Tim Mcgraw has defended his decision to appear at a charity concert which will benefit the Sandy Hook Promise. The country star was criticised by members of the gun lobby for agreeing to appear in the show which gun advocate groups have described as a fundraiser for gun control.

Tim McGrawTim McGraw has defended his decision to appear at a charity concert after criticism from the gun lobby.

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The Sandy Hook Promise is a non-profit organisation, run by the families of those who were killed in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. 20 children and 6 teachers were shot by 20-year-old Adam Lanza in December 2012. The shooting prompted debate about gun control in the US and the Sandy Hook Promise, as stated on their website, 'supports sensible non-policy and policy solutions that protect children and prevent gun violence.'

The concert to raise funds for the organisation will take place on Friday 17th July in Hartford, Connecticut. McGraw is taking part in the concert as he has a personal connection to the Sandy Hook shootings. McGraw's fiddle player, Dean Brown, is a close friend of one of the Sandy Hook Promise organisers, a man who lost his son in the shooting.

"Let me be clear regarding the concert for Sandy Hook given much of the erroneous reporting thus far. As a gun owner, I support gun ownership. I also believe that with gun ownership comes the responsibility of education and safety - most certainly when it relates to what we value most, our children. I can't imagine anyone who disagrees with that," McGraw said in a statement to Fox News.

"Through a personal connection, I saw first-hand how the Sandy Hook tragedy affected families and I felt their pain," McGraw added. "The concert is meant to do something good for a community that is recovering."

Watch Tim McGraw Perform 'Diamond Rings and Old Barstools' At iHeart: