportunities, which just continues to amaze me."

Chris is currently serving as the opening act on Jason Aldean's My Kinda Party tour, as well as performing several solo dates. Keep track of his schedule here.