May 2003 ~ Featuring Amber Thompson
I was seventeen years old when I rode with the Dixie Echoes for the first time in June of 1998. Then I joined them later that year after my eighteenth birthday. I thought that I was getting into this industry at an early age, but there are a few young people out there right now who started well before they were eighteen years old. In fact, our baritone singer, Randy "Scoot" Shelnut Jr., started playing the bass guitar for the Dixie Echoes when he was only eleven years old! This month I want to turn your attention to another child star in Gospel Music, Amber Thompson. Amber is the fourteen-year-old soprano singer for the legendary Nelons. As the daughter of Kelly Nelon and granddaughter of Rex Nelon, singing comes natural to this young lady.

Amber was born on March 28, 1989, to Kelly Nelon Clark and Jerry Thompson. She has one younger sister, Autumn, who is six years old. Amber was saved in 2000 at Grace Baptist Church in Powder Springs, Georgia, which is her home church. She lives in Marietta, Georgia, where the Nelons are based. In her spare time, she loves to play basketball.

Her greatest influences include her mom, Kelly Nelon, and her late grandfather Rex Nelon, along with Karen Peck Gooch. When the Nelons had an opening for the soprano part in April of 2002, Amber fulfilled a life-long dream when her mother offered her the opportunity to sing fulltime with the Nelons. Not only was she the most obvious choice, Amber was also the most qualified! Since making her first appearance on stage at the prestigious DOVE Awards when she was only a few weeks old, Amber has become one of the most recognized young artists in Gospel Music.

Amber has been featured on all of the "Gaither Homecoming Kids" videos, and has recently started appearing on the "Gaither Homecoming Friends" video and television series. Amber has two solo recordings, Show & Tell and Amber Thompson & Friends. Both of these solo recordings were nominated for "Best Children's Recordings" by the Gospel Music Association, making her the youngest-ever DOVE Award nominee.

In 2002, the subscribers of the Singing News Magazine nominated Amber Thompson for the Horizon Individual of the Year Award. I predict that in a very short time, she will be seen on the same ballots as a Favorite Soprano Singer! Her first recording as a member of the Nelons is entitled "United For Christ". On the road, she says that it is her job to set up the product table and keep it stocked.

Be sure to visit the Nelons online at www.thenelons.com to find out more about Amber Thompson and the rest of the Nelons. Her mom, Kelly Nelon Clark, made a wise decision when she brought her daughter to center stage to sing with the group. At only fourteen years old, Amber can stand beside any other soprano in Gospel Music and prove that she can deliver a song. Check to see if the Nelons are coming to your area soon, and make plans to go see them. I guarantee you that you will be impressed with Amber's voice and personality. Kelly, Amber, and Jason Clark, maintain a wonderful sound that would make Rex Nelon proud. The Nelons has a wonderful legacy in Gospel Music and the current line-up is one that you don't want to miss!