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New Cracker Barrel Exclusive CD Now Available: Cracker Barrel Presents Rodney Atkins

LEBANON, Tenn., Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The newest CD release in Cracker Barrel's Old Country Store's exclusive music program is available today! The popular family restaurant chain is pleased to announce that Cracker Barrel Presents Rodney Atkins is now available and features four #1 hits, including "These Are My People" and "Watching You," and the current Billboard Top 20 and rising single "Farmer's Daughter" which has surpassed 300,000 digital downloads in just a few short months. The CD also features the previously unreleased song "More Like Your Memory (Always Takes Me Back)," and is available only at Cracker Barrel.

Rodney Atkins earned the Academy of Country Music's Top New Male Vocalist award in 2006, as well as five other ACM nominations and two Country Music Association® nominations during the last four years. Having had the Most Played Songs of 2007 and 2008, Rodney maintains an active touring schedule and has performed for over a million fans a year for the past three years. The video of his current hit features his real-life wife, Tammy Jo, as the "Farmer's Daughter".

Like millions of Americans, Rodney enjoys stopping at Cracker Barrel when he's on the road, sitting for awhile on the front porch, and having a great meal. "I love seeing a sign letting me know there's a Cracker Barrel up ahead on the road 'cause we all know that whenever you stop by, you are guaranteed to get a great meal - just like home. I'm excited to team up with the Cracker Barrel family and to make this new CD available exclusively to the folks stopping by," said Rodney. Menu favorites for Rodney include the open roast beef sandwich, biscuits n'gravy, hash brown casserole, chicken n' dumplins and of course a "big ol' glass of sweet tea with lemon".

"Rodney is a great performer and his shows appeal to fans of all ages, and that's the same appeal that Cracker Barrel offers to multi-generational families," said Peter Keiser, Cracker Barrel's Vice President of Marketing. "We expect that this special CD will provide some good times for a lot of people."

The previously unreleased song on Cracker Barrel Presents Rodney Atkins, "More Like Your Memory (Always Takes Me Back)," is one of the first songs that Rodney wrote and which opened the door to producing his own records with long-time co-producer, Ted Hewitt.

Cracker Barrel's exclusive music program features numerous projects. In July of this year, Cracker Barrel 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 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 593 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