Tennessee (BN24) – Grammy-winning country music songwriter Brett James, best known for co-writing Carrie Underwood’s breakthrough hit “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” died in a plane crash in North Carolina, authorities confirmed Friday. He was 57.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the Cirrus SR22T aircraft crashed Thursday afternoon in a wooded area of Franklin under “unknown circumstances.” Three people were on board, and all were killed, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. James, whose legal name was Brett James Cornelius, was confirmed as one of the victims. It was not immediately clear whether he was piloting the plane.
The other victims were identified as Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson. The flight originated from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville, Tennessee, before the fatal crash. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board have opened investigations.
James was one of Nashville’s most prolific and decorated songwriters. Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020, he wrote or co-wrote more than 500 recorded songs, featured on albums that have sold over 110 million copies. His career highlights include No. 1 hits such as Jessica Andrews’ “Who I Am” and Kenny Chesney’s “When the Sun Goes Down.” He also co-wrote Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova,” Chesney’s “Out Last Night,” and Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights.”
Born in Oklahoma City, James initially attended medical school before leaving to pursue a career in Nashville. His work earned him industry acclaim, including a Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2006 for “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” His songs were recorded by some of the biggest names in music, including Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Nick Jonas, and Meghan Trainor.
Tributes poured in from the country music community following the news of his death. “Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight,” singer Jason Aldean wrote on X. “I had nothing but love and respect for that guy and he helped change my life. Honored to have met him and worked with him.”
James also recorded his own solo album in 2020, telling the Grand Ole Opry that he wanted to create “classic” songs that felt timeless. “At my stage in life, I’m not going to write about driving around in pickup trucks, chasing girls,” he said. “They all wound up being love songs, but hopefully love songs with a twist, that haven’t all been written before.”
