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"He has one of the greatest country voices we've ever had," Martina McBride told PEOPLE about Jackson, who has sold more than 50 million albums and has had 33 No.-1 hits. "He writes about what he lives. He's just the real deal."
Brad Paisley kicked off the tribute with a rendition of Jackson's hit "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere," and George Strait brought the audience at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium to its feet with his version of "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," a song Jackson wrote after 9/11 in which he declares "I'm just a singer of simple songs/I'm not a real political man."
The 6'4'' singer joked to the crowd that when CMT first approached him about doing Giants, "I thought it was 'cause I was so tall!"
Of the honor, the Jackson told PEOPLE, "Even though I know my track record, you still don't feel like you deserve something of this stature."
Explains Longevity
The star, who turned 50 recently, attributes his career longevity to a simple approach. "I live in an unreal world, but I think I still understand real life and what the people who come to my shows go through," he says. "Just the fact that I remained what I am and have continued to do traditional country music, maybe that's why I still sell a few records and tickets."Taylor Swift, who calls Jackson "one of my songwriting heroes," sang his tune "Drive" – a song she says that "really bonded my dad and I." (Dad Scott admitted to tearing up during her rehearsal.)
The show, which will air Dec. 6 on CMT, closed with Jackson's latest hit, "Country Boy," sung by Paisley, Jackson, Strait and Dierks Bentley, who brought a special guest with him backstage: 3½-week-old daughter Evie.
"It's her first concert, and I had to bring her," he says. "You've got Alan Jackson, George Strait and the others – you can't beat this one."
