Kelly Nelon Clark, Jason Clark, and Amber Nelon Kistler—three members of the gospel quartet The Nelons—died in a plane accident. Find out more about the vocalists and the surviving member, Autumn Nelon Streetman.
The Nelons were a people who lived, breathed, and sang their faith.
The family-rooted gospel ensemble, which was established in the 1970s by Kelly’s father Rex Nelon, had been recording together for a decade with Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark, and her daughters Amber Nelon Kistler and Autumn Nelon Streetman.3 members of the famed US Grammy-nominated gospel family, the Nelons, died in a catastrophic plane crash.
Since Kelly, who began performing with her father as a child, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, they had been on a run at the Absolutely Gospel Awards. Jason received the Producer of the Year award in 2021, while Autumn was recognized as the Female Vocalist of the Year in 2022. This award was previously awarded to her sibling in 2014.
Kelly, Jason, Amber, and her husband Nathan Kistler, 34, were all killed in a plane accident on July 26, leaving her as the sole survivor of the Georgia-based quartet. The victims included the band’s assistant Melodi Hodges, pilot Larry Haynie, and his wife, Melissa Haynie.
The following day, Autumn, who is expecting her first child, expressed her gratitude for the prayers that have already been offered for her, her husband, Jamie, and their soon-to-be-born infant boy, as well as Jason’s parents, Dan and Linda Clark. “We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support as we navigate the coming days.”
Jason, Amber, and Kelly were en route to Seattle to participate in the Gaither Homecoming Cruise, which was scheduled to depart for Alaska. They were journeying in a single-engine Pilatus PC-12 that departed from Georgia on the morning of July 26, along with four others, including the pilot, as indicated by flight records. When the aircraft crashed in a remote area of Gillette, Wyoming, it was en route to Billings, Montana, after making a halt in Nebraska City, Nebraska.
According to Gaither Management Group, Bill and Gloria Gaither, the founders of the company, gathered at the hotel where Autumn and her husband Jamie Streetman were staying to pray, sing, and embrace them in their grief. The couple then flew back home to begin the difficult tasks that lay ahead.
One of the most significant responsibilities is determining how to honor Autumn’s mother, sister, and stepfather, a family that thrived on the creation of music together and passed away while pursuing their cherished interests.
Who are The Nelons?
- Rex Nelon is a southern gospel artist who played bass for 20 years with the famous group The LeFevres. The LeFevres are another family band with roots in Tennessee that go back to the 1920s.
- Rex was born in Asheville, North Carolina, but now lives in Georgia. He bought out LeFevres when he retired and changed the group’s name to the Rex Nelon Singers in 1977.
- Kelly is Rex and Shirley’s daughter. She was born in 1959 and began singing with her dad when she was 13. From 1977 to 1981, Janet Paschal joined them as the Rex Nelon Singers. From 1981 to 1990, Karen Peck was their singer.
- It was also in 1979 that Kelly married Jerry Thompson, who was then the fifth member of the Rex Nelon Singers.
- Around the middle of the 1980s, they began playing and recording as The Nelons. When Karen quit the band, Kelly’s brother Todd Nelon, who used to play bass, switched to singing.
The group’s fourth member was not onboard
