Brett James, the Grammy-winning songwriter renowned for his work on Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take The Wheel” and an inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, has tragically died at the age of 57. The acclaimed artist was aboard a small-engine plane that crashed in Macon County near Franklin, North Carolina, around 3 p.m. EST on Thursday, September 18. Authorities confirmed that none of the three passengers survived the incident. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that the aircraft was registered to Brett Cornelius of Brentwood, TN, which is James’ full name, Brett James Cornelius.

Born on June 5, 1968, in Columbia, Missouri, James initially embarked on a path toward a medical career. However, he ultimately chose to leave medical school to pursue his passion for music, a decision that would lead to a highly successful career in the industry. He first signed with Arista Nashville’s imprint Career Records as a solo artist, releasing his debut solo album in 1995.

James soon became a prominent behind-the-scenes figure in country music. Early in his career, he penned songs for notable artists such as Billy Ray Cyrus, Kenny Chesney, and Martina McBride. His first major breakthrough came in 2001 with Jessica Andrews’ “Who I Am,” which climbed to No. 1. Over his prolific career, James would go on to write more than 300 major-label cut songs.

A crowning achievement in his songwriting portfolio was Carrie Underwood’s 2005 single “Jesus, Take The Wheel.” This powerful song reached No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and garnered two Grammy nominations, ultimately winning for Best Country Song. The accolades for “Jesus, Take The Wheel” extended further, including the ACM Single of the Year, the ASCAP Country Song of the Year, and NSAI Song of the Year. James himself was recognized as ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year twice, in 2006 and 2010.

His illustrious career was celebrated with his induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. The induction ceremony, postponed to November 1, 2021, due to the pandemic, took place at Nashville’s Music City Center. At the ceremony, James expressed his gratitude to the songwriting community and his fellow songwriters, stating, “This award especially belongs to you.” He also offered special thanks to all the artists who recorded his songs, particularly Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney, for their talents and long-standing support.

James’ extensive catalog includes numerous other hits such as “When The Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney & Uncle Kracker, “Cowboy Casanova” by Carrie Underwood, “It’s America” by Rodney Atkins, “Out Last Night” by Kenny Chesney, “Summer Nights” by Rascal Flatts, “I Hold On” by Dierks Bentley, “The Man I Want To Be” by Chris Young, and “Bottoms Up” by Brantley Gilbert. Beyond country music, he also achieved a Latin hit with Paulina Rubio’s “The One You Love (Todo Mi Amor).”

In 2022, James was a guest on Billboard’s Behind the Setlist podcast, where he reminisced about a memorable songwriting session with Kenny Chesney at Chesney’s house on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He described it as “maybe the greatest songwriting day I’ve ever had, because that’s never gonna happen again,” acknowledging Chesney for that fantastic experience. As news of his passing spread, the music community expressed deep sorrow and paid tribute to the talented artist and songwriter, with the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame posting, “We mourn the untimely loss of Hall of Fame member Brett James… who was killed in a small-engine airplane crash on Sept. 18.”