Three members of one of many prime acts within the gospel vocal group style, the Nelons, died in a aircraft crash Friday in Wyoming. The members of the award-winning household group had been on their approach to carry out on the annual Gaither Homecoming Alaska Cruise, which was scheduled to set out from Seattle.
The members who perished within the crash had been Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband, Jason Clark, and their daughter, Amber Nelon Kistler.
No trigger was instantly cited by authorities for the crash. The one engine turboprop Pilatus PC-12/47E with seven folks aboard went down at about 1 p.m. Friday in Campbell County, Wyoming, in response to the Related Press. On Saturday, a spokesperson for the Nationwide Transportation Security Board stated that the plane was “in a distant location” and that investigators had not but reached the scene, the place firefighters had been concerned in containing a multi-acre blaze close to the crash web site Friday evening.
A fourth member of the group was not on the aircraft: Autumn Nelon Streetman, who can be a daughter of Kelly and Nelon. The surviving member stated in an announcement: “Thanks for the prayers which were prolonged already to me, my husband, Jamie, and our soon-to-be-born child boy, in addition to Jason’s dad and mom, Dan and Linda Clark. We recognize your continued prayers, love and assist as we navigate the approaching days.”
(The above {photograph}, taken on the 2021 GMA Dove Awards, photos the 4 group members, from left to proper: Kelly Nelon Clark, Amber Nelon Thompson, Autumn Nelon Clark and Jason Clark.)
In addition to the three members of the Atlanta-based group, the record of useless included Amber Nelon Kistler’s husband, Nathan Kistler; a household buddy and assistant, Melodi Hodges; the aircraft’s pilot, Georgia Division of Corrections Board chairman Larry Haynie; and the pilot’s spouse, Melissa Haynie.
Members of the group posted a video message for followers on their Instagram account Friday from what was apparently their closing cease, in Nebraska Metropolis, Nebraska, cheerfully chatting with the digicam outdoors the aircraft and saying they had been about to seize a meal and take off subsequent for Montana.
A press release from Gaither Household Administration stated: “Autumn, Jason and Kelly’s youngest daughter, and her husband, Jamie Streetman, weren’t on the aircraft and arrived safely into Seattle and had been notified of the accident. They had been dropped at the lodge the place artists had been gathered with Invoice and Gloria Gaither to wish, sing and embrace them of their grief, pledging to assist them in no matter wants come up. Autumn and Jamie will return dwelling for now to Kelly’s brother, Todd Nelon and his spouse, Rhonda, to start the onerous duties that lie forward. Please preserve them, the Kistler household, the Haynie household and the household of Melodi Hodges in your prayers.”
The Nelons had been inducted into the Gospel Music Corridor of Fame in 2016. Their success within the Southern gospel style contains 20 prime 5 songs within the format, in response to their web site. Group members have been individually or collectively nominated for a number of Grammys, however their best recognition has come from the Dove Awards; they’ve picked up 10 Doves and 35 nominations from the Gospel Music Affiliation. Their most up-to-date award from the GMAs was for Nation/Bluegrass/Roots Recorded Track of the 12 months in 2021 for “If God Pulled Again The Curtain.”
Their web site describes the group’s sound as “a charming mix of gospel, a cappella, hymns, Americana, people, and inspirational music.” The group has origins going again to the Nineteen Seventies, when Kelly’s father, the late Rex Nelon, assumed management of one other well-known household group, the LeFevres, and the identify modified in 1977 to the Rex Nelon Singers, after which, ultimately, in 1985, the Nelons.
Kelly first started singing with the group part-time in 1972, later becoming a member of full-time and assuming administration of the group when her father retired in 1997. Jason joined in 1994, and Amber started singing together with her dad and mom’ ensemble in 2002. Through the years, the Nelons recorded for such labels as Canaan (a subsidiary of Phrase), RNS, Homeland, Daywind and Seraphim Music Group.
Songs that turned favorites in live performance, on radio or on gospel playlists included “O for a Thousand Tongues,” “The Solar’s Coming Up,” “Come Morning,” “I’ll Speak to the Father,” “I’m Glad I Know Who Jesus Is,” “That’s Sufficient” and “We Shall Put on a Gown and Crown.”
“The GMA and our total music neighborhood is grieving over the tragic lack of Jason, Kelly and Amber in addition to the others concerned within the tragic aircraft crash,” stated Gospel Music Affiliation president Jackie Patillo. “Our deepest condolences and prayers are with Autumn and the remainder of the Nelon household. They are going to be endlessly cherished and remembered within the GMA Corridor of Fame.”
Mentioned Georgia governor in a social media assertion, “Our total household is asking everybody to affix us in praying for many who have been misplaced, for his or her family members and communities, and for these all through the gospel music neighborhood who’ve misplaced pricey mates on this heartbreaking accident.”
The seven-day Gaither Homecoming Cruise, subtitled “Till We Meet Once more,” was to depart Saturday and return Aug. 3. The famed gospel duo Invoice & Gloria Gaither and the Gaither Vocal Band are the signature names headlining the occasions, with a lineup this 12 months that additionally included such well-known names of Christian music as Mark Lowry, Russ Taff and Sandi Patty.