Brett James, American singer-songwriter.Instagram
Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James has died in a small plane crash in North Carolina. He was 57. He was one of three people on board; there were no survivors.
The crash happened near Franklin, close to Iotla Valley Elementary School. The plane, a Cirrus SR22T registered in James’s name, took off from a Nashville airport earlier that day. The aircraft went down in a field around 3 p.m. local time. Authorities are investigating to find out what caused the crash.
James, whose full legal name was Brett Cornelius, was highly respected for writing many hit songs in country music. One of his most famous was “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” made popular by Carrie Underwood. He also wrote “When the Sun Goes Down” for Kenny Chesney, and many other songs for big name artists.
He studied medicine in his younger years but moved into music and made his first solo album in 1995. Though his solo work was modest, James found enormous success as a songwriter. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020 and won multiple awards for his songwriting.
News of his death has brought widespread mourning. Other songwriters, performers, and music organizations have shared tributes online. Many people say they feel the loss deeply — both for the music he made and for the kindness he showed to others in the industry.
Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are working on the crash report. Local and state officials are also involved. Meanwhile, the community near where the crash happened has expressed both grief and shock, especially since the crash was near a school, though no students or staff were hurt.
James is survived by his wife Sandra Cornelius and their children. His music, his awards, and his long list of collaborations will be remembered by many for years.
