Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James, best known for co-writing the hit Jesus, Take the Wheel, has died in a plane crash in North Carolina. He was 57.
Fatal Crash Near Macon County Airport
James was one of three people aboard a Cirrus SR22T single-engine plane when it went down near Macon County Airport. Authorities said the aircraft crashed into a wooded area “under unknown circumstances.”
All three passengers were killed. Flight-tracking data showed the plane had taken off from Nashville earlier in the day.
The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Career-Defining Song
James earned a Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2005 for Jesus, Take the Wheel, recorded by Carrie Underwood. The track also received a nomination for Song of the Year and went on to become a defining moment in both artists’ careers.
Reacting to his death, Underwood called it “just unfathomable.”
“Brett was the epitome of ‘cool’,” she said. “My favorite songs to sing of ours are the ones about Jesus because the thoughts and feelings behind them are so genuine and pure. I won’t ever sing them again without thinking of him.”
Tributes From Across Music
James’ songwriting extended far beyond country music. He wrote songs for Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, Jason Aldean and many others.
Aldean, who recorded The Truth, written by James, said he was “heartbroken.”
“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,” he said. “Thoughts and prayers going out to his family.”
Paul Williams, president of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), described James as “a songwriting force of nature.”
“He wrote big hits but had an even bigger heart,” Williams said.
Legacy in Nashville
James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. He also won ASCAP’s Songwriter of the Year twice, in 2006 and 2010.
Across his career, he penned more than 500 songs spanning country, rock and pop. Industry colleagues said his influence was felt in both the Nashville scene and beyond.
