Country Music News for the Country Music Enthusiast

CRACKER BARREL'S EXCLUSIVE DOLLY PARTON CD DEBUTS AT #9 ON BILLBOARD MAGAZINE'S COUNTRY MUSIC CHART

Backwoods Barbie - The Collector's Edition is also #40 on The Billboard 200LEBANON, Tenn.  (April 10, 2009)  As a sign of the strength of the combination of the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® and Dolly Parton, her Backwoods Barbie - The Collector's Edition CD debuted at #9 on Billboard magazine's Top Country Album Chart, selling more than 12,306 copies in its first week.  In addition to being one of the top ten country albums for the week, Backwoods Barbie - The Collector's Edition also landed a spot at # 40 on The Billboard 200, a weekly listing of the top selling music albums in the country.  Meanwhile, in its second week on the charts, the CD - the latest release from Cracker Barrel exclusive music program - landed at #14 on the Country chart. Dolly Parton's Backwoods Barbie - The Collector's Edition, which features three songs that had never been released before, went on sale on March 23rd exclusively at the Cracker Barrel. 

"This achievement clearly demonstrates Cracker Barrel's ability to reach a large audience of music buyers," said Peter Keiser, Vice President of Marketing. "It shows the strength of the brand. With 588 retail outlets for our exclusive CDs, Cracker Barrel has a unique opportunity to sell quality music in great quantity." he added. Cracker Barrel's exclusive music program has grown to the point that participating in Nielson SoundScan, the system which gathers the data for the Billboard charts, makes good business sense. Keiser said, "Participating in SoundScan shows that we are serious about being in the music business and focused in the choices we make regarding artists and the labels that we work with."

"I am very excited that the album has been so well received," said music legend Dolly Parton. "We sensed from the start that this would be a great partnership.  Seeing how many people bought the CD, books and rocking chairs just proved that my fans are Cracker Barrel fans too!"

Backwoods Barbie - The Collector's Edition is the latest project in an impressive collection of exclusive music available only at Cracker Barrel. It follows a number of exclusive releases in 2008 - November's release of Bill Gaither's Homecoming Hymns, the August release of Kenny Rogers: 50 Years, the July release of Ricky Skaggs' The High Notes and the April release of Aaron Tippin's He Believed.  Over the last few years, Cracker Barrel has released exclusive CDs featuring Alison Krauss & Union Station, Josh Turner, Amy Grant, Sara Evans, and Charlie Daniels.

The three new songs on Backwoods Barbie - The Collector's Edition were selected by Dolly herself from her extensive catalog. They are "Rose of My Heart," "Hallelujah Holiday," and "Berry Pie."  "I wanted the songs I chose specifically for this release to reflect how I feel about Cracker Barrel and all the good things you can find there," said Dolly.  "I think it's important for there to be an authentic connection to the heritage that Cracker Barrel and I share."  There are 15 tracks on the CD, which is available only at Cracker Barrel locations, at a retail price of $11.99

About Cracker Barrel
        
Cracker Barrel Old Country Storeâ restaurants provide a friendly home-away-from-home in their 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 588 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: www.crackerbarrel.com.