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Brett James, a Grammy-winning songwriter whose credits include the Carrie Underwood hit Jesus, Take the Wheel – died alongside his wife and stepdaughter in a plane crash on Thursday, according to authorities and reports.
James, 57, had been flying with his wife and stepdaughter when the plane, a Cirrus SR22T, crashed “under unknown circumstances” in a wooded area of Franklin, North Carolina, said officials and media reports. The plane had taken off from John C Tune airport in Nashville, Tennessee, as reported by the Associated Press.
According to flight records online, the aircraft was registered under James’ legal name, Brett Cornelius. The two other people onboard the aircraft were Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson, the North Carolina state highway patrol confirmed to the Associated Press. It is unclear whether James was the pilot.
Reports identified Carole as his wife and Wilson as his stepdaughter.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it is investigating the deadly crash.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame mourned the death of James on Facebook, saying he was inducted into the institution in 2020. Meanwhile, in a separate statement to CNN, the hall of fame’s executive director said of James, “He was a kind, giving, delightful soul.
“We join Brett’s family and our entire industry in mourning not only his untimely passing but also the songs that he had left to write – the songs that would have made us smile, laugh, and cry in the years and decades to come.”
A tenured songwriter, James was known for co-writing songs including Jesus, Take the Wheel, which was performed by Carrie Underwood and won the Grammy for best country song in 2006.
James, who was originally from Oklahoma City, left medical school to pursue music in Nashville. He had more than 500 of his songs recorded by artists – and have appeared on albums with combined sales of over 110m copies, according to the Nashville Songwriters Association International.
His collaborators included country artists such as Faith Kill, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Kelly Clarkson, Meghan Trainor and Nick Jonas.
Mourning his death on Instagram, Underwood wrote: “Some things are just unfathomable. The loss of Brett James to his family, friends and our music community is too great to put into words.
“Brett’s passing is leaving a hole in all of us that I fear won’t ever go away.”
Similarly, Jason Aldean, a country singer, wrote on X: “Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James …
“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. Thoughts and prayers going out to his family.”
The Associated Press contributed reporting
