Grammy-winning country songwriter Brett James, best known for co-writing Carrie Underwood’s hit “Jesus, Take the Wheel”, died in a plane crash in Franklin, North Carolina, on Thursday, authorities confirmed. He was 57.
The Cirrus SR22T aircraft, registered N218VB under his legal name Brett James Cornelius, went down in the woods under unknown circumstances. The two others onboard, Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson, also sustained fatal injuries. The plane had departed from John C. Tune Airport (KJWN) in Nashville. The FAA and NTSB have launched an investigation.
James, inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020, wrote more than 500 recorded songs spanning country and pop, with combined album sales topping 110 million copies. His work included hits for Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Bryan, and more.
Tributes poured in from across the country music world, with Jason Aldean remembering James as a friend who “helped change my life.”