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The singer and songwriter introduced that he’s dropping out from performing on the National Rifle Association’s annual assembly this weekend in Houston, saying it might be “disrespectful and hurtful” to carry out days after 19 youngsters and two adults had been killed in a mass shooting in the state.

McLean, who's best-known for his legendary 1971 folk rock anthem “American Pie,” was scheduled to carry out Saturday night through the NRA’s Grand Ole Evening of Freedom concert. However these plans modified when a gunman, identified by police as Salvador Ramos, 18, entered Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde, Tex., and started firing on kids in the worst mass capturing at an American college in practically a decade.

“In gentle of the current events in Texas, I have determined it will be disrespectful and hurtful for me to carry out for the NRA at their conference in Houston this week,” McLean, 76, mentioned in a press release. “I’m sure all the folks planning to attend this event are shocked and sickened by these occasions as effectively. After all, we are all Americans.”

McLean is amongst a few performers who’ve introduced they'll now not perform at this weekend’s convention. Nation and gospel singer Larry Gatlin and Larry Stewart of the nation band Stressed Heart additionally mentioned Thursday that they had been dropping out in response to the taking pictures at Robb Elementary College.

Gatlin mentioned he was also dropping out as a consequence of what he cited because the NRA’s “outdated and ill-thought-out positions relating to firearms” in the United States.

“My prayers and thoughts go to all who are struggling, and I pray that the NRA will rethink some of its outdated and ill-thought-out positions relating to firearms in AMERICA,” he mentioned. “I’m a 2nd Amendment man, however the 2nd amendment shouldn't apply to everybody. It’s that easy.”