More musicians cancel NRA convention performances after Texas school shooting
T. Graham Brown has canceled his performance at the NRA annual meeting. Photo: Getty Images
After the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, more musicians have canceled performances at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Houston .
Why it matters: Singer Don McLean was the first major performer to announce he wouldn’t play at the NRA convention after the shooting that left 19 children and two adults dead.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) also canceled his convention appearance Friday to travel to Uvalde to further respond to the shooting at Robb Elementary School, his office said. However, he will deliver a video address at the event.
What's happening: CNN reported that at least four other musicians have canceled performances after this week’s tragedy, including Larry Gatlin, Lee Greenwood and T. Graham Brown.
- The convention begins Friday and runs through the weekend at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center.
What they're saying: "As a father, I join the rest of America in being absolutely heartbroken by the horrific event that transpired this week in Texas," Greenwood said in a statement to Axios, noting his band canceled the NRA event "out of respect for those mourning the loss of those innocent children and teachers in Uvalde."
- Gatlin told CNN, "I cannot, in good conscience, perform at the NRA convention in Houston this weekend.
- McLean said in a statement, "In light of the recent events in Texas, I have decided it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform for the NRA at their convention in Houston this week."
The big picture: The attack in Uvalde and another mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, that left 10 dead on May 14 has renewed scrutiny on gun rights groups like the NRA, gun manufacturers and politicians who receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds from such organizations.