When Thomas Rhett released "Die a Happy Man" off of his 2015 album, Tangled Up, he never imagined the incredible success it would have -- so much so that it scored him the Single of the Year accolade at the 50th annual CMA Awards on Nov. 2.

Written for his wife Lauren, Rhett says he was taken by surprise that the single has made such an impact, not only posting a multi-week run at No. 1, but winning a number of accolades.

"The fact that the song did what it did, and we’re still here almost a year later, winning an award for Single of the Year, is crazy," Rhett said backstage after his big win, according to the Boot. "This was such a special night. I’ve always wanted to win a CMA award, so to win for a song that means so much to me is a dream come true."

Rhett co-wrote "Die a Happy Man" with pop writers Sean Douglas and Joe London, and it was produced by Dann Huff, who was named the 2016 CMA Musician of the Year. While the singer was blindsided by the song's success, he revealed that the team around him knew it was bound for the top.

He attributed its success to his fans. "'Die a Happy Man' was one of those that, when I wrote it and I sent it to my label, immediately, the response was, ‘This is a career record,'" he says. "If you know me, then you know that we’re super open about our marriage on Instagram and stuff … This song just transcended a lot to the fans."

Rhett is about to embark on his first headlining tour, the 2017 Home Team Tour, that kicks off on Feb. 23 in Saginaw, Mich. He'll be joined by supporting acts Kelsea Ballerini,  singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd and Russell Dickerson.

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