Trisha Yearwood Clarifies Stance on SeaWorld

Trisha Yearwood was one of a long list of artists who backed out of their performance at SeaWorld's annual Bands, Brew and BBQ event, after questions were raised about the ethics of keeping whales in captivity following the release of the CNN documentary, 'Blackfish.'

But while several other artists, including Willie Nelson and Martina McBride, made statements about their decision to not appear at the Orlando attraction, Yearwood says that she had an entirely different reason for canceling her performance at the theme park.

"I didn't see 'Blackfish.' I was told about it," she admits to Electric Barnyard. "I backed out because I didn't know the facts. I didn't want to do it if it was the wrong thing to do, I didn't want to not do it. And so, I didn't come out and make some statement about how horrible SeaWorld is, because I don't feel that way. I feel like I don't know the facts."

The songstress does admit that the idea of the animal park makes her a bit uncomfortable.

"I did lean towards the side of, I'm not even a fan of zoos," she continues. "It's tough for me for animals in captivity. But at the same time, I think there are reasons why some animals are, that wouldn't survive in the wild. So I don't have a 'Let's hate SeaWorld' mentality, or a 'They're the best thing on the planet.'"

The wife of Garth Brooks, who is performing in smaller venues on her Just Because Tour, says it was more out of consideration for her fans that she made the decision not to perform.

"I really didn't want to be involved in a controversy that I was not educated about, so before tickets went on sale, I pulled out," she adds. "I thought, 'This is a battle I don't want to fight, because I don't know anything about it.'"

While several other artists, including Trace Adkins, Barenaked Ladies and Heart all canceled their previously-scheduled shows at SeaWorld, plenty of other artists still performed, including Scotty McCreery, Justin Moore, Alan Jackson, Kid Rock and Gretchen Wilson.

The Bands, Brew & BBQ concert series will wrap up this weekend with performances by Hank Williams, Jr. on Saturday (March 8) and Alabama on Sunday (March 9).