Brett James, the Grammy-winning songwriter whose words and melodies powered some of country music’s biggest hits of the last two decades, was killed on Thursday, September 18, when his Cirrus SR22T crashed in the mountains of western North Carolina. He was 57.
Authorities said the single-engine airplane, registered to James under his legal name Brett James Cornelius, went down around 3 p.m. on Thursday near Franklin, North Carolina, shortly after departing from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville. All three people on board died, according to authorities. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol identified the other victims as Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson.
The aircraft crashed in a wooded area not far from Iotla Valley Elementary School, but no one on the ground was injured. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane crashed “under unknown circumstances.” Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched investigations, which typically take a year or longer to produce a final report. James owned the airplane and held a private pilot’s license and instrument rating.
James’ death stunned the country music community, where he was revered as a prolific songwriter with a gift for capturing raw emotion. Over his career, he wrote or co-wrote more than 500 songs recorded by a wide range of artists, from country mainstays to pop stars. His work appeared on albums that have collectively sold more than 110 million copies.
Born in Oklahoma City in 1968, James pursued medicine before music, attending Baylor University and enrolling in medical school at the University of Oklahoma. But Nashville beckoned, and he left his studies to chase a songwriting dream. His breakthrough came in 2001 with Jessica Andrews’ No. 1 hit “Who I Am.” Four years later, his co-writing credit on Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” brought him widespread acclaim, including the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2006.
From there, his success snowballed. James co-wrote Kenny Chesney’s “When the Sun Goes Down” and “Out Last Night,” Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova,” and Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights.” His catalog also includes songs recorded by music stars Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Nick Jonas, and Meghan Trainor, among many others.
Beyond songwriting, James built a reputation as a mentor and leader in the music industry. He founded Cornman Music, served on the board of the Country Music Association, and was a national trustee of The Recording Academy. In 2020, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, an honor recognizing his impact on the craft. That same year, he released his own self-titled solo album, a collection of songs that reflected what he described as a more mature lyrical perspective.
Tributes poured in as news of his death spread. “Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight,” country singer Jason Aldean wrote on X. “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.” Dierks Bentley called him “a total legend” whose work shaped a generation of country music.
The Cirrus SR22T is general aviation’s top-selling high-performance piston aircraft best known for its built-in whole-airframe ballistic parachute that can be deployed in emergencies. Whether the parachute was deployed before the crash has not been confirmed.
