The Christian and Gospel music community is mourning the loss of three members of iconic Southern Gospel group, The Nelons. One of the most beloved families in gospel music, The Nelons were involved in a tragic, fatal plane crash on Friday, July 26th, 2024, while on their way to join the Gaither Homecoming Cruise to Alaska. Killed in the crash were Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, Amber and Nathan Kistler and their assistant, Melodi Hodges, along with the pilot, Larry Haynie and his wife, Melissa. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident.
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. 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.
A staple in Southern Gospel music, The Nelons offered a captivating blend of gospel, acapella, hymns, Americana, folk and inspirational music. In honor of their long legacy, the group was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2016.
Nominated for 35 GMA Dove Awards throughout their career, the group most recently won Country/Bluegrass/Roots Recorded Song of the Year in 2021 for “If God Pulled Back The Curtain.” The group also performed on the Dove Awards stage many times over the years. In 2022, Kelly and Autumn performed with a host of other Southern Gospel women in an unforgettable performance of “Working On A Building.”
“The GMA and our entire music community is grieving over the tragic loss of Jason, Kelly and Amber as well as the others involved in the tragic plane crash,” says GMA President, Jackie Patillo. “Our deepest condolences and prayers are with Autumn and the rest of the Nelon family. They will be forever cherished and remembered in the GMA Hall of Fame.”
Ed Leonard, GMA Board Member and President of Daywind Music Group, states, “The Daywind Music Group family is devastated by the news of the passing of several members of the Nelons in a plane crash on Friday. We pray that God’s peace and love cover surviving member, Autumn Nelon Streetman, and her husband, Jamie, along with the Clark, Hodges, Kistler, and Haynie families, following the loss of Kelly Nelon Clark, Jason Clark, Amber Nelon Kistler, Nathan Kistler, and their close friends Melodi Hodges, Larry Haynie, and Melissa Haynie, who traveled with them on the flight. In this time of unimaginable grief for these families, we know that our beloved artist and their friends are in the arms of Jesus Christ whom the Nelons spent their entire careers singing about as they spread His Gospel around the world. We stand on His promises today as we grieve the loss of our precious Daywind family members.”
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