An old adage suggests there's nothing new under the sun, which means every artist is in some way taking in the influences of the people who went before them to create his or her own sound.

Miranda Lambert's gotten up-close lessons by opening shows for some of the top acts in the country music business. As an example, she spent this last weekend on tour with George Strait, who closed his latest road schedule with shows in Columbia, S.C., Saturday and Jacksonville, Fla., last night.

"It's really amazing," Miranda told The Columbia State. "I learn so much each time we tour, but it's always something different. With George Strait, I learned that you can maintain a career by surrounding yourself with good people. With Keith Urban, I learned so much about performing live. Everything from the lights to the stage to the crew all wearing black makes such an impact. The same for Toby Keith. He has so many tricks up his sleeve for the show; it leaves the crowd feeling like they got their money's worth."

Still, the artist Miranda most admires is someone who George, Keith and Toby all learned from: a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame who turned 71 yesterday.

"That's an easy one," she said, when asked who she'd most like to sing with. "Merle Haggard. He's my all-time favorite, and though we've met, I've never had a chance to sing with him. And I'd love to."