Bellamy Brothers and Bacon Brothers Share Opry Stage

"I want to thank Howard and David Bellamy for giving us the dream of a lifetime -- playing the Grand Ole Opry," Michael Bacon told an enthusiastic audience after he and brother Kevin Bacon performed 'Guilty of the Crime' with the Bellamy Brothers. The tune is the first single from the Bellamys' upcoming 'Anthology' collection, due in stores Sept. 29.

The Opry appearance marked the first public performance by the Bellamy Brothers with the Bacon Brothers. "It was really a lot of fun," David Bellamy told The Boot backstage. "I wish we could do a whole set together."

The Bellamys opened the three-song performance with their hit, 'If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me),' then introduced the Bacons, who joined them for 'Guilty of the Crime,' followed by a spirited performance of the Bellamy's signature hit, 'Let Your Love Flow.'

Howard commended their sibling pals on a great performance in a venue that can make the most seasoned acts nervous. "They were out of their element. It would be like us on a movie set. We'd be nervous," he says. "Playing the Opry even makes veterans nervous!"

The enthusiastic crowd response and Opry family backstage helped calm any nerves. "I really enjoyed it. It felt like the crowd really accepted us," said Kevin, known for such films as 'A Few Good Men,' 'Footloose' and 'Mystic River.'

"I was less nervous than I thought I'd be. It just felt really cool," Michael said of standing on the Opry stage where so many country legends have entertained for decades.

"Yeah, you think about all that stuff until the downbeat," Kevin said.

"Plus we got to see Little Jimmy Dickens before the show and that helped," said Michael.

The Opry performance capped a busy day spent promoting 'Guilty of the Crime' via interviews and a Music Row press conference. "Those guys are a lot of fun," says David of working with the Bacon Brothers. "They are as mellow as they can be, and Kevin handles the movie star thing as well as anyone I've ever seen. He's the most gracious person. Michael is such a talented composer. He's done a lot of film scores, and he has a lot of respect for Nashville."

The Bellamy Brothers and Bacon Brothers recently shot a video for 'Guilty of the Crime' with actress Shannen Doherty in Memphis' Shelby County Correctional Center. The tune is the first single from the 'Anthology' album, which will feature 13 No. 1 hits, five new songs and two duets -- 'Guilty of the Crime' and "I Can Be Persuaded" with British pop legend Cliff Richard.

The five new tunes on 'Anthology' are 'Where Did the Common Sense Go?' 'Heart of my Heart,' 'Fires of Time,' 'Trust Me' and 'The Old Bulls.' "Howard and I wrote 'Trust Me' and 'Heart of My Heart' with Jerry Williams. 'The Old Bulls' is one you won't hear on the radio," David says with a laugh.

"It's a cowboy thing," Howard grins. "Some friends of ours have a club called the Old Bulls and they travel. They are all in their 60s they are doing things on their bucket lists. They invited us to go to Cuba and smoke cigars. They are would-be hell-raisers. We dedicated it to them."

The Bellamys will be on the road promoting 'Anthology' through the end of 2009 including a stint at the Welk Theater in Branson from Sept. 14 - Oct. 24. The Bacon Brothers are also on tour this fall.