Grammy-winning country songwriter Brett James, best known for penning Carrie Underwood’s hit “Jesus Take the Wheel” and Kenny Chesney’s “When The Sun Goes Down,” died in a plane crash in North Carolina, authorities confirmed Friday. He was 57.
The crash occurred Thursday afternoon when a small Cirrus SR22T went down “under unknown circumstances” in a wooded area in Franklin, according to a preliminary report by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). None of the three people on board survived.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol confirmed the identities of the victims as James, Melody Carole, and Meryl Maxwell Wilson. The plane had taken off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville. It was registered under James’s legal name, Brett James Cornelius. Authorities have not determined whether he was piloting the aircraft.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board have launched investigations into the cause of the crash.
James, inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020, had more than 500 of his songs recorded, contributing to albums with combined sales of over 110 million copies. His career highlights include writing “Who I Am” for Jessica Andrews, his first No. 1 hit in 2001, and earning a Grammy for “Jesus, Take the Wheel” in 2006.
Artists who recorded his songs include Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, and Meghan Trainor. Other notable hits penned by James include Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova,” Chesney’s “Out Last Night,” and Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights.”
Tributes poured in following the news. Country singer Jason Aldean wrote on X, “Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight. 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.”
A native of Oklahoma City, James left medical school to pursue music in Nashville. He released his own album in 2020, describing the songs as “classic, lyrically,” and focused on love themes that, in his words, “haven’t all been written before.”
Authorities said the investigation into the crash could take several months.
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