Don McLean, Larry Gatlin Pull Out Of NRA Convention Concert In Texas
May 26 2022, Published 2:45 p.m. ET
“Bad news on the doorstep, I couldn't take one more step.”
Those lyrics, from Don McLean's seminal hit “American Pie,” perfectly sum up the singer's stance in the wake of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. In light of the tragic events, McLean has pulled out of “NRA's Grand Ole Night Of Freedom Concert,” set for Saturday night as part of the organization's May 27-29 national convention in Houston.
"In light of the recent events in Texas, I have decided it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform for the NRA," McLean told People Magazine. “I'm sure all the folks planning to attend this event are shocked and sickened by these events as well. After all, we are all Americans. I share the sorrow for this terrible, cruel loss with the rest of the nation.”
The move follows a similar decision by Larry Gatlin, who explained in a statement: “I cannot, in good conscience, perform at the NRA convention. 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."
The Saturday evening concert event will be MC-ed by SiriusXM “Y2K” host Danielle Peck and features Lee Greenwood, Larry Stewart, Jacob Bryant and T. Graham Brown. Meanwhile, Friday's first day of convention activities will include one major protest linked to the Uvalde massacre.
Former President Donald Trump is also set to address the crowd, as RadarOnline.com previously reported.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the May 27 protest is being coordinated by the local chapter of Black Lives Matter and Discovery Green Conservancy.
“We’re not there to incite anything, we’re just there to make the NRA uncomfortable andr un them out of Houston,” said local BLM member Ashton Woods.
Houston mayor Sylvester Turner previously stated it's too late to cancel the NRA convention, Nevertheless, a protest planned for Thursday will demand just that, in front of City Hall.