A Sacramento Memorial for Mel Nelson
At The Church of Scientology of Sacramento, 1007 6th Street, Sacramento, Ca
Melvin Moten Nelson
November 17, 1956 - April 13, 2014 1:00 PM.
Let's celebrate Mel's life! Musicians bring your instruments. There will be music and food and plenty of stories. There are so many Mel stories. BNYOMS (Bring your own Mel stories).
Please join us from 1-3.
After party at Henry and Cathilea's house.
EAST HADDAM, CONN. – Melvin (Mel) Moton Nelson, Jr., 57, of
East Haddam and formerly of Nashville, TN, and Los Angeles, CA, passed away
unexpectedly Sunday (April 13, 2014) at home.
Born Nov. 17, 1956 at Mather Air Force base in Sacramento, CA, he was the son
of the late Melvin, Sr. (Capt. USAF, ret.), and Johnnie (Mitchell) Nelson.
Mel had worked as an IT consultant for many years, but his true calling,
passion, and talent were found in his work as a freelance musician and
composer. He was the consummate musician, able to play any instrument he
picked up, but the instruments he came back to were piano and bass. He played
and toured the U.S. and Europe with many bands and singers, toured the
Caribbean playing in cruise ship bands, served as the first Music Director of
a Japanese company of Cirque du Soleil, was Music Director of the Living
Stage Theatre Company of Washington, D.C. and Music Director of the Red
Ladder Theatre Company of San Jose, CA. Mel and his sister Jennifer L. Nelson
collaborated on a musical play, "Hubert and Charlie," which
premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Known by his friends variously as Mel-Burger, Mewyn, Mebbenesson, Nelvin,
Meli, um-Smel, Melson, Cheesehead, Mr. Cheese, Mr. Ed, Hormone Dots, Mellioni, and Meltonius, he was much loved, and
admired for his hearty laugh and his ability to spin wonderfully funny yarns
about his life.
He is survived by his daughter, Alicia Marie Piemme Nelson (18) a university
student in Boston, MA, his two sisters, Marilyn Nelson of East Haddam, with
whom he had recently made his home, and Jennifer L. Nelson of Washington, DC;
his former wife, Marji Honeycutt Nelson, of Nashville, TN, his former
partner, Karen Piemme, of San Jose, CA, and numerous extended family members,
friends and colleagues.
His music lives on.
Memorial celebrations of Mel’s life and music will take place at 10 a.m. May
4 at The Church of Scientology Celebrity Center of Nashville (1130 8th Avenue
South), at 3:30 p.m., on May 10 at First Congregational Church of Old Lyme,
CT (2 Ferry Rd.), and on May 18 at the Church of Scientology, Sacramento, CA
(1007 6th St.).
Mel’s family suggests that memorial contributions may be made in Mel’s name
to Justice for Jazz Artists, fighting to give jazz musicians fair pay and
pensions.http://justiceforjazzartists.org/get-involved/
