Country star LeAnne Rimes has a lifelong fan in rapper Snoop Dogg, after meeting backstage at the 2008 Country Music Television Awards on Monday night.

The hip-hop star, real name Calvin Broadus, was a guest presenter at the CMT Awards and was hanging out backstage when he caught sight of the blonde beauty.

Snoop was being interviewed by American website People.com when he stopped mid-sentence and asked, "Wow - damn! Who is that?"

After learning her identity, he gushed, "She is beautiful! Wow, wow, wow," before stepping forward to introduce himself.

And Snoop couldn't resist paying her one final compliment, telling her, "You look like Marilyn Monroe!"