Carrie Underwood is paying tribute to someone who heavily shaped her musical journey.
On Friday evening, the popular country singer-songwriter performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville to celebrate the venue’s 100th birthday. Artists that also performed at the event include Underwood, Junior Brown, Shaun Cassidy, John Foster and Mark Wills.
One of the songs the 42-year-old singer performed was her hit song, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” to honor her good friend and songwriter Brett James, who passed away last month in a plane crash. His wife and daughter were also involved in the plane crash, and unfortunately didn’t make it.
Underwood also performed the song at his funeral, where she was joined by Vince Gill. James helped produce “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” along with many other titles Underwood has written and released. The late producer also worked with various country artists, including Jessica Andrews, Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney, Rodney Atkins and Jason Aldean.
Brett James and Carrie Underwood during the 43rd Annual ASCAP Country Music Awards – ASCAP at The Ryman at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.
“Tonight I got to honor my friend, @brettjamessongs,” Underwood wrote in the caption on her Instagram post she shared after the event. “I’m blessed to have known him and I get the gift of singing his words and melodies for the rest of my life.”
During her performance, the “Before He Cheats” singer wore a light blue flower mini dress and accessorized the look with a pair of diamond dangling earrings and matching high heels.
James began his musical career in 1995 with a self-titled album before moving on to songwriting and producing. The song, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” which the two worked on together, earned Underwood the Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2007.
Though the majority of the late songwriter’s work was with country artists, he also worked with various singers outside of the genre, including Kelly Clarkson, the Backstreet Boys, Bon Jovi, and Paulina Rubio. He also has producing credits for music recorded by Josh Gracin, Taylor Swift, Kristy Lee Cook, Kip Moore and Jessica Simpson.
James was just 57 years old when he passed away last month.
Related: Carrie Underwood Reacts to Final Show of 66-Year-Old Country Music Star
This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Celebs section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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