Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® and the Academy of Country Music
announced today “The Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Country
Checkers Challenge” leading up to the 50th
Annual Academy of Country Music Awards LIVE on CBS on Sunday, April
19, from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
On Saturday, April 18, country music artists and team captains Kellie
Pickler and Thomas Rhett will direct their opposing teams to
battle it out on Cracker Barrel’s giant checkerboard. The fun takes
place onsite at the 2015 ACM Party for a Cause Festival: 50 Years of
Music & Memories at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, leading up to
the 50th ACM Awards.
Through a $35,000 donation from Cracker Barrel, ACM Lifting Lives® will
donate $25,000 to the winning team’s charity and $10,000 to the losing
team’s charity. Pickler, a USO tour vet, has selected the USO
and Rhett has selected DAV as the benefiting charities. SiriusXM “The
Highway” Satellite Radio personality Storme Warren will serve as
host for the event.
“Music is as important to our country spirit as a home cooked meal,”
said Chris Ciavarra, senior vice president of marketing for Cracker
Barrel Old Country Store. “That’s why Cracker Barrel has partnered with
the Academy of Country Music to celebrate their 50th
Anniversary. We are excited about offering our fans everywhere an
opportunity to connect with Cracker Barrel and the Academy by hosting
both an online checkers tournament and an on-site celebrity game.”
Six Grand Prize Winners from the online Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
Country Checkers Challenge (which begins today), two participants
selected by Cracker Barrel at a later date, 12 country music artists to
be revealed later, a representative from the USO, a representative from
DAV, and the two spouses of the team captains will be divided equally to
create the two opposing teams. Each team member will be a “human playing
checkers piece” and will follow directions given by the team captains.
Beginning today, Feb. 2, fans can enter “The Cracker Barrel Old Country
Store Country Checkers Challenge” sweepstakes game* at CrackerBarrel.com.
The game will continue until March 23 when six Grand Prize Winners will
be crowned. The six Grand Prize Winners will each win a trip for two to
the ACM Awards at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas and a spot on the
checkerboard to play in the ultimate Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
Country Checkers Challenge with team captains Pickler and Rhett. All
rules and regulations can be found at CrackerBarrel.com.
Additional details, including the names of the country music artists
participating in the checkers game at ACM’s festival, will be revealed
soon.
Special ACM retail merchandise will be available for sale at Cracker
Barrel Old Country Store® locations beginning Feb. 2. The merchandise
will include limited edition ACM 50th t-shirts and hats. Also
included is This is Country: A Backstage Pass to the Academy of
Country Music Awards, the Academy’s first-ever commemorative
hardcover book, written by esteemed former music journalist and current
ACM executive, Lisa Lee.
*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE ODDS OF WINNING. Open
to legal residents of the Contiguous United States at or over the age of
majority at time of entry. Starts 02/02/15 at 12:01 a.m. CT and ends
04/19/15 at 5:00 p.m. CT. Entry for the chance to win the grand prize
ends 3/22/15 at 5:00 p.m. CT. Odds of winning will vary. Void where
prohibited. Additional terms apply. For entry, prize, and other details,
including the Official Rules, go to crackerbarrel.com. Sponsor: Cracker
Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., Lebanon, TN.
About the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®
Exclusive Music Program
Since 2005, Cracker Barrel has released CDs with a wide variety of
artists, some of which have debuted in the top three spots on a range of Billboard’s
charts including Top DVD Music Videos, Top Country Albums, Top
Contemporary Christian Albums and Top Bluegrass Albums. The Cracker
Barrel Old Country Store® exclusive music program includes CDs with
Alabama, Rodney Atkins, Mandy Barnett, Clint Black, Jason Michael
Carroll, Steven Curtis Chapman, Dailey & Vincent, The Charlie Daniels
Band, Ronnie Dunn, Edens Edge, Sara Evans, Bill Gaither, Vince Gill and
Paul Franklin, Amy Grant, The Grascals, Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson,
George Jones, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Neal McCoy, Montgomery
Gentry, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Craig Morgan, The Oak Ridge
Boys, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, The
Secret Sisters, Ricky Skaggs, Michael W. Smith, Ralph Stanley, Aaron
Tippin, Randy Travis, Josh Turner, Wynonna and the Zac Brown Band. For
details, visit crackerbarrel.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. 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 634 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.
About the Academy of Country Music Awards
The 50th Academy of Country Music Awards is dedicated to honoring and
showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in the country music
industry. The show is produced for television by dick clark productions
and will broadcast LIVE from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on Sunday,
April 19, 2015 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television
Network. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, R.A. Clark and Barry Adelman are
executive producers. Bob Romeo is executive producer for the Academy of
Country Music.
