Several musicians canceled their pre-planned performance at the National Rifle Association convention in Houston, Texas following the mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas earlier this week.
Recently, an 18-year-old gunman conducted a massacre at Robb Elementary School, which teaches children aged seven to 10. The suspected criminal was shot dead later by responding law enforcement officials, confirmed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Don McLean publicly announced that he was canceling his appearance at the upcoming live show. His protest has been followed by other musicians including Lee Greenwood, Larry Gatlin, Danielle Peck, and Larry Stewart. Don said, “I cannot, in good conscience, perform at the NRA convention in Houston this weekend,” Gatlin, of the Gatlin Brothers, clearly stated in one of his statements.
Later he also mentions in his Instagram live saying, “While I agree with most of the positions held by the NRA, I have come to believe that, while background checks would not stop every madman with a gun, it is at the very least a step in the right direction toward trying to prevent the kind of tragedy we saw this week in Uvalde – in my beloved, weeping TEXAS.”
He concluded his statement with “I’m a 2nd Amendment guy, but the 2nd Amendment should not apply to everyone. It’s that simple.” The only artist who still will perform at the event is singer Jacob Bryant. Major artists such as Taylor Swift, Madonna, and Olivia Rodrigo have also expressed their feelings.