Brett James, the Grammy-winning songwriter who penned Carrie Underwood’s 2005 hit “Jesus Take The Wheel,” was killed on Thursday in a plane crash. He was 57 years-old.
James Killed In Plane Crash
“A Cirrus SR22T crashed in a field in Franklin, North Carolina, around 3 p.m. local time on Thursday, Sept. 18,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Fox News. “Three people were on board.”
The FAA went on to confirm that the plane was registered to James under his legal name, Brett James Cornelius.
James was one of three people onboard the single-engine Cirrus SR22T when it crashed “under unknown circumstances in a wooded area.” The other two people onboard were reportedly his wife, Melody Carole, and his stepdaughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson, who had just celebrated her 28th birthday last week. All three of them were killed.
Underwood Honors James
James earned a Grammy Award for Best Country Song for “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” Underwood, 42, took to Instagram the day after James’ death to pay tribute to the songwriter.
“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,” Underwood began.
“Brett was the epitome of ‘cool,'” she continued. “My favorite songs to sing of ours are the ones that he or we wrote about Jesus because the thoughts and feelings behind them are so genuine and pure. I won’t ever sing one note of them again without thinking of him. Brett’s passing is leaving a hole in all of us that I fear won’t ever go away.”
Underwood also talked about her collaboration process working with James.
“He was a good guy. I remember writing with him on a song that he basically wrote 75% of and had ready when he walked in the room,” she recalled. “We filled in the blanks and added a little melody and I told him after that I didn’t feel right splitting the credit evenly when he did most of the work. He wouldn’t have it, he insisted that everything be equal. He was just that kind of guy…”
“Brett loved the Lord,” she added. “Which is the only comfort we can hold on to now.”
Check out Underwood performing “Jesus Take The Wheel” earlier this year in the video below. Indeed, the song still holds up 20 years after James wrote it!
More Tributes For James
James also wrote hit songs for other artists like Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, and Jason Aldean.
“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,” Aldean, whose hit song “The Truth” was written by James, wrote on Instagram.
Paul Williams, president of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) described James as being “a songwriting force of nature.”
“He wrote big hits but had an even bigger heart,” Williams said.
James won the ASCAP songwriter of the year in 2006 and 2010. He was later inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
This plane crash is currently being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. Rest in peace, Brett James.