Lee Greenwood, the staple of Trump rallies and the most prominent musician to pull out the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Texas, told Fox News on Friday that his conscience would not allow him to perform at the event in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting.
Greenwood directly cited the massacre that left 19 children and two adults dead as the cause of his last-minute pang of conscience.
During an appearance on Fox & Friends on Friday, Greenwood added: “For me to go and play at the NRA just days after the shooting would be an endorsement, and people would then deem that as [me saying] ‘I like this weapon.’ Obviously, that weapon killed kids. I just couldn’t go.”
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He noted that he and other artists were on contract to perform, but that the the attack happened at “a very bad time” so soon after the attack.
The hosts of the Fox News morning program quickly changed the subject after his comments.
On Thursday night, the country singer announced that “As a father, I join the rest of America in being absolutely heartbroken by the horrific event that transpired this week in Texas,” according to Variety. “I was scheduled to perform at the NRA’s private event on Saturday with my band. After thoughtful consideration, we have decided to cancel the appearance out of respect for those mourning the loss of those innocent children and teachers in Uvalde.”
Greenwood’s uber-patriot anthem “God Bless the USA” is just the latest song to vanish from the NRA setlist after a string of other acts canceled planned performances this week. “American Pie” singer Don McLean pulled his appearance saying it would be “disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform for the NRA” in light of Tuesday’s gun slaughter. The freewheeling Houston concert—called The Grand Ole Night of Freedom—also saw country singers Larry Stewart and Larry Gatlin back out after the shooting, with Gatlin going so far as to criticize the NRA for not supporting background checks. “I’m a Second Amendment guy,” Gatlin told USA Today, “But the Second Amendment should not apply to everyone. It’s that simple.”
Singer Danielle Peck took a similar line to Greenwood in her cancellation, citing a “respect for all of the families in Uvalde” in a statement announcing her withdrawal from the show, which is set to take place around 270 miles from the scene of the mass shooting. Their cancellations leave Jacob Bryant as the only artist remaining on the bill.
It’s not just musicians who are waking up to the staggering unseemliness of the NRA’s convention being held so soon after and so close to the school shooting. After days of intense public opposition, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will no longer attend the event, opting instead to send pre-recorded video remarks. Texas political heavyweights Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Dan Crenshaw also said this week they’ll no longer attend.
But Ted Cruz, who stormed out of an interview when asked about gun violence in America on Tuesday, is still set to show up at the convention. And former President Donald Trump has remained steadfast in his conviction to attend the event.
“America needs real solutions and real leadership in this moment, not politicians and partisanship,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday. “That’s why I will keep my longtime commitment to speak in Texas at the NRA Convention and deliver an important address to America.”
