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The singer and songwriter introduced that he’s dropping out from performing at the National Rifle Affiliation’s annual meeting this weekend in Houston, saying it might be “disrespectful and hurtful” to perform days after 19 youngsters and two adults have been killed in a mass taking pictures in the state.

McLean, who's best-known for his legendary 1971 folks rock anthem “American Pie,” was scheduled to carry out Saturday evening in the course of the NRA’s Grand Ole Night of Freedom live performance. But those plans changed when a gunman, identified by police as Salvador Ramos, 18, entered Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde, Tex., and started firing on youngsters in the worst mass capturing at an American school in nearly a decade.

“In gentle of the current occasions in Texas, I've determined it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to carry out for the NRA at their convention in Houston this week,” McLean, 76, said in a statement. “I’m certain all the oldsters planning to attend this occasion are shocked and sickened by these occasions as well. After all, we're all Individuals.”

McLean is among a few performers who’ve announced they'll now not perform at this weekend’s conference. Nation and gospel singer Larry Gatlin and Larry Stewart of the nation band Stressed Coronary heart additionally stated Thursday that they had been dropping out in response to the capturing at Robb Elementary Faculty.

Gatlin mentioned he was additionally dropping out because of what he cited as the NRA’s “outdated and ill-thought-out positions concerning firearms” in the US.

“My prayers and ideas go to all who're struggling, and I pray that the NRA will rethink some of its outdated and ill-thought-out positions regarding firearms in AMERICA,” he said. “I’m a 2nd Amendment man, however the 2nd amendment should not apply to everybody. It’s that simple.”