Grammy winning country music songwriter Brett James dies in crash – Celebrity News – Entertainment

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Brett James has perished in a plane crash in North Carolina that claimed the lives of all three individuals aboard.

The acclaimed musician, who worked alongside stars like Carrie Underwood, was among three passengers on a single-engine Cirrus SR22T that took off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville on Thursday.

The tragedy occurred at approximately 3 p.m. as the aircraft went down in a field close to Iotla Valley Elementary School. This news emerges as two small planes collide midair and burst into flames, killing 1 and injuring 3

The tragedy occurred at approximately 3 p. m. ET during school hours, though officials confirmed no students or faculty members were harmed in the incident. The North Carolina disaster follows a recent United Airlines flight that was compelled to execute an emergency landing due to concerns about an onboard fire, reports the Mirror US.

“A Cirrus SR22T crashed in a field in Franklin, North Carolina, around 3 p.m. local time on Thursday, Sept. 18. Three people were on board,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed in an official statement. Investigators will soon launch a probe into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Brett was among the three individuals on the aircraft when it went down, as reported by WTVF. Supporters and colleagues have been honoring the songwriter across social media platforms.

Country artist Dierks Bentley expressed his grief, saying, “Rest in peace pal. Total stud. Fellow aviator. One of the best singer-songwriters in our town….total legend.”

He continued, “I brought a couple of roughy sketched verse ideas of I Hold On to Brett after my dad died and he just did his thing. The chorus is all him. When I sing that song live, I’m always thinking of my dad, but I also think about that day we wrote it.

“He just got it, just lit into it. It was one of the first times we wrote and I decided to drop the most meaningful and necessary idea of a song I had on him, because I felt like God was telling me to do so. Our friendship and that song changed my life. Prayers for his family.

“Shocked to hear this. He was an amazing songwriter. At one time, just about every great new song I heard was written by him. I finally got to meet him, backstage at the Ryman. I spoke to him for a while. He was a really nice guy. This is a big, big loss,” one person wrote on X.

Another person posted, “We’re mourning the loss of Brett James, co-writer of “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and “When the Sun Goes Down” and a 2-time ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year. Brett was a trusted collaborator to country’s greatest names and a true advocate for songwriters. We miss him dearly.

“Absolutely awful,” a third fan wrote, adding a broken heart emoji.

Someone else said, “Tell the People is one of my favorite songs ever. So sad… RIP.”

The Macon County Sheriff’s Office verified the aircraft incident in a Facebook statement.

The announcement read, “To the parents that have children that attend Iotla school. The students, and staff are safe. There was an airplane accident on the neighboring property. Again all students and staff are safe.”

Brett is best known for his songwriting prowess, penning hits like Rascal Flatts’ Summer Nights and Brantley Gilbert’s Bottoms Up. He also wrote songs for artists such as Carrie Underwood, Bon Jovi and Jason Aldean.

He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. His song Jesus Take The Wheel, performed by Carrie Underwood, won Best Country song at the 49th Grammy Awards in 2007 and had also been nominated for Song of the Year.