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The music industry is mourning the sudden death of Brett James, the Grammy-winning songwriter best known for penning Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel." James, 57, was killed in a plane crash in Franklin, North Carolina, on September 18, alongside Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
Authorities said the small-engine Cirrus SR22T aircraft, registered under James' name, took off from Nashville's John C. Tune Airport before going down in a field near Iotla Valley Elementary School. The Macon County Sheriff's Office assured the public that "all students and staff are safe." The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation.
James, whose full name was Brett James Cornelius, built a remarkable career over three decades, earning credits on more than 500 songs recorded by artists such as Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Bon Jovi, and Kelly Clarkson. His first chart-topper came in 2001 with Jessica Andrews' "Who I Am."
His most celebrated work, "Jesus, Take the Wheel," won Grammys for Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2006. The track became a defining hit for Carrie Underwood and cemented James' legacy in Nashville. In 2020, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, which described him as "a 2020 inductee who was killed in a small-engine airplane crash on September 18. We mourn the untimely loss of Hall of Fame member Brett James."
James' path to music wasn't straightforward. Originally from Oklahoma City, he left medical school in the 1990s to pursue songwriting, only to return years later when his solo career faltered.
Tributes have poured in from across the country music community. ASCAP called him "a trusted collaborator to country's greatest names, and a true advocate for his fellow songwriters." Singer Dierks Bentley remembered him as "one of the best singer-songwriters in our town....total legend," noting their collaboration on "I Hold On" "changed my life." Sara Evans added, "I am absolutely devastated at the loss of one of the best writers I've ever written with...He will be so missed."
James is survived by his wife, Sandra Cornelius, and their children.
