Brett James, Grammy-winning songwriter behind Jesus, Take the Wheel, dies in fatal plane crash at 57

The plane, registered under James’ legal name Brett Cornelius, crashed around 3 p.m. Thursday, roughly 270 miles southeast of Nashville, according to flight-tracking data from FlightAware and a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.

All three people aboard, including the pilot and two passengers, were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause.

The aircraft had taken off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville and crashed into a field near Iotla Valley Elementary School, where students were still inside preparing for dismissal, the school district said.

In his decades-long career, James wrote songs for stars including Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, and Carrie Underwood. He co-wrote Chesney’s Out Last Night and Underwood’s Jesus, Take the Wheel, which became her first number-one country single and earned Grammy recognition.

Sara Evans, whose hit Cheatin’ was written by James, called the news devastating. “I am absolutely devastated at the loss of one of the best writers I’ve ever written with and recorded several of his songs, Brett James,” she said, CNN reported.

James’ songs have appeared on more than 500 albums, with combined sales exceeding 110 million copies, according to the Nashville Songwriters Association International. Among his various roles, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020, owned the publishing company Cornman Music, and served on the board of the Country Music Association and as a national trustee of The Recording Academy.

Reacting to the news, Carrie Underwood described James’ death as “just unfathomable.” She added, “Brett was the epitome of ‘cool.’ My favourite 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’t ever sing one note of them again without thinking of him. Brett’s passing is leaving a hole in all of us that I fear won’t ever go away.”

Jason Aldean, who recorded The Truth written by James, expressed his grief, saying he was heartbroken. “I had nothing but love and respect for that guy, and he helped change my life. Honoured to have met him and worked with him. Thoughts and prayers going out to his family,” Aldean said.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers called him “a trusted collaborator to country’s greatest names, and a true advocate for his fellow songwriters.” Country musician Dierks Bentley added on Instagram: “Rest in peace pal. Total stud. Fellow aviator. One of the best singer-songwriters in our town… total legend.”

(With inputs from BBC, CNN)