Alan Jackson is the latest recipient of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. The Country Music Hall of Fame member was given the honor during the live broadcast of the CMA Awards., following an all-star tribute by Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood and Lainey Wilson .

“The very first concert I ever went to was an Alan Jackson concert,” Underwood said from stage. “Seeing him perform helped inspire me to pursue my dreams. It’s been said that country music is three chords and the truth. And in every one of Alan Jackson’s songs, there is truth, for his powerful voice speaks to us about hope and heartache, about fun and friendship, about tragedy and triumph. About life, and a little about love. Alan, you have friends in every corner of this great country, and a special few of them are here tonight to honor you.”

Jackson reflected on his own journey, including his humble beginnings, when accepting the accolade.

“Country music’s been real good to me,” Jackson said. “I fell in love with it when I was a young man. I really loved the instruments, the steel guitars and the fiddles and things like that that gave it such a unique character and made it its own. And I loved the lyrics in the songs and the artists, the melodies and the harmonies. It’s just real American music to me.”

Jackson recalled seeing a TV movie about Hank Williams, which inspired his own now legendary career in country music.

“I came to Nashville with nothing,” Jackson conceded. “Carrie was talking about three chords and the truth. Mine was more like three chords and a prayer. But I hung in there, and the prayer got answered a little bit. I’ve just been such a fan of this music. I wanted to come to Nashville and try to carry it on, the kind that I loved. As my mama would say, I’m so blessed, and I have been so blessed. I’ve had a great team around me my whole career that has helped me, and great songwriters. I’ve been so fortunate to have all that, to help me get this far.”

Jackson also thanked his wife Denise for her support in the almost 43 years they’ve been married.

“We started out as teenagers, and she’s hung in there and rode this rollercoaster ride with me, 40-something years now,” said the singer. “I’m probably not always the easiest person to love, but she’s hung in there and helped me through hard times, and we’ve shared great times. The good and the bad, the happy and the sad, we’ve survived a lot, and I just want to thank her, because she’s held me up all these years, and she’s my best friend. And she gave me a wonderful family.”

“I’ve definitely lived the American dream,” he concluded. “And I’m still living that honky tonk dream.”

Jackson received the CMT Artist of a Lifetime trophy in October.