Grammy award-winning country songwriter Brett James, whose string of top hits includes \u201cJesus Take the Wheel\u201d by Carrie Underwood<\/a> and \u201cWhen The Sun Goes Down\u201d by Kenny Chesney<\/a>, died in a plane crash in North Carolina, authorities said Friday. He was 57.<\/p>\n The small plane with three people aboard crashed Thursday afternoon \u201cunder unknown circumstances\u201d in the woods in Franklin, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a preliminary report. There were no survivors, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said in a statement.<\/p>\n James was on a Cirrus SR22T, which was registered to him under his legal name of Brett James Cornelius, according to information provided by the FAA. It was not known if he was the pilot. The patrol confirmed his death. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board said they will investigate the crash.<\/p>\n The other two people on the plane were Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson, the patrol confirmed.<\/p>\n The plane had taken off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville.<\/p>\n James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. The organization posted an online statement<\/a> of mourning.<\/p>\n A native of Oklahoma City, James left medical school to pursue a musical career in Nashville, according to his biography on the Hall of Fame\u2019s site.<\/p>\n His first No. 1 hit was \u201cWho I Am\u201d in 2001, by Jessica Andrews. \u201cJesus, Take the Wheel,\u201d which he co-wrote for Underwood, earned the 2006 Grammy for Best Country Song, among other honors.<\/p>\n James had more than 500 of his songs recorded, for albums with combined sales of more than 110 million copies, according to his Grand Ole Opry biography online.<\/p>\n Besides Underwood, artists who sang his songs include Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Nick Jonas and Meghan Trainor.<\/p>\n Additional hits include \u201cCowboy Casanova\u201d by Underwood, \u201cOut Last Night\u201d by Chesney, and \u201cSummer Nights\u201d by Rascal Flatts.<\/p>\n \u201cHeartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight,\u201d country singer Jason Aldean posted on X. \u201cI had nothing but love and respect for that guy and he helped change my life. Honored to have met him and worked with him.\u201d<\/p>\n James recorded his own album in 2020.<\/p>\n \u201cAt my stage in life, I\u2019m not going to write about driving around in pickup trucks, chasing girls,\u201d he was quoted as saying on the Opry site. \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n![\"Brett](\"https:\/\/www.syracuse.com\/resizer\/v2\/VFRESS3LSREEVH5UBEDWSE5SH4.jpg?auth=e5284525171ebbb4e292894e765a38454890f0473d9d86c992df0a57d6e34a6a&width=1280&smart=true&quality=90\"\/)
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