Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James who co-wrote 'Jesus, Take the
Wheel' dies in plane crash
[September 20, 2025]
By KATHY McCORMACK and JOSH FUNK
Grammy award-winning country songwriter Brett James, whose string of top
hits includes “Jesus, Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood and "When the
Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney, died in a plane crash in North
Carolina, authorities said Friday. He was 57.
The small plane with three people aboard crashed Thursday afternoon
“under unknown circumstances” 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.
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.
The other two people on the plane were Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell
Wilson, the patrol confirmed.
The plane had taken off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville.
James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
The organization posted an online statement of mourning.
A native of Oklahoma City, James left medical school to pursue a music
career in Nashville, according his biography on the Hall of Fame's site.
His first No. 1 hit was “Who I Am” in 2001, by Jessica Andrews. “Jesus,
Take the Wheel," which he co-wrote for Underwood, earned the 2006 Grammy
for Best Country Song, among other honors.
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Brett James, from left, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson hold
their award for best country song, "Jesus Take the Wheel," at the
49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 11, 2007. (AP
Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
 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.
Other artists who sang his songs include Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson,
Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Nick Jonas and Meghan Trainor.
Additional hits include “Cowboy Casanova” by Underwood, “Out Last
Night” by Chesney and “Summer Nights” by Rascal Flatts.
“Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight,”
country singer Jason Aldean posted 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.”
James recorded his own album in 2020.
“At my stage in life, I’m not going to write about driving around in
pickup trucks, chasing girls,” he was quoted as saying on the Opry
site. “It needed to feel more classic, lyrically. They all wound up
being love songs, but hopefully love songs with a twist, that
haven’t all been written before.”
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Associated Press reporter Kristin M. Hall in Nashville contributed
to this story.
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