Mickey Guyton 'Didn't Even Think It Was Real' When Beyoncé Thanked Her Before Cowboy Carter Release (Exclusive)

Mickey Guyton thought it was a prank call when she heard that Beyoncé wanted to contact her.

“I had some people call me. They were like, ‘Hey, Beyoncé wants to get ahold of you.’ I'm like, ‘Wait, what?’” the country music star told PEOPLE as she attended Keep Memory Alive’s 27th Annual Power of Love Gala in Las Vegas to honor Blake Shelton on Friday, May 10.

Beyoncé’s intentions were real, and she wanted to honor Guyton, 40, for her contributions to country music, particularly as a Black artist, just before releasing her Cowboy Carter country album.

“I didn't even think it was real. She got my address and sent me some beautiful flowers, and it really meant a lot to me,” Guyton said. 

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Guyton not only got flowers, but she also received a thoughtful note from the Grammy winner.

"Mickey, Thank you for opening doors for me, queen. Keep shining. Love and respect, Beyoncé," the note read.

“It was just really cool to be acknowledged," Guyton explained to PEOPLE. "You don't realize how when you become an activist, which was never my intention, it comes with a price."

"Mental health can be one of those things, and to have someone like her acknowledge that and say thank you, it really, really meant a lot,” the “Better Than You Left Me” singer added.

Guyton was again surrounded by music royalty as she honored Shelton, 47, on Friday.

“Blake is such an incredible artist and incredible person,” she told PEOPLE. “He has such an amazing music catalog, and he's so important to country music. I’m so glad that we get to honor him tonight.”

The evening also centered on finding a cure for brain disease, which personally has a big meaning for Guyton. 

“It's such a special event. My grandmother had dementia, so it hits me very, very hard. It's genetics,” she said. "It's in my family, and it's hard when you see someone that you love so much going through something like that. So this is really, really, really important to me.”