What The Nelons Family Plane Crash Remains Unspoken!

following the deaths of three group members in a plane crash the Nell's final album is released God will help us through anything the nellons consider their music and Legacy in their last interview before their untimely deaths in a plane crash on July 26 three of the Gospel group's four members perished they had an interview with billboard 3 days prior there aren't many more renowned names in southern gospel music than the nellans the family patriarch Rex nellen started out with the LI Evers before found found in the Rex nellan singers in 1977 Kelly nellen Clark his daughter continued to lead the group after her father's passing in 200 with a lineup that included Kelly her husband Jason Clark and their daughters Amber nellan kler and Autumn nellan Streetman they enjoyed a prosperous new chapter in their history the news that Kelly Jason and Amber along with four other people parished in a private plane crash in Wyoming while traveling from Georgia to Seattle shocked the music industry on July 26 daughter Autumn who traveled with her husband Jaimie on a commercial flight from Nashville to Seattle is the only member of the singing group still alive although the cause of the crash is still being investigated preliminary reports suggested that the autopilot may have malfunctioned in order to board the ship for the yearly gther homecoming cruise to Alaska the Nelons were traveling to Seattle Bill and Gloria gather along with Karen peek consulted Autumn and Jamie at the Seattle Hotel later they Enlisted the help of other musicians to inform them of the devastating news which caused a rift in the tightly knit southern gospel Community the Nelons were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2016 they are well known for their Timeless hits like come morning which was named southern gospel Psalm of the decade in the 1980s and O for a thousand TS more recently they have released hit songs like if God pulled back the curtain which was one of the group's 10 Dove winners and won the gospel music association's Dove award for Bluegrass Country Roots recorded song in 2021 inductee into the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2024 is Kelly Autumn is left to carry on the group's Legacy She is expecting a boy in December she sang family chain on stage with The Isaacs on August 6th at the nellans memorial service in rootville Georgia in an incredible display of strength I've had people ask me how I got up there to sing at the funeral and I said to them this is how we operate we sing both in happy and sad times she says to billboard the Lord simply gave me the courage to go up there and complete the task loving you the last album by the nellans will be available through dayway music on Friday August 30 Autumn remarks obviously we had no idea that this was going to happen but I know God had a plan and even when we didn't know he knew that this was going to happen every song on this album in my opinion has a special meaning for someone right right now it's music that anyone can connect with I'm sure it has significance for me during a lively Zoom conversation with billboard on the morning of July 23 just days before the plane crash Kelly Jason Amber and Autumn discussed their thoughts on the new album it was the final interview Kelly Jason and Amber had what do you think your audience should be hearing right now from this album Kelly nelan Clark I went to the business license office this morning to get a venue and the woman said I know who you are after looking at my name I have listened to your music since way back she remarked I have used your music to help me get through some of the most trying times in my life I remember you being on the gospel singing Jubilee every Sunday morning my morning was brightened by that the fact that God uses our actions and our singing is what matters regarding this new project I have the same thoughts it has the lyrical content in my opinion that the world needs to hear I'm guidy with anticipation I adore every song and piece of music but especially the lyrics that assure us that God will support us no matter what we're starting to put the songs on stage so you can see the audience members as we gaze out into them tears come easily Bill Gaither and Larry Gatlin wrote there's a hole in the heart the album's Le single what led you to record that particular one Jason Clark we were watching a private screening of the film Regan in Bill's office a few of the movies producers had requested that we provide some music music we went to Bill's office after he said I have some lyrics I've got to read you and he read us the line there's a hole in the heart of this country he also said I've been writing songs for over 70 years and I think every song has a time and a season and it's time for this song we have witnessed what is genuinely a movement sparked by this song the lyrics to this song are displayed on church signs we are now providing yard signs that individuals can place in their yards we've urged them not to subd Discord among their neighbors it's not required that you display a political sign you have the power to unite people and instill genuine Hope by holding this sign six of the 10 tracks on loving you are original to you Jason when you were writing this album did you have an idea of what you wanted it to sound like Jason we wrote with a great deal of intention Wayne Han and Joel Lindsay two of my favorite writers graciously accepted my invitation to visit our Georgian Farm I said guys I would really love it if we could write this entire record at the farm Farm normally I Tred in Nashville to write we spent a week at the farm after they arrived by plane we wrote I believe 15 ssongs total and some of those made it onto the album on the record there are four producers Wayne hon Gordon Mo Bill and Jason this can occasionally lead to an album sounding disjointed but this one is incredibly well- composed how did you manage to do that jayon and I've worked on a lot of our projects over the years but our bonds with Gordon Bill and Wayne are really strong sonically I think it's one of our best records to date and Gordon was probably the main inspiration behind a lot of the Rhythm bill has a lot of ideas Wayne's greatest skill is his ability to recognize a song's power he will make sure your records include commercial songs if you allow him to he's a fantastic song Mentor we all bring those various things with us as a failing that sings Harmony I will always be pushing the harmony toward our records Joseph Hebing on Moses and the Gaither Vocal Band are two of the album special guests the song River of Peace Rio dep features n Martin how did that partnership start Jason we looked everywhere for someone to sing the Spanish portion we were unable to find someone in Nashville whose schedule would work so I went to Tik Tok and discovered this well-known Spanish singer hey we've got this song and we need a singer I messaged him would you be willing to join us in singing it yes he replied replied after sending it to him we provided him with some guidance regarding the placement of his parts and the harmonies with Amber in order to teach Amber how to sing in Spanish he sent it back with the Spanish translations the song hand of an unseen God penned by Don po thr Kenna Turner West and Jason has a really potent line is that one the subject of a story Jason I spoke with Amber over the phone before the writing session that day and I have her permission to tell the story in interviews we anticipating the results of her ultrasound to learn the gender of her child she was speechless when she called we had a very somber writing session after she revealed that she had miscarried almost 2 hours later I receive a call from Autumn our other baby girl she informs me that she recently found out that she is pregnant which totally shocked us unlik lord it's true that you cry with those who cry and rejoice with those who rejoice and that's something you sometimes have to do in the Christian Life on the same day we started writing the song in my weeping in my rejoicing when my world is good or when it falls apart I am held by the hand of an unseen God after Don said man we need to write that we've always had a song composed by Jason Wayne Han and Joel Lindsay ends the album Kelly given your extensive background in gospel music what does this song Mean To You Kelly I really think that music was the first thing I ever remembered the first song I can recall my father teaching me is the rains came down and the floods came up my father was touring with the LIF Evers at the time I never imagined that little song would help me get through so many challenging and challenging moments being in the music industry and Ministry I have always found that there is a song that keeps me going it makes you realize that songs and music heal the soul when you are going through difficult times Kelly you've had a lot of experience with Southern gospel music what does it feel like to be continuing your family's Legacy this season with your husband and your two daughters Kelly it's a blast it seems as though I've crossed over having lived a long life until now at 64 I would like to see my grandchildren up there singing This is my plan and I hope it is God's plan it's a great time and I'm enthusiastic about the work that the Lord is doing the younger and newer crowd adors Amber and Autumn but the older people loved when my dad was here when I was younger I used to get comments like oh if you could only see how your dad looks at you from strangers