Carrie Underwood is remembering one of her most loyal songwriters, Brett James. A day after James died in a plane crash, the country queen shared a touching tribute, honoring his life and their work together over many decades.
“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 wrote Friday. “Brett was the epitome of ‘cool.’ I see him in my mind riding up to my cabins to write on his motorcycle…his hair somehow perfectly coiffed despite being under a helmet for however long.”
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James — who was also a songwriter for Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, and Jason Aldean — was reportedly piloting a Cirrus SR22T plane, which took off from Nashville’s John C. Tune Airport on Thursday afternoon before crashing in North Carolina.
Underwood described James as a “good guy,” and reminisced about hearing him sing a cover of “Cowboy Casanova,” which he co-wrote with her. “A sassy girl anthem should’ve sounded ridiculous coming from a macho dude like him, but somehow, he even made that cool,” she wrote.
James co-wrote many of Underwood’s greatest hits, including “Jesus, Take the Wheel” from Some Hearts, “Flat on the Floor” from Carnival Ride, “Church Bells” from Storyteller, numerous songs from Cry Pretty, and a pair from Storyteller. “Jesus, Take the Wheel” won him the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2006.
“I remember writing with him on a song that he basically wrote 75% of and had ready when he walked in the room,” Underwood wrote in her tribute. “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.”
Underwood also celebrated both their connection with God and recalled singing together at church. “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,” Underwood explained. “I won’t ever sing one note of them again without thinking of him.”
She added, “Brett’s passing is leaving a hole in all of us that I fear won’t ever go away. It will forever be a reminder that this life is but a moment… We have to make the most of each day we’re given here on earth. Each day is a gift. I’m asking all of you to pray for his family, friends and all of us that were blessed enough to know Brett.”
“Love you, man,” she ended her post. “I’ll see you again someday.”
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