Tour to set stage for exclusive Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® release of “Michael W. Smith Hymns II - Shine On Us”

LEBANON, Tenn. (Dec. 1, 2015) – Michael W. Smith will once again partner with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® for his nationwide Christmas tour and the exclusive
“Michael W. Smith Hymns II - Shine On Us” album, which releases Jan. 29, 2016.

The tour will hit more than a dozen markets this holiday season, including Dallas, Atlanta, Detroit and more. Smith’s long-time friend and fellow Grammy Award winner Amy Grant will co-bill the tour in select cities. Complemented by a full symphony orchestra, the show will feature favorites from Smith’s latest Christmas release “Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas,” which includes an all-star lineup of guests – Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Amy Grant, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles, Bono and Michael McDonald.

Smith's partnership with Cracker Barrel began with the exclusive release of the Gospel Music Association’s (GMA) Dove Award winning “Michael W. Smith – Hymns” album in 2014. The success of that project led to a second record, “Michael W. Smith Hymns II - Shine On Us,” available exclusively at Cracker Barrel this January.

The holiday tour will wrap a busy year for the three-time Grammy Award winner. In his continued support, Smith was the featured performer at the recent 2015 United Service Organizations (USO) Gala. Having already made treks in Brazil and the United States, the multi-platinum selling artist continued his world tour with stops in South Korea, Philippines, Singapore and Japan last month. In October, Smith earned his 45th GMA Dove Award, taking home the trophy for “Christmas Album of the Year.”

Christmas Tour 2015:
Dec. 04 Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center (SKyPAC) - Bowling Green, KY

Dec. 05 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion - Houston, TX (co-bill with Amy Grant)

Dec. 06 American Airlines Center - Dallas, TX (co-bill with Amy Grant)

Dec. 08 Resurrection Life Church - Grandville, MI

Dec. 09 Fox Theatre - Detroit, MI

Dec. 11 Scottrade Center - St. Louis, MO (co-bill with Amy Grant)

Dec. 12 Target Center - Minneapolis, MN (co-bill with Amy Grant)

Dec. 13 Denny Sanford Premier Center - Sioux Falls, SD (co-bill with Amy Grant)

Dec. 15 Cincinnati Music Hall - Cincinnati, OH

Dec. 16 Bell Shoals Baptist Church (Brandon, FL) - Tampa, FL

Dec. 18 Gwinnett Center - Atlanta, GA (co-bill with Amy Grant)

Dec. 19 Greensboro Coliseum - Greensboro, NC (co-bill with Amy Grant)

Dec. 20 EagleBank Arena - Fairfax, VA (co-bill with Amy Grant)

All tour dates are subject to change. For the latest information and tickets, visit michaelwsmith.com/tour.

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About Michael W. Smith
Michael W. Smith is an acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician who has sold more than 15 million albums, achieved 32 No. 1 songs, received 2x RIAA Multi-Platinum, 6 Platinum and 16 Gold certified albums, earned three Grammy Awards, one American Music Award and 45 GMA Dove Awards. Amassing an in-depth catalog of achievements, Smith was honored at ASCAP’s 100th Anniversary for his groundbreaking career and significant influence in music. He performed at Former First Lady Barbara Bush’s 90th birthday celebration and also had the privilege to join Former President Clinton, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and others in remembering victims in the 20th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City attacks. Smith was appointed by the White House as Vice Chair for the President’s Council on service and civic participation and, most recently, was the featured performer at the 2015 USO Gala and recognized as a USO veteran. In addition to the international impact he has had through multiple global tours, he has written and composed various scored film projects, has authored 12 books, has acted in assorted motion pictures and has been featured by numerous national media outlets. He founded, and actively supports, the teen club Rocketown – a nonprofit outreach for teens, providing opportunities in arts, music, sports and mentoring programs. This year also marks the 25th anniversary in partnership with Compassion International, seeing more than seventy thousand families’ and children’s lives changed, around the world. For more information, visit www.michaelwsmith.com.

About Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. 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. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBRL) was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn. and operates 635 company-owned locations in 42 states. Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2015 Consumer Picks survey named Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® the winner in two Family-Dining Restaurants categories – Menu Variety and Atmosphere. For more information about the company, visit crackerbarrel.com.

Media Contact:
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