Cracker Barrel and Craig Morgan Say - 'That's Why!'

LEBANON, Tenn., July 16/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- When guests ask "why," Cracker Barrel Old Country Store will soon be able to answer "That's Why." The popular restaurant and retail company is gearing up for the latest release in its exclusive music program: country music star Craig Morgan's That's Why – Collector's Edition.  This CD features 13 songs, including the top radio hits "Bonfire" and "This Ain't Nothin," as well as two previously unreleased songs.

Craig Morgan is one of country music's best-loved artists who made a name for himself with his signature hits "Almost Home," which was named Music Row Song of the Year in 2003, and the chart-topping summer anthems "Redneck Yacht Club," and "That's What I Love About Sunday."  

Morgan says he is pleased to have his newest CD available exclusively at Cracker Barrel, where he stops in for chicken n' dumplins (with extra dumplins!) frequently. "Cracker Barrel offers the closest thing to home cooking when I am on the road touring. Music is what I do, but country living is who I am, so it's really nice to have them both come together with my CD at Cracker Barrel," said Morgan. In commenting on the decor that Cracker Barrel is known for, Morgan added, "A visit to Cracker Barrel lets you get a look at Country America all under one roof."

"That's Why – Collector's Edition is a remarkable CD and Cracker Barrel is glad to be featuring it as our newest music project," says Peter Keiser, Vice President of Marketing. "Craig is a terrific performer.  His ten years in the United States Army and his determination to return to the Nashville area, where he grew up, to develop his music career are admirable."

Two of the 13 songs on That's Why – Collector's Edition have never been released until now: "You" and "Evel Knievel." Morgan says that "You" is about his wife and "Evel Knievel" is about himself, about living life on the edge a little bit. An additional song on this special collector's edition is "Summer Sundown," which Morgan says is a real-life song about the happiness to be found in our own backyards.

To celebrate the release of this exclusive CD, Cracker Barrel is holding a contest with a number of prizes, including a grand prize that features a four-day trip to Washington D.C., lunch with Craig Morgan on September 25th at an area Cracker Barrel, and tickets to his performance at the 2010 Great Frederick Fair that night. Complete contest details will be available at crackerbarrel.com on July 19th.

Cracker Barrel's exclusive music program features numerous projects. In May of this year, Cracker Barrel released Wynonna's Love Heals, which debuted at #7 on the Billboard Magazine Top Country Albums chart. February's release of Dailey & Vincent Sing the Statler Brothers debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Bluegrass Albums chart, where it spent nine weeks in the top position and 18 weeks overall in one of the three top positions since its release on February 1st.  Releases in 2009 included November's Songs of Love and Heartache by Alan Jackson, September's release of an exclusive new version of The Foundation by the Zac Brown Band, August's George Jones' release of A Collection Of My Best Recollection, May's release of Montgomery Gentry's For Our Heroes, which debuted at #5 on Billboard Magazine's Top Country Albums chart, and March's release of Dolly Parton's Collector's Edition of Backwoods Barbie, which debuted at #9 on that chart. Over the last few years, Cracker Barrel has released exclusive CDs with Bill Gaither, Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs, Aaron Tippin, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Josh Turner, Amy Grant, Sara Evans, and Charlie Daniels.

About Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store provides a friendly home-away-from-home in its old country stores and restaurants.  Guests are cared for like family while relaxing and enjoying real home-style food and shopping that's surprisingly unique, genuinely fun and reminiscent of America's country heritage…all at a fair price. The restaurant serves up delicious, home-style country food such as meatloaf and homemade chicken n' dumplins as well as its signature biscuits using an old family recipe. The authentic old country retail store is fun to shop and offers unique gifts and self-indulgences.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRL) was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn. and operates 594 company-owned locations in 41 states.  Every Cracker Barrel unit is open seven days a week with hours Sunday through Thursday, 6 a.m. – 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.  For more information, visit crackerbarrel.com.

SOURCE Cracker Barrel Old Country Store