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The singer and songwriter introduced that he’s dropping out from performing on the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation’s annual meeting this weekend in Houston, saying it will be “disrespectful and hurtful” to perform days after 19 children and two adults had been killed in a mass shooting within the state.

McLean, who's best-known for his legendary 1971 folks rock anthem “American Pie,” was scheduled to perform Saturday evening in the course of the NRA’s Grand Ole Night of Freedom live performance. However these plans modified when a gunman, identified by police as Salvador Ramos, 18, entered Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde, Tex., and began firing on kids in the worst mass capturing at an American college in practically a decade.

“In gentle of the latest occasions in Texas, I've determined it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform for the NRA at their conference in Houston this week,” McLean, 76, mentioned in a statement. “I’m positive all the parents planning to attend this event are shocked and sickened by these events as effectively. In any case, we are all Americans.”

McLean is amongst a few performers who’ve announced they will not perform at this weekend’s conference. Nation and gospel singer Larry Gatlin and Larry Stewart of the country band Restless Heart also mentioned Thursday that they were dropping out in response to the capturing at Robb Elementary School.

Gatlin stated he was additionally dropping out attributable to what he cited as the NRA’s “outdated and ill-thought-out positions regarding firearms” in the US.

“My prayers and ideas go to all who are suffering, and I pray that the NRA will rethink a few of its outdated and ill-thought-out positions regarding firearms in AMERICA,” he said. “I’m a 2nd Amendment guy, but the 2nd modification mustn't apply to everybody. It’s that easy.”