Country singer Lauren Alaina is paying tribute to Brett James after the Grammy-winning songwriter died in a plane crash at the age of 57.
On Friday Sept. 18, one day after James’ death, Alaina took to her Instagram Story to share an emotional tribute to the country hitmaker.
“Devastated to hear this. The first song I wrote after being on American Idol and signing my [record] deal was with @brettjamessongs and and @lukerobert,” she wrote. “I felt like I was big time because of working with them.”
“It was the perfect introduction to my songwriting story in Nashville,” she continued. “Brett was such a light and talent. He will be missed.”
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The song Alaina and James wrote together was “Funny Thing About Love,” which was released on Alaina’s debut studio album Wildflower in 2011.
Alaina joins a growing list of country stars — including Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, and more — who have paid tribute to the legendary songwriter following his passing.
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According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA ) via WZTV Nashville, James was one of three people who died in a plane crash near Franklin, North Carolina, on Thursday, Sept. 18.
James wrote hundreds of songs for artists across genres, but was best known for collaborating with some of country music’s biggest stars. He is most famous for writing Underwood’s Grammy-winning ballad “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
James’ wife Melody and his stepdaughter Meryl also died in the plane crash. He is survived by his ex-wife Sandra and their four children.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
