Members Of Beloved Gospel Group The Nelons Die In Tragic Plane Crash
On Friday, July 29th, a fatal plane crash in rural Wyoming claimed the lives of seven passengers, including three members of the Southern gospel quartet, The Nelons. Kelly Nelon Clark, Jason Clark, and Amber Kistler died in the crash, leaving Autumn Nelon Streetman the sole surviving member of the group.
The aircraft was en route from Nebraska to Seattle but planned to make a lunch stop in Billings, Montana. Shortly before the crash, the pilot reported losing autopilot capabilities to the Salt Lake City Air Route Traffic Control Center controller and declared a state of emergency.
Eyewitnesses recalled seeing the plane do a “barrel roll” before crashing into the nearby terrain.
The Nelons Earn Grammy Nomination For Gospel Album
The beloved gospel group finished recording their album Loving You shortly before the unthinkable tragedy. Despite her grief, Autumn Nelon Streetman followed through and released the album in her family’s honor on August 30th.
The album resonated deeply with listeners, and in November, it earned a Grammy nomination for Best Roots Gospel Album. Autumn reacted to the news and wrote:
“Thrilled to announce that my family’s last album has been nominated for a Grammy. We worked so hard on this and we are so proud of it. I know my family is looking down smiling.”
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Autumn Nelon Streetman Attends The Grammy Awards
On Sunday night, Autumn Nelon Streetman showed incredible strength and poise while attending the 2025 Grammy Awards despite losing her mother, stepfather, sister, and close friends just six months ago. While on the red carpet, the new mom spoke with PEOPLE about her motivation to release the album following extreme tragedy. She said:
“There was no question in my mind that I was going to [release it]. 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.”
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She told the outlet that it was “bittersweet” to attend the prestigious awards show without her family and added:
“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. 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.”