Autumn Nelon Streetman Talks About Putting Out an Album After Tragedy: 'The People Need to Hear These Songs of Hope’ (Exclusive)

Autumn Nelon Streetman is continuing to honor the legacy of her family.

The Grammy-nominated gospel group The Nelons singer, 28, appeared on the Grammys red carpet on Sunday, Feb. 2. There, she spoke exclusively with PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly about releasing her family group's final album, Loving You. 

Autumn released the album after her sister, Amber Nelon Kistler; their mother, Kelly Nelon Clark; their step-father, Jason Nelon Clark; Amber's husband, Nathan Kistler; their assistant, Melodi Hodges; pilot Larry Haynie; and his wife, Melissa,  died in a fatal plane crash in July 2024.

The singer told PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly that "it's bittersweet" to be at the 2025 Grammys without her family after Loving You was nominated for best roots gospel album.

"On July 26, I lost my mom, my sister, my stepdad, and two good friends of ours. When you get that call, it's just a shock. You just never, you never think something like that's gonna happen to you," she said. "Then the question runs through my mind, 'Why? Why did God leave me here?' "

"I'm always the quiet one, so for me to have to carry a legacy on is a huge undertaking, but I'm gonna honor and do the best that I can," Amber continued. "I know that my family would be absolutely thrilled and honored to be here tonight, win or lose. It was just an honor, really, just to be nominated."

Amber released their album one month after the family tragedy and told PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly she knew on the day of the crash that she would still release it.

"There was no question in my mind that I was going to," she said. "I was like, 'No, the people need to hear these songs of hope.' "

"I know how much encouragement they've brought me, and what I'm personally walking through right now. And so I knew that the Lord wanted us to keep that album going. And I think it's brought a lot of hope and encouragement to other people out there, just like it's brought me too."

Check out all of PEOPLE's full Grammys coverage here.

The group was founded in 1977 by Autumn's grandfather, Kelly's father, Rex Nelon. After the patriarch died, Kelly continued the legacy of the Southern Gospel group.

Kelly, Amber, Jason, Larry, and Melissa, Kistler and Hodges died en route to the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska when the incident occurred.

"Thank you for the prayers that have been extended already to me, my husband, Jamie, and our soon-to-be-born baby boy, as well as Jason’s parents, Dan and Linda Clark," Autumn said in a statement shared on Instagram after the tragedy.

Read the original article on People