Who are The Nelons? Members list explored as beloved gospel group dies in a fatal plane crash

The Nelons, a cherished American gospel group, became a victim of a horrific plane crash on Friday, July 26, 2024. The group was about to join the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska when the fatal plane crash took place.

CCM Magazine reported that six individuals were killed in the crash, including Jason Clark, Kelly Nelon Clark, their daughter Amber and son-in-law Nathan Kistler, assistant Melodi Hodges, pilot Larry Haynie, and his wife Melissa.

For the unversed, The Nelons was a southern gospel group which was formed in 1977. Led by Kelly and Jason, the group was based in Atlanta. It also consisted of their daughters, Amber and Autumn.

The last video posted on the group's Instagram account was a vlog that captured their Gaither Alaskan Cruise trip. After the news of this crash, the comment section was flooded with condolences from fans.

Kelly and Jason's youngest daughter, Autumn Nelon Streetman, and her spouse Jamie Streetman reached Seattle safely since they weren't on the plane. Along with the grieving family, several other artists also gathered to pray for the ones who died in the accident.

Autumn issued a statement on July 27 to address the tragic crash incident and wrote:

"As many of you have heard by now, my father and mother, Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, along with my sister, Amber, and brother-in-law, Nathan, as well as our dear friends Melodi Hodges, Larry, and Melissa Haynie, were involved in a tragic plane crash on Friday."

In the statement, she further expressed gratitude to everybody for sending condolences to the grieving family, including her husband, and soon-to-be-born baby, along with Jason Clark's parents, Linda and Dan.

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Exploring the gospel group The Nelons and their members

The Nelsons was founded by Kelly and her husband Jason, in the 1970s. Born in 1951, Kelly had an association with Bill Gaither's Homecoming events. When the gospel group was started, it was initially named as The Rex Nelon Singers. They gained fame under the leadership of Kelly's dad, Rex Lloyd Nelon.

Over time, the group featured several members including Kelly and Jason's daughters Amber and Karen, fellow gospel singers like Karen Peck, Janet Paschal, Jeff Stice, and Christian pianist Stan Whitmire. The official bio of The Nelons suggested:

"Jason’s musicianship and his ability to arrange infectious harmonies, along with Kelly’s breathtaking alto, Amber’s soaring soprano, and Autumn’s haunting folksy vocal tone and mandolin playing blend to create a sound that is enthralling."

Born in 1932, Rex grew up singing country music. Then in 1957, he became a part of the LeFevres. In 1977, after pianist Eva Mae LeFevre retired, Rex took the leadership of the group and changed its name to The Rex Nelon Singers, which eventually became The Nelons.

The group got their first Grammy nomination in 1990 for their album Let the Redeemed Say So. They also received the prestigious GMA Dove Awards multiple times. In 1991, after Karen Peck left the group and Kelly had already become popular, Rex considered disbanding the team.

With the release of her solo album titled Kelly Nelon Thompson & the Nelons in 1996, singer Kelly intended to continue the group along with taking its leadership. After that, several lineup changes took place including the exit of Jerry Thompson who left the group after getting divorced from Kelly in 1998. While Rex Nelon retired, he continued performing for the band until he passed away in 2000.

In 2001, Kelly got married to Jason, the singer and bassist of the group. The duo then had kids who also became part of the gospel group.