SMOKEY ROBINSON – NOW AND THEN

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has announced that the newest CD release in its exclusive music program will be with R&B legend and American icon Smokey Robinson! Entitled Now And Then, this CD will feature 12 songs. Six are live versions of his well-known classics, including "Going to a Go-Go," "I Second That Emotion," The Tracks of My Tears," and "The Tears of a Clown," recorded in 2010 during various performances. The other six are from his 2009 CD, Time Flies When You're Having Fun, including "Time Flies," Don't Know Why," and "Girlfriend."  Now And Then serves up smooth ballads and some of the classic Motown hits that made Smokey Robinson one of the most beloved and influential figures in the history of popular music. This new CD goes on sale November 1st, and will be available only at Cracker Barrel. "We are very excited to work with Smokey Robinson," said Cracker Barrel Vice President of Marketing Peter Keiser.  "After fifty years in the business, Smokey is still writing and performing songs that are very, very popular and he sounds great!" Keiser added, "Now and Then is a perfect CD project for Cracker Barrel because so many Americans, including me, have an emotional connection with Smokey Robinson. Who hasn't cried 'The Tears of a Clown'?"

Smokey Robinson has logged 37 Top 40 hits in his career and has received a number of significant awards, including a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award, a Grammy® for "Best R&B Performance, Male," and the Soul Train Music Award for Career Achievement. He has been inducted into the Songwriter Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has also received the prestigious Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award from ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). Smokey Robinson has been inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame both as a solo artist and with his group, The Miracles. He received a Kennedy Center honor in 2006 and is the sterling pen and satin voice behind such mega hits as "Shop Around," "Tracks of My Tears," "You've Really Got a Hold on Me," "Tears of a Clown," "I Second That Emotion," and "Going to a Go-Go," among many others. "I am glad to have my new CD, Now And Then, available exclusively at Cracker Barrel," said Smokey.  "I think many of my fans are also Cracker Barrel fans, and having my CD available when they come in to have a meal will please them. With almost 600 locations and a website, I am confident that my fans will be able to get this CD easily, and that's important these days when places that sell music are becoming rarer."