Grammy-winning country songwriter<\/a> Brett James, known for penning hits like “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and “When The Sun Goes Down,” has died in a plane crash in North Carolina. He was 57.<\/p>\n “A\u00a0Cirrus\u00a0SR22T 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) told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n The FAA confirmed that the plane was registered to James under his legal name, Brett James Cornelius. It’s unclear whether he was piloting the aircraft at the time of the crash.<\/p>\n Country Singer Conner Smith Returns To The Stage Following Tragic Crash That Left Elderly Woman Dead<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Brett James, the songwriter behind numerous country hits, died at the age of 57 in a plane crash in Franklin, North Carolina.<\/p>\n The North Carolina State Highway Patrol confirmed his death, as well as the deaths of two other individuals aboard the plane, according to The Associated Press.<\/p>\n The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident.<\/p>\n Read On The Fox News App<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The plane took off from Nashville\u2019s John C. Tune Airport before crashing under still-undetermined circumstances in the woods of Franklin. Authorities have yet to release additional details regarding the cause of the crash.<\/p>\n James\u2019 illustrious career spanned decades, as he became one of the most successful and beloved songwriters in Nashville.<\/p>\n He worked on more than 500 songs recorded by artists like Faith Hill<\/a>, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban and Meghan Trainor.<\/p>\n James’ first major success was in 2001 when his song “Who I Am” was recorded by Jessica Andrews and hit No. 1 on the country charts.<\/p>\n Rising Country Star Cancels Multiple Shows To Grieve After Facing Misdemeanor Charge In Deadly Nashville Crash<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n James’ first major success was in 2001 when his song “Who I Am” was recorded by Jessica Andrews and hit No. 1 on the country charts.<\/p>\n His writing continued to dominate with songs like “Jesus, Take the Wheel”, which not only earned Carrie Underwood<\/a> a Grammy but also became an anthem of modern country music.<\/p>\n Underwood shared an emotional tribute to her longtime friend, as she admitted James’ death is “unfathomable.”<\/p>\n “The loss of Brett James to his family, friends and our music community is too great to put into words,” she wrote on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n The former “American Idol” winner continued to reflect on their cherished memories together. “Brett was the epitome of ‘cool,'” she explained, as she recalled how he’d effortlessly arrive at her cabin on his motorcycle, his hair impeccably styled despite the ride.<\/p>\n She also remembered their shared moments of laughter over his rendition of “Cowboy Casanova,” a song of hers that he wrote. She said that the song “should\u2019ve sounded ridiculous coming from a macho dude like him, but somehow, he even made that cool.”<\/p>\n Underwood also spoke of James’ love for God. She remembered their shared moments of worship, singing together at church, particularly the songs they wrote about Jesus.<\/p>\n “My favorite songs to sing of ours are the ones that he or we wrote about Jesus because the thoughts and feelings behind them are so genuine and pure. I won\u2019t ever sing one note of them again without thinking of him.”<\/p>\n Brett James wrote “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” which earned Carrie Underwood a Grammy.<\/p>\n She concluded her tribute, “Brett\u2019s passing is leaving a hole in all of us that I fear won\u2019t ever go away. It will forever be a reminder that this life is but a moment\u2026we have to make the most of each day we\u2019re given here on earth. Each day is a gift \u2026 Love you, man. I\u2019ll see you again someday.”<\/p>\n James additionally co-wrote “Blessed” for Martina McBride and “Out Last Night” for Kenny Chesney, among numerous other chart-toppers.<\/p>\n In 2020, James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The official social media page for the organization shared a heartfelt tribute<\/a> to the country songwriter following the news of his death.<\/p>\n “We mourn the untimely loss of Hall of Fame member Brett James (‘Jesus Take The Wheel’ \/ \u2018When The Sun Goes Down\u2019), a 2020 inductee who was killed in a small-engine airplane crash on Sept. 18.”<\/p>\n Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson hold their award for best country song, “Jesus Take the Wheel,” at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 11, 2007.<\/p>\n In 2020, James recorded his own album. He previously explained to the Grand Ole Opry<\/a>, “At my stage in life, I\u2019m not going to write about driving around in pickup trucks, chasing girls. It needed to feel more classic, lyrically. They all wound up being love songs, but hopefully love songs with a twist, that haven\u2019t all been written before.”<\/p>\n James was born in Oklahoma City and moved to Nashville<\/a> to pursue music after leaving medical school. His songwriting career skyrocketed, and he quickly established himself as one of the most influential writers in Nashville.<\/p>\n Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Jason Aldean<\/a> took a moment during his Thursday night concert at Pinnacle Bank Arena to pay tribute to his late friend.<\/p>\n Jason Aldean took a moment during his Thursday night concert at Pinnacle Bank Arena to pay tribute to his late friend.<\/p>\n “This next song is one of those early ones that really helped define my career and let people know who we were and what we were about,” Aldean said in a video<\/a> shared on his X account. “We got a little bit of sad news tonight right before we came on stage. A longtime friend of ours, the guy that wrote this song, we found out today died in a plane crash in North Carolina.”<\/p>\n “He also wrote this next song, which ended up being one of the biggest songs of my career,” Aldean pointed out. “So tonight we want to send this out to our friend that we lost tonight, our boy Mr. Brett James.”<\/p>\n Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Aldean additionally shared on X, “Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight. I had nothing but love and respect for that guy and he helped change my life. Honored to have met him and worked with him.”<\/p>\n Musician Brett James and his wife Sandy appear at a pre-CMA Awards event in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 5, 2006.<\/p>\n He also wrote the song “I Hold On” for country star Dierks Bentley<\/a>, who shared a heartfelt tribute to James.<\/p>\n “When I sing that song live, I\u2019m always thinking of my dad, but I also think about that day we wrote it,” Bentley posted on Instagram<\/a> with a photo of the two. “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.”<\/p>\n Just months before his untimely death, James shared a heartfelt moment with his loved ones. On June 16, he was all smiles as he posted a family photo.<\/p>\n App Users Click Here To View Post<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “Such an amazing Father\u2019s Day!!” James captioned the Instagram post.<\/p>\n James is survived by his wife, Sandra Cornelius, and their children.<\/p>\n The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n Original article source: Brett James, \u2018Jesus, Take the Wheel\u2019 songwriter, dies in North Carolina plane crash<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
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