The Nelons | |
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Also known as | The Rex Nelon Singers (until 1985) |
Origin | Georgia |
Genres | Southern gospel |
Years active | 1977—2024 |
Website | thenelons |
The Nelons, formerly the Rex Nelon Singers, were an American southern gospel group based in Atlanta, Georgia. Members included Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark, and Kelly's daughters Amber Nelon Kistler and Autumn Nelon Streetman. The Nelons were inducted into the Gospel Music Association (GMA) Hall of Fame in 2016. [1]
Three members of the quartet, Kelly Nelon Clark, Jason Clark and Amber Nelon Kistler, were killed in an airplane crash in a remote part of Campbell County, Wyoming, just north of Gillette in July 2024. The surviving member, Autumn Nelon Streetman, was not on board. [2]
The Nelons were started by Rex Nelon as The Rex Nelon Singers in 1977. [3] The group was a spin-off of the family group The Lefevres. They became known as The Rex Nelon Singers in 1976 because the Lefevre family members left the group. The group's first number-one song was "Come Morning" on the Singing News Chart, [4] and was awarded the Southern Gospel Song of the Decade for the 1980s.[ citation needed ] Another widely recognizable song by the group is "We Shall Wear a Robe and Crown."
Over time the group included Karen Peck, Janet Paschal, Jerry Thompson, Charlotte Ritchie, Kelly Nelon Clark, Todd Nelon, Jeff Stice, Martin Gureasko, Rodney Swain, Stan Whitmire, Ray Fisher, Vernon Lee. [5]
The Nelons have been nominated for many awards in the southern gospel music industry including Grammys, Dove Awards, [6] Singing News Awards, [7] Absolutely Gospel Awards, [8] [9] Diamond Awards, and Christian Voice Awards. [10]
In 2014, the Nelons were a trio made up of Kelly Nelon Clark, [11] Jason Clark, and Amber Nelon Thompson. [12] In 2014, Amber was chosen as Female Vocalist of the Year at the Absolutely Gospel Music Awards. [13] Kelly Nelon Clark, Jason Clark, and Amber Nelon Kistler died in a plane crash on July 26, 2024. [14]
Albums:
Compilations
Kelly Nelon solo