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Country songwriter Brett James<\/strong>‘s wife Melody Carole<\/strong> and his stepdaughter Meryl Maxwell Wilson<\/strong> were both reportedly killed in the plane crash that took James’ life, according to The New York Times. <\/em><\/p>\n According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA ), James was one of three people aboard a plane that crashed<\/a> near Franklin, North Carolina, on Thursday, Sept. 18. All three victims are reported to have died at the scene, and no one on the ground was injured.<\/p>\n The plane was registered to Brett Cornelius \u2014 James’s legal name \u2014 and had departed from Nashville, Tennessee. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash and the cause is currently unknown.<\/p>\n RELATED: Country Star Lauren Alaina Shares Emotional Tribute to Brett James: \u2018Such a Light and Talent\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n James wrote hundreds of songs for artists across genres, but was best known for collaborating with some of\u00a0country music<\/a>\u2019s biggest stars. He is most famous for writing Carrie Underwood<\/strong>\u2019s Grammy-winning ballad \u201cJesus, Take the Wheel.”<\/p>\n He was inducted into The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020, and the organization announced his death on Sept. 18, writing on Instagram<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cWe mourn the untimely loss of Hall of Fame member Brett James (\u2018Jesus, Take The Wheel\u2019 \/ \u2018When The Sun Goes Down\u2019), a 2020 inductee who was killed in a small-engine airplane crash on Sept. 18. He was 57.\u201d<\/p>\n Following the news of his passing, country stars \u2014 including\u00a0Carrie Underwood<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Tim McGraw<\/strong>,\u00a0Jason Aldean<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Dierks Bentley<\/strong>, Lauren Alaina<\/strong>, and more \u2014 paid tribute to the legendary songwriter.<\/p>\n James survived by his ex-wife\u00a0Sandra<\/strong>\u00a0and their four children.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfac\u00a0<\/strong>SIGN UP for Parade\u2019s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\ud83c\udfac<\/strong><\/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