Another prominent singer has canceled his upcoming performance at an NRA Convention in Houston this weekend. Lee Greenwood — of "God Bless The USA" fame — announced he's pulled out of the gig due to the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 people dead, 19 of which were children.
Lee is now the fifth singer to bow out at the 11th hour.
Lee's cancelation came after Larry Gatlin, the vocalist behind "All the Gold in California" and "Broken Lady," decided to forgo the convention, too.
In canceling, the 74-year-old even went so far as to call out "some" of the NRA's "outdated and ill-thought-out positions regarding firearms in AMERICA."
In a statement, Larry said, "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."
In what is sure to cause waves, he fiercely defended the right to bear arms, but added, "The 2nd amendment should not apply to everyone. It's that simple." Still, he also thinks that arming teachers — a popular NRA talking point — could have stopped Tuesday's massacre at Robb Elementary School.
"It is not a perfect world and the 'if only crowd's' policies will never make it one. I am a 'what if guy' and I can't help but ask the question, 'What if the teachers had been proficient in the use of firearms and had, in fact been armed this week? My answer is that there would not be 21 freshly dug graves for 21 of GOD's precious children," he said.
Larry, who has performed at past NRA conventions, is one of several performers choosing to bow out of the "NRA Grand Ole Night of Freedom."
On May 25, Don McLean opted out, saying it would be "disrespectful and hurtful" for him to perform.
"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," he said in a statement. "I share the sorrow for this terrible, cruel loss with the rest of the nation."
After Larry's cancelation, Restless Heart frontman Larry Stewart and country artist Danielle Peck both said they, too, would not perform at the convention in the wake of the tragedy.