Three-time GRAMMY® winner Michael W. Smith will bring holiday
cheer to audiences across the country this holiday season as he launches "The
Spirit of Christmas Tour,” set to hit several cities in the U.S. and
Canada. Partnering with Michael W. Smith as the official tour sponsor is Cracker
Barrel Old Country Store®.
Michael W. Smith Christmas Tour (Photo: Business Wire)
Earlier this year, Michael W. Smith debuted his first classic hymns
album, aptly named Hymns, exclusively at Cracker Barrel Old
Country Store locations and online at www.crackerbarrel.com.
The tremendous success of the album, which was recently nominated for a
Dove Award for Inspiration Album of the Year, led to Cracker Barrel Old
Country Store signing on as the official tour sponsor.
"I’m really happy to have Cracker Barrel as a tour sponsor," remarked
Smith. "Our local Cracker Barrel has become a very special place over
the past several years. It’s where I take my Dad once a week for
breakfast. We’ve shared some great memories there that I’ll always
cherish. It feels great to have Cracker Barrel as part of my tour."
“We enjoyed working with Michael and his team when we exclusively
released his Hymns album earlier this year, and were so happy for
them when it was recently nominated for a Dove Award,” said Cracker
Barrel Marketing Manager Julie Craig. “Christmas is a time when families
come together, and often they gather to share a meal at Cracker Barrel.
When we were approached about sponsoring his ‘Spirit of Christmas Tour,’
we knew it would be a great fit.”
In addition to "The Spirit of Christmas Tour," Smith will co-headline
three special events with long-time friend and fellow GRAMMY® winner Amy
Grant. Teaming up in Dallas, Minneapolis and Atlanta, Smith and Grant
will showcase their beloved Christmas set while performing alongside a
full symphony orchestra. Full tour dates are listed below. For more
information, visit: www.michaelwsmith.com.
Smith made national headlines last month as he announced the release of Michael
W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas, featuring 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. The album will be available in stores –
including Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® - as well as online on
September 30.
“This is the most unique and unusual record I've ever done in my 31-year
career,” remarked Smith. The album was co-produced by Smith, CMA Music
Awards and CMA Country Christmas producer Robert Deaton and renowned
orchestral maestro David Hamilton.
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"The Spirit of Christmas Tour"
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All dates subject to change
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November 30 –
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Anaheim, CA
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December 1 –
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Modesto, CA
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December 3 –
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Clarksville, TN
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December 4 –
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Nashville, TN
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December 5 –
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Birmingham, AL
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December 6 –
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Richmond, VA
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December 11 –
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Wichita, KS
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December 12 –
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Dallas, TX*
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December 13 –
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Minneapolis, MN*
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December 15 –
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Atlanta, GA*
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December 18 –
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Spokane, WA
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December 19 –
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Portland, OR
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December 20 –
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Seattle, WA
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December 21 –
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Abbotsford, BC, Canada
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*Co-headline with Amy Grant
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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 28 No. 1 songs, earned
three GRAMMY® Awards, one American Music Award, and more than 40 Dove
Awards. Most recently, in honor of ASCAP’s 100th Anniversary, Smith,
along with Amy Grant, was honored as “a cornerstone of Christian music,”
for his groundbreaking career and significant influence on the genre.
Throughout his career, the Contemporary Christian Music artist has had
the opportunity to sing for several Presidents and national leaders. He
actively supports the teen club Rocketown, Compassion International, and
Samaritan’s Purse, the ministry headed by Franklin Graham. Michael and
his wife Debbie live in Middle Tennessee, where they raised their five
children. So far this year, Smith has released Hymns, his
first-ever classic hymns album available exclusively at all Cracker
Barrel Old Country Store® locations and CrackerBarrel.com, as well as
his first studio worship album since 2008, Sovereign, which took
a Top 10 spot on the Billboard 200, as well as the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s
Christian Albums Chart. His fourth career Christmas album, Michael W.
Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas, will be available
September 30, 2014. For more information, visit www.michaelwsmith.com.
About Cracker Barrel Old Country Store:
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. The
restaurant serves up delicious, home-style country food such as meatloaf
and homemade chicken n’ dumplins as well as its made-from-scratch
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 633 company-owned locations in 42
states. Every Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® location 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.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140923005231/en/
Copyright Business Wire 2014