Musician Andy Grammer goes from the streets to the Top 40

(CBS News) 28-year-old musician Andy Grammer has gone from the streets of Los Angeles to the set of "CBS This Morning."

The musician joined "CBS This Morning" on Friday to discuss his ascent to fame and success in the music world. Grammer is said to have honed his skills by trekking the streets of L.A. with his acoustic guitar and battery-powered amplifier. At one point, he took to performing on the Santa Monica pier for donations but finally released his self-titled debut album in 2011. He was soon after named one of Billboard's 2011 Artists to Watch and is best known for his Top 40 singles, "Keep Your Head Up" and "Fine By Me." The success of these singles led Grammer to become the first male artist in a decade to hit the top ten on Billboard's Adult Pop Chart.

Grammer spoke about writing "Keep Your Head Up" on "CBS This Morning" and said that much of it came from his time playing for free on the streets. "I had been on the street for a long day, I hadn't sold any CDs," he explained, "It's like a long eight hours of basically making a statement, singing just to the world, I want to be a musician."

The singer spent five weeks this summer on tour with Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Caillat and recently kicked off a two-month national tour with Train.

To hear more about Andy's rise to fame and hopes for what's next, watch the "CBS This Morning" interview in the video above.