Rex Nelon
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Rex Nelon | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Rex Lloyd Nelon |
Born | Asheville, North Carolina, U.S. | January 19, 1932
Died | January 24, 2000 London, England | (aged 68)
Genres | Southern gospel |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Years active | 1955–2000 |
Rex Lloyd Nelon (January 19, 1932 – January 24, 2000) was an American southern gospel musicician, who had a career spanning over 40 years of both singing and publishing gospel music. He was a longstanding member of The LeFevres, which later became The Nelons after his own family took over management. Nelon was also a featured singer of the Gaither Homecoming series.
Early life
Nelon was born in
U.S. Marine Corps
in the early 1950s.
Career
In 1955, Nelon was hired to sing bass with the
Rex Nelon Singers, now called the Nelons.[1] Nelon mentored his daughter Kelly Nelon who continues to carry on the family traditions by heading the group, The Nelons. It was from the early Rex Nelon Singers that the careers of Janet Paschal and Karen Peck began to take shape. Nelon is the father of Kelly Nelon Clark
and Todd Nelon. Kelly and her two daughters Amber Nelon Thompson and Autumn Nelon Thompson sing with their family southern gospel group The Nelons.
In 1980 and 1982, he was voted by the
Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame. Nelon's publishing catalog is a collection of some of gospel music's all-time favorite songs such as "O What a Savior
", "Come Morning", "The Love of God", "The Old Country Church", "Hide Me Rock of Ages", "Sweeter as the Days Go By", "Thanks", and "If We Never Meet Again".
Nelon along with his group recorded over 25 projects and received 5
Music City Tonight", and "The 700 Club" and numerous national television shows. They are credited with over 13 "Top Five" radio singles. In 1987, the Nelons received the Short Form Music Video of the Year Award for "Famine In The Land", as well as winning the New York Film Festival
Award that same year. In 1997, the mayor of Atlanta declared May, "Nelons Appreciation Month". Later that year, they were presented the Silver Angel Award for "Glad You're Here", by the Excellence in Media.
Nelon died on January 24, 2000, of a heart attack at the age of 68, the night prior to the Gaither London Homecoming taping.
References
- ^ http://www.sghistory.com/index.php?n=N.Nelons The Rex Nelon Singers/Nelons