Grammy-Winning Songwriter Dies in Plane Crash

Conservative News DailySeptember 19, 2025

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Grammy-winning country songwriter Brett James, known for hits such as “Jesus Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood and “When the Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney, tragically died at age 57 in a small plane crash in Franklin, North Carolina. The crash occurred under unknown circumstances and involved three people on board, all of whom died, including Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson. The plane, a Cirrus SR22T registered to James under his legal name Brett James cornelius, had departed from Nashville’s John C. Tune Airport. Authorities, including the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board, are investigating the incident.

Brett James, inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020, began his career after leaving medical school and went on to have over 500 recorded songs with combined album sales exceeding 110 million copies. His work has been performed by numerous artists such as Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson, luke Bryan, and Keith Urban. James also recorded his own album in 2020,focusing on classic and distinctive love songs. The country music community has expressed mourning and respect for his impact and contributions.

Grammy award-winning country songwriter Brett James, whose string of top hits includes “Jesus Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood and “When The Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney, died in a plane crash in North Carolina, authorities said Friday. He was 57.

The small plane with three people aboard crashed Thursday afternoon “under unknown circumstances” in the woods in Franklin, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a preliminary report.

There were no survivors, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said in a statement.

James was on a Cirrus SR22T, which was registered to him under his legal name of Brett James Cornelius, according to information provided by the FAA.

It was not known whether he was the pilot.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board said they will investigate the crash.

The other two people on the plane were Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson, the patrol confirmed.

The plane had taken off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville.

James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. The organization posted an online statement of mourning.

A native of Oklahoma City, James left medical school to pursue a musical career in Nashville, according to his biography on the Hall of Fame’s site.

His first No. 1 hit was “Who I Am” in 2001, by Jessica Andrews.

“Jesus, Take the Wheel,” which he co-wrote for Underwood, earned the 2006 Grammy for Best Country Song, among other honors.

James had more than 500 of his songs recorded, for albums with combined sales of more than 110 million copies, according to his Grand Ole Opry biography online.

Other artists who sang his songs include Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Nick Jonas, and Meghan Trainor.

Additional hits include “Cowboy Casanova” by Underwood, “Out Last Night” by Chesney, and “Summer Nights” by Rascal Flatts.

“Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight,” country singer Jason Aldean posted on X. “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.”

James recorded his own album in 2020.

“At my stage in life, I’m not going to write about driving around in pickup trucks, chasing girls,” he was quoted as saying on the Opry site. “It needed to feel more classic, lyrically. They all wound up being love songs, but hopefully love songs with a twist, that haven’t all been written before.”

The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.