VELVET REVOLVER guitarist Slash (ex-GUNS N' ROSES) will perform the Canadian and U.S. national anthems prior to the 29th home opener in the Toronto Blue Jays' history. The Blue Jays will face the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox on Friday, April 8 on General Motors Opening Night 2005 presented by The Toronto Star (7:15 p.m.).

Paul Godfrey, the President and CEO of the Blue Jays, says, "The goal of game entertainment, throughout the season and especially on Opening Day, is to enhance the fan experience and create great memories. Having one of the world's greatest guitarist perform the anthems will certainly be an unforgettable experience."

Slash first rose to prominence in the late '80s as the lead guitarist for GUNS N' ROSES, a hard rock band that sold more than 65 million records worldwide. The band's 1987 release "Appetite for Destruction" is referred to by Rolling Stone magazine as a "benchmark against which few albums in the genre of heavy metal can be measured and not deemed inferior."

Having left GUNS N' ROSES, Slash is now the driving force behind the platinum and Grammy Award-winning VELVET REVOLVER. VELVET REVOLVER was recently nominated for three 2005 Grammy Awards and was named as the winner for Best Hard Rock Performance (for "Slither"). The band's first release, "Contraband", debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart last year.