Miranda Lambert’s CMA tribute to Loretta Lynn is personal: ‘She made me feel like an old friend’

The 14-time Miranda Lambert’s CMA winner says she still gets “butterflies” when she appears at the nationally televised awards show, “but I feel so lucky.”

Miranda Lambert’s CMA had the honor of paying tribute to Loretta Lynn at the CMA Awards Wednesday night, and it’s not just because of Lynn’s place in the country’s history.

Lambert also has a strong personal relationship with the music legend.

“I spent some time with him and you meet a lot of people in your career. But it’s one of those memories that will burn in my heart forever,” Lambert told PEOPLE on the CMA red carpet. “He is an amazing person and makes me feel right at home. It’s a little scary to hang out with your character all day. But he makes me feel like an old friend.”

Lambert, 39, also appreciated the several times he and Lynn sang together. And I’m grateful for each time he held my hand and signed my guitar and shared memories with me and gave me advice.”

This precious guitar, he says, is now kept in his home: “I play it at home. I certainly wouldn’t take him on tour.” The Loretta-Lynn Lambert mix was shared with Carrie Underwood and Reba McEntire at the awards marking the first time the three superstars have mixed their voices, and Lambert said they enjoyed it. The results are definitely approved. “We have Texas and two Okitas,” said a resident of Lindale, Texas. “What could go wrong?”

The 14-time CMA winner also rocked “Geraldene” from Palomino, his nominee album.

(He’s also been nominated for Singer and Artist of the Year.) Seventeen years after his first appearance on the CMA show—the explosive “kerosene”—Lambert says he still finds live television “scary.”

“I got the butterflies,” he said, “but I feel so lucky. I feel lucky to be here, to be nominated and my teammates still respect what I do and most importantly that the fans are still with me and still support me. With every record.” Lambert recently reached a new milestone in his career. He’s the latest country star to settle in Las Vegas. And while he still claims to be a “nomadic” spirit. He says he’s warm to performing when he’s not on his way.

“It was great,” he said of his show, Velvet Rodeo, which is scheduled through March. “It’s my first time staying in one place to do my job. So it’s a transition, but it’s a lot of fun and the audience is amazing.”