About ACM Lifting Lives®
ACM Lifting Lives® is the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country
Music dedicated to improving lives through the power of music. Through
partnerships with artists and strong ties in the music industry, ACM
Lifting Lives develops and funds music-related therapy and education
programs, and serves members of the community who face unexpected
hardships through its Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund. Through
generous donations and the support of artists and fans, ACM Lifting
Lives is able to fund everything from disaster relief and helping
communities in need, to music education in schools and music camps for
those with disabilities, to supporting programs that use music therapy
as a means to help our veterans and wounded warriors, while providing
grants to help them ease back into life. For more information, please
visit www.ACMLiftingLives.org.
About the USO
The USO lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families
millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide
a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the
U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and
services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most,
including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors,
troops in transition and families of the fallen. The USO is a private,
non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs and
services are made possible by the American people, support of our
corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff. To
join us in this important mission, and to learn more about the USO,
please visit uso.org.
About DAV
DAV empowers veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and
dignity. It is dedicated to a single purpose: fulfilling our promises to
the men and women who served. DAV does this by ensuring that veterans
and their families can access the full range of benefits available to
them; fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol
Hill; connecting veterans and their families with employment resources
and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of
veterans transitioning back to civilian life. DAV, a non-profit
organization with 1.2 million members, was founded in 1920 and chartered
by the U. S. Congress in 1932. Learn more at dav.org.
About Kellie Pickler
Kellie Pickler grew up immersed in country music in the small town of
Albemarle, North Carolina with the words of Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline,
Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton shaping her musical footing. At the age
of 19, she gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of “American
Idol.” In 2006, she signed with 19 Recordings/BNA Records and released
her debut album, Small Town Girl, which has gone on to sell more
than 900,000 copies worldwide and produce three hit singles: “Red High
Heels,” “I Wonder,” and “Things That Never Cross a Man’s Mind.” She
followed that in 2008 with her self-titled sophomore record, featuring
country radio hits “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” “Best Days of Your
Life” (co-written with Taylor Swift and her first Top 10), and “Didn’t
You Know How Much I Loved You.” Having established herself as not only a
powerful vocalist but also a songwriter, Pickler released her third
studio album, 100 Proof, in 2011 to huge critical acclaim. The
album was named the No. 1 Country Album of The Year by Rolling Stone
and was listed on “Best of 2012” lists by The Washington Post,
Rhapsody, AOL’s The Boot and more. In spring of 2013, Pickler partnered
with dance coach Derek Hough and won the Mirror Ball Trophy on “Dancing
with the Stars.” On Nov. 11, 2013, Pickler released her latest album, The
Woman I Am, on her new label home, Black River Entertainment. She
co-wrote three songs on the album, including the title cut. She provided
the voice for the lead character of Mirabelle in the new Veggie Tales
animated movie “Beauty and the Beet” which was released by DreamWorks
Animation in October 2014. Pickler is also an avid supporter of the U.S.
military, having recently completed her eighth USO Tour in December
2014. For more information, please visit kelliepickler.com.
About Thomas Rhett
Singer/songwriter Thomas Rhett’s debut album It Goes Like This (The
Valory Music Co.) has spawned two consecutive Platinum-certified No. 1
hits, including a three-week run with “It Goes Like This.” Additionally,
he showcased his swagger with his latest single, “Make Me Wanna,” which
topped Billboard’s list of Best Country Songs of 2014. The
project also produced the Platinum-certified No. 1 smash “Get Me Some Of
That,” as well as two Top 15 hits, “Beer With Jesus” and “Something To
Do With My Hands.” His “high-energy all the way” (El Paso Times)
caught the attention of critics out on the road, where he’ll be stepping
up as direct support for Florida Georgia Line’s ANYTHING GOES TOUR 2015
this year. The CMA “New Artist of the Year” nominee initially garnered
attention as a gifted songwriter with credits including hits by Florida
Georgia Line, Jason Aldean and Lee Brice. For tour dates and more visit, thomasrhett.com.
About Storme Warren
Storme Warren has covered the world of country music throughout his 30
year broadcasting career, interviewing nearly every artist active during
that period from legends to newcomers. An authoritative presence in the
genre, Warren currently hosts the daily morning show “The Highway” heard
around the world on SiriusXM Satellite Radio. He was also both producer
and host of the long-running “Headline Country” series on the Great
American Country (GAC) television network. Frequently referred to as
“the Ryan Seacrest of Country Music,” he can be found hosting numerous
high profile events in Nashville and around the globe, including Music
City’s highly touted annual Let Freedom Sing Independence Day and The
Bash on Broadway New Years Eve celebrations. Music festivals all
over North America, the Caribbean and Australia also recruit his talents
as a live event emcee. Behind the scenes, he is a partner in Surfing
Moose Productions, a full-service video production company responsible
for producing “Headline Country,” numerous television specials. and
concert events. As a proud member of the Nashville Community, Warren
serves on the board of directors for the T.J. Martell Foundation for
Cancer Research.
Copyright Business Wire 2015