Rodney Atkins was the subject of two parties yesterday for his No. 1 single "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)," and there was much to celebrate. Not only was that single a chart-topper, but it was the fourth No. 1 release from his album "If You're Going Through Hell," particularly amazing because he'd never reached the pinnacle of the charts before.

"I've had them die in the 70s before, something I loved and wrote, believed in with all my heart, and the song didn't see the light of day," he said. "We've had songs die in the 50s on the chart. To be sittin' here and have all four of these songs go No. 1, and knowin' how many times that hasn't happened for folks, it's amazing. I really count my blessings."

The song was celebrated with two different parties because the song's two writers, Casey Beathard and Marla Cannon, have their material licensed through different performing rights organizations. Casey, who's also written Kenny Chesney's "Don't Blink" and Tracy Lawrence's "Find Out Who Your Friends Are," has a rather unique relationship with the city of Nashville. In addition to writing in town, his uncle, Pete Beathard, used to play for the Houston Oilers football team, now known as the Tennessee Titans.