Jessica Simpson, Road Hammers Visit Opry

Jessica Simpson photo courtesy of Sony BMG Nashville.

Sept. 5, 2008 — The Grand Ole Opry will have plenty of new blood coursing through its veins this weekend. Jessica Simpson, about to release her first country album, makes her debut on the legendary show on Saturday while the Canadian band the Road Hammers stops by for the first time on Friday.

"I'm incredibly honored to be singing... on this stage which has such a rich and amazing history," Jessica observes. "I get chill bumps just thinking about it."

Jessica will perform a pair of songs, "Come On Over" and "Remember That," from Do You Know, which reaches stores on Tuesday. She’ll appear in an Opry segment that also features Loretta Lynn, Patty Loveless and Crystal Shawanda — and it all gets captured on GAC’s Opry Live beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

The Road Hammers earned their first major attention in the U.S. this year with the release of their album Blood, Sweat & Steel and through their GAC reality series, directed by Jason Priestley.

"As a lifelong country music fan, the Grand Ole Opry is a mecca to me," band member Jason McCoy says. "With the passing of Jerry Reed, one of my true heroes, it will make it that much more special to pay tribute to him with our version of ‘East Bound and Down.’ He will be missed by all, but his incredible legacy will live on in country music forever."

The Road Hammers’ current single, "Girl On The Billboard," is a cover of a song made famous by a late Grand Ole Opry star, North Carolina native Del Reeves.