Lee Greenwood cancels his appearance at the NRA concert in Houston, leading the remaining performers to follow suit. Jacob Bryant, the remaining performer on the bill, tweets that the show “isn’t happening.”
Country singer Lee Greenwood announced the cancelation of his scheduled appearance at the National Rifle Association concert set to take place over the Memorial Day weekend. His announcement followed Don McLean, Larry Gatlin, and Larry Stewart and preceded that of T. Graham Brown and Danielle Peck. Their departures left the concert with one remaining performer, Jacob Bryant.
Bryant reportedly replied to a fan on Twitter that the concert “isn’t happening,” and later that day tweeted that “the show has been canceled since yesterday.” However, the concert was still listed, and tickets remained for sale on the NRA’s website for several hours after Bryant’s tweet.
Greenwood’s statement said, “As a father, I join the rest of America in being absolutely heartbroken by the horrific event that transpired this week in Texas. I was scheduled to perform at 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.”
Larry Gatlin, in his statement, added, “I cannot, in good conscience, perform at the NRA convention in Houston this weekend. 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 concert was part of an event organized by the NRA featuring speeches from Donald Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz. The event is going forward with “over 14 acres of guns and gear and 800 exhibitors,” even though it takes place less than 300 miles from Uvalde, Texas, three days after a school shooting resulted in at least 19 children and two adults killed. The Uvalde shooting was the deadliest and the 27th school shooting in the US this year alone.
The NRA said that event attendees will “reflect on” the Uvalde school shooting, “pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure.”