Beloved country music star killed in plane crash. Here’s what we know

The country music world was rocked Thursday by the news that beloved singer-songwriter Brett James was killed in a small plane crash in North Carolina.

James, a Grammy-winning songwriter and a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, was in a plane that went down near an elementary school in Franklin, North Carolina.

“A Cirrus SR22T crashed in a field in Franklin, North Carolina, around 3 p.m. local time on Thursday, Sept. 18,” the FAA shared in a statement. “Three people were on board. THE FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates.”

The news spread quickly and folks turned out on social media to express their heartbreak in the wake of his death.

“Brett James died today,” Alison Bonaguro wrote on X. “I am still in a state of shock. Nashville lost one of its very best — and most humble — songwriters in history (heartbreak emoji).”

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers noted that James was a two-time ASCAP Country Songwriter of the year.

“Brett was a trusted collaborator to country’s greatest names and a true advocate for songwriters,” a statement from the organization on X read. “We miss him dearly.”

Fox 17 reported that the plane’s tail number was N218VB and that it was registered to James out of Brentwood, Tennessee. The station said the plane took off out of John C Tune Airport in Nashville.

The NTSB said an investigator was slated to be on scene on Friday and that additional information might be available then.

The Nashville Songwriters Association International account on Facebook posted, “The NSAI family is stunned by the death of board member and legendary songwriter Brett James. The loss is profound.”

James, 57, began his career as a solo artist in 1995, and charted three singles that year. But he became best known for his ability as a songwriter with 494 songs being recorded by other artists. He is perhaps best known for writing Carrie Underwood’s 2006 number-one hit, “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” He has also written songs for the likes of Martina McBride, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney and Rodney Atkins.