Cracker Barrel and Kenny Rogers Celebrate #8 Debut On Billboard Top Country Chart With Exclusive CD

LEBANON, Tenn., March 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® and American music icon Kenny Rogers are pleased to celebrate the #8 debut of the CD The Love of God on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart (issue date March 26).  It is also at #2 on the Top Christian Albums chart and at #31 on the overall Billboard 200. This CD is available exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations.

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"It's great to see such a positive response to an album that I'm so proud of," said Rogers of the new CD, which is the culmination of an idea he has been thinking about for years but never had the opportunity to bring to life until now. "Cracker Barrel has almost 600 points of purchase. It's an ingenious marketing concept they've developed. Everybody wins," he added.

"Working with Kenny Rogers is a pleasure," said Chris Ciavarra, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Cracker Barrel. "We are very pleased that this second project with him is proving to be so popular with our guests. Such a strong debut speaks well of his ability to speak to his fans and also speaks to the strength of the Cracker Barrel exclusive music program," Ciavarra added.

"The Love of God" is an inspirational collection of classic songs that Rogers remembers from his childhood along with new recordings of contemporary songs.  Two of the classics feature other artists: The Whites and Winfield's Locket and the group Point of Grace is featured on one of the album's contemporary recordings. Rogers is the first artist to release a second album through Cracker Barrel's exclusive music program.

Kenny Rogers' "The Love of God" is the latest in Cracker Barrel's exclusive music program, which features numerous projects. In January of this year, Cracker Barrel released "The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin" which debuted at #1 on Billboard magazine's Bluegrass Albums chart and at #26 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. In November of 2010, Cracker Barrel released Smokey Robinson's "Now & Then" which debuted at #19 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart and was nominated for an NAACP IMAGE AWARD. September saw the release of the self-titled "Rodney Atkins," which includes four #1 hits, and also the release of Mandy Barnett's "Winter Wonderland," which offers up all the authentic sounds of the holiday traditions so many of us cherish. In July, the company released Craig Morgan's "That's Why-Collector's Edition," and in May the release of Wynonna's "Love Heals" 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. One of the songs was nominated for a GRAMMY award. 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, Ricky Skaggs, Aaron Tippin, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Josh Turner, Amy Grant, Kenny Rogers, 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 598 company-owned locations in 42 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