Country music fans were shocked and saddened this week to learn that beloved songwriter Brett James<\/strong> died<\/a> in a small plane crash in North Carolina on Thursday, September 18.<\/p>\n James was the genius behind many popular songs, including “A Perfectly Good Heart” by Taylor Swift<\/strong>, and “When the Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney<\/strong>. He also penned Carrie Underwood<\/strong>‘s famous tune, “Jesus Take the Wheel.”<\/p>\n Tributes to James<\/a> have been pouring in ever since his untimely death, and a little while ago, Underwood shared her own heartbroken reaction on her Instagram page.<\/p>\n See Underwood’s words about James here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n The late Brett James and Carrie UnderwoodPhoto by Rick Diamond/WireImage<\/p>\n The caption on the series of Instagram photos she shared of the two of them begins with, “Some things are just unfathomable. The loss of Brett James to his family, friends and our music community is too great to put into words.”<\/p>\n She continues, “Brett was the epitome of ‘cool.’ I see him in my mind riding up to my cabins to write on his motorcycle\u2026 his hair somehow perfectly coiffed despite being under a helmet for however long. I always loved hearing him sing ‘Cowboy Casanova’ because a sassy girl anthem should\u2019ve sounded ridiculous coming from a macho dude like him, but somehow, he even made that cool.”<\/p>\n Underwood then reflected on his character, saying:<\/p>\n “He was a good guy. I remember writing with him on a song that he basically wrote 75% of and had ready when he walked in the room. We filled in the blanks and added a little melody and I told him after that I didn\u2019t feel right splitting the credit evenly when he did most of the work. He wouldn\u2019t have it. He insisted that everything be equal. He was just that kind of guy\u2026”<\/p>\n Related: Jason Aldean Pays Tribute to Late Songwriter Behind Some of His Biggest Hits<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n And then she addressed his faith:<\/p>\n “Brett loved the Lord. Which is the only comfort we can hold on to now. We even had the pleasure of singing together at church. 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 Underwood admitted how heartbroken she is, saying:<\/p>\n “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\u2026 we have to make the most of each day we\u2019re given here on earth. Each day is a gift.”<\/p>\n She also asked for prayers:<\/p>\n “I\u2019m asking all of you to pray for his family, friends and all of us that were blessed enough to know Brett. Love you, man. I\u2019ll see you again someday.”<\/p>\n In addition to Swift, Underwood, and Chesney, James also penned songs for Tim McGraw<\/strong>, Rascal Flatts<\/strong>, Jason Aldean<\/strong>, Sara Evans<\/strong>, Kelly Clarkson<\/strong>, and Dierks Bentley<\/strong>.<\/p>\n He will be missed and so fondly remembered by those who were fortunate enough to know him.<\/p>\n This story was originally reported by Parade<\/a> on Sep 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the News<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
Carrie Underwood’s Tribute to Brett James<\/h2>\n
What other artists did Brett James work with?<\/h2>\n