Cracker Barrel Old Country Store(R) Releases Exclusive Sara Evans CD in Time for Holiday Shoppers

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store(R) Releases Exclusive Sara Evans CD in Time for Holiday Shoppers

New CD features previously unreleased versions of hits "No Place That Far" & "Born to Fly"

LEBANON, Tenn., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. ("Cracker Barrel") has added another exclusive CD to its music collection with the release of Feels Like Home by multi-platinum RCA recording artist Sara Evans. Following up her #1 release Real Fine Place, Evans' first compilation CD is now on sale exclusively at 540 Cracker Barrel locations in 41 states and online at crackerbarrel.com.

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With a retail price of $11.99, Feels Like Home features 12 songs, including two previously unreleased versions of popular Evans hits. Fans will enjoy an exclusive acoustic version of "No Place That Far" and a live version of "Born to Fly."

"There is nothing like stripping down a song and performing it acoustically. You get a different feel for the song ... a different insight into the lyrics," says Evans. "Acoustic versions make me feel like I am showcasing my songs more as a songwriter than as a performer. 'No Place That Far' was my first number one record that I co-wrote. I have always wanted to do a version similar to the way I wrote it and got the opportunity with the Cracker Barrel project."

The exclusive version of "Born To Fly" was recorded in Morgantown, West Virginia during the 2004 tour. "Performing 'Born To Fly' live each night is electrifying," says Evans. "This is such an upbeat positive message song that for me is autobiographical. I think that is why I love performing it live ... it brings fans to their feet and takes me back to my roots."

Evans is certainly riding a wave of popularity at this time. Her recent single, "A Real Fine Place To Start," quickly achieved number one status on both the Billboard and Radio Records Country Singles Charts. Earlier this year, People magazine placed her on its 50 Most Beautiful People list. All this attention followed her smash hit, "Suds in the Bucket," which was country radio's most played song in 2004.

Feels Like Home is one of several exclusive CDs that Cracker Barrel released on its music label in 2005. The collection also features Alison Krauss and Union Station and the Charlie Daniels Band. Cracker Barrel has sold more than 1.2 million CDs since creating its exclusive music label in 2003. The most popular CD to date, Alison Krauss & Union Station's Home On The Highways, has sold more than 200,000 copies since its May release. The collection also features the Grand Ole Opry(R) Live Classics series, a collection of previously unreleased live recordings direct from the Opry stage.

"The exclusive CDs at Cracker Barrel are great holiday gifts for the music fans in your family," says Chris Tomasso, vice president of marketing at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. "There's a special element in each CD we've released this year. Sara's CD includes previously unreleased material and a great poster that her fans will enjoy. The Charlie Daniels Band CD featured a patriotic theme while the Alison Krauss and Union Station CD includes video of a bonus song and exclusive interviews."

About Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the publicly held CBRL Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRL). Cracker Barrel was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn.

Each Cracker Barrel Old Country Store(R) unit is modeled after a 1900-era country store, featuring old photographs, authentic antiques, memorabilia and a real wood burning fireplace with a stone hearth to add a warm cozy touch to the dining room. The restaurant serves up classic comfort foods such as meatloaf and homemade chicken n' dumplins as well as made-from-scratch biscuits using an old family recipe. The retail store has more than 2,700 gift items including accessories for the home, old-fashioned candies, books on audio, nostalgic items, and children's games and puzzles, including classic favorites such as Raggedy Ann(R) & Andy (R) and Slinky(R).

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. operates 540 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 http://www.crackerbarrel.com/.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051206/CLTU020
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050712/CLTU015LOGO-b
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.

CONTACT: Jim Taylor; Manager, Marketing Communications of Cracker Barrel
Old Country Store, Inc., +1-615-235-4082, or jtaylor@crackerbarrel.com ; or
Holly Chambers of Manning Selvage & Lee, +1-404-877-5533, or
holly.chambers@mslpr.com

Web site: http://www.crackerbarrel.com/

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