Yahoo Lifestyle What Happened to The Nelons? Looking Back at Family Tragedy
Autumn Nelon Streetman is the surviving member of the gospel group The Nelons, who are nominated for a Grammy Award at the 2025 award ceremony—something mom Kelly Nelon Clark, who died with two other members of their family in July 2024, would've been "absolutely thrilled" about.
"I wish she was here to experience what I was experiencing, and I'm so excited and thrilled to be able to get to go," Autumn told The Tennessean of her mom, who loved the award show and watched every year. "Just to be nominated is an honor. Win or lose, you know, we're honored."
Keep reading for what to know about The Nelons and their family tragedy:
Who are The Nelons?
The Nelons are a family gospel group led by multi award-winning vocalist and co-founding member Kelly and her husband, Jason Clark. Kelly's two daughters, Amber Nelon Kistler and Autumn, rounded out the quartet.
The group was formed in the 1970s by founding member Rex Nelon as The Rex Nelon Singers, and has had 15 members over time.
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The Nelons have won numerous awards over the years, including nine Absolutely Gospel Music Awards (AGM), 14 Singing News Fan Awards, two Gospel Voice Awards and multiple GMA Dove Awards.
What happened to The Nelons?
Kelly, Jason and Amber were among the seven people who were killed in a plane crash in Wyoming in July 2024. The other people onboard were Amber's husband Nathan Kistler, their assistant Melodi Hodges, pilot Larry Haynie and his wife, Melissa Haynie.
"Autumn, Jason and Kelly’s youngest daughter, and her husband, Jamie Streetman were not on the plane and arrived safely into Seattle and were notified of the accident," Gaither Management Group said in part in a statement at the time. "They were brought to the hotel where artists were gathered with Bill and Gloria Gaither to pray, sing and embrace them in their grief, pledging to support them in whatever needs arise."
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Autumn added in a statement of her own: "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. 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. We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support as we navigate the coming days."
What Grammy Award is The Nelons nominated for?
The Nelons are up for Best Roots Gospel Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards for Loving You, and were previously nominated for a Grammy in 1991 for Best Southern Gospel Album for Let the Redeemed Say So.
"I believe it is one of our best that we've ever done," Amber told The Tennessean in January. "We were all so proud of it. It's crazy because it feels like this album was made for me for what I'm going through right now."
Related: The 2025 Grammy Awards: Nominees, Date, Performers, How to Watch and More
