{"id":2034608,"date":"2025-09-19T15:02:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T15:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2034608"},"modified":"2025-09-19T15:02:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T15:02:08","slug":"what-brett-james-said-about-co-writing-carrie-underwoods-massive-hit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/what-brett-james-said-about-co-writing-carrie-underwoods-massive-hit\/","title":{"rendered":"What Brett James said about co-writing Carrie Underwood&#8217;s massive hit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Brett James Cornelius, known professionally as <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/brett-james-nashville-songwriter-wrote-122908811.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Brett James, died on Sept. 18;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">Brett James, died on Sept. 18<\/a> after a small-engine plane crashed in a field in Franklin, North Carolina.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He was 57.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In 2020, the Columbia, Missouri, native was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Grammy Award-winning Nashville songwriter co-wrote Carrie Underwood\u2019s \u201cJesus, Take the Wheel,\u201d which became the first of Underwood\u2019s 15 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, the Tennessean reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The song, which made the Opry&#8217;s list of the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/articles\/country-reached-millennium-hits-carrie-140051523.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:100 Greatest Country Music Songs;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">100 Greatest Country Music Songs<\/a>, became Underwood&#8217;s first single on her debut album after winning American Idol in 2005. Here&#8217;s how the country classic came together.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">What Brett James said about writing Carrie Underwood&#8217;s &#8216;Jesus, Take the Wheel&#8217;<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Brett James sings on stage during a live broadcast at Analog in Nashville, Tenn., March 8, 2025.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">On a gray, \u201cnasty\u201d January day, James along with songwriters Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson gathered for a writing session that would unexpectedly produce one of country music\u2019s most iconic hits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">According to a<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tennessean.com\/story\/entertainment\/music\/2020\/05\/08\/carrie-underwoods-jesus-take-wheel-story-behind-song\/5175401002\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:2020 &quot;Story Behind the Song&quot; video interview;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"> 2020 &#8220;Story Behind the Song&#8221; video interview<\/a>, the song, which tells the story of a young mother skidding on black ice and recommitting her life to Christ after coming to a safe stop, barely made the cut when deciding which five songs to record as demos.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But fate intervened.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Brett James performs during a rehearsal for an upcoming tribute to the troops performance with the Boston Pops at Soundcheck Nashville on May 21, 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"743\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/pehsf6BdseYLkCoSEHWg0Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTc0MztjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the-tennessean\/82aa3110f7d7264ca2ef394cffce3ef0\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Brett James performs during a rehearsal for an upcoming tribute to the troops performance with the Boston Pops at Soundcheck Nashville on May 21, 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Though they didn\u2019t write &#8220;Jesus, Take the Wheel&#8221; with Carrie Underwood in mind \u2014 she was still just a contestant in the second season of &#8220;American Idol&#8221; at the time \u2014 the song found its &#8220;perfect voice&#8221; a few months later when Underwood won the competition in May 2005.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWe were blessed enough to end up being the country song,\u201d James said, recalling how Underwood debuted the track at the 2005 CMA Awards as her first country single. Though not written as a Christian song, it resonated deeply with faith-based audiences and became a spiritual anthem for many, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cIt turned into something special for all of us, and I think it\u2019s still special to Carrie,\u201d James said. \u201cI\u2019ve been so blessed by her over the years.\u201d James went on to co-write several songs for Underwood, including &#8220;Love Wins&#8221;, &#8220;Cowboy Casanova&#8221; and &#8220;Game On.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">James said people have approached him over the years to share how the song changed their lives, often recounting moments of driving while overwhelmed, feeling as if they&#8217;re &#8220;being pulled out by an angel.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe right song meets the perfect voice, which is Carrie\u2019s,\u201d he said. \u201cPut it together with this megaphone [radio], and all of a sudden you really have something that changes the world a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for the Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X at @_leyvadiana<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tennessean.com\/story\/entertainment\/music\/2025\/09\/19\/brett-james-plane-crash-jesus-take-the-wheel-songwriter-carrie-underwood\/86237159007\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:What songwriter Brett James said about 'Jesus, Take the Wheel';elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">What songwriter Brett James said about &#8216;Jesus, Take the Wheel&#8217;<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brett James Cornelius, known professionally as Brett James, died on Sept. 18 after a small-engine plane crashed in a field in Franklin, North Carolina. He was 57. In 2020, the Columbia, Missouri, native was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Grammy Award-winning Nashville songwriter co-wrote Carrie Underwood\u2019s \u201cJesus, Take the Wheel,\u201d which [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2034609,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[27820,375297,22844,375410,355582,375302,309691,375412],"class_list":["post-2034608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-american-idol","tag-brett-james","tag-carrie-underwood","tag-franklin","tag-jesus","tag-nashville-songwriters-hall-of-fame","tag-north-carolina","tag-take-the-wheel"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/What-Brett-James-said-about-co-writing-Carrie-Underwoods-massive-hit.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2034608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2034608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2034608\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2034609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2034608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2034608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2034608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}