Grammy-Winning Songwriter Brett James Killed In North Carolina Plane Crash
Country music legend Brett James, the Grammy Award-winning songwriter behind dozens of No. 1 hits — including “Jesus Take the Wheel” and “I Hold On” — was killed in a tragic plane crash in North Carolina on Thursday afternoon. He was 57.
James was piloting a single-engine Cirrus SR22T aircraft when it went down in an open field near Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, North Carolina. Two others on board were also killed, though their names have not yet been released. No students or staff were harmed at the nearby school.
Flight records confirm the plane was registered to James under his full legal name, Brett Cornelius, of Brentwood, Tennessee. The aircraft took off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville around 1:40 p.m. for the 250-mile trip and crashed just before 3 p.m. The FAA and NTSB are investigating the cause.
A Country Music Powerhouse
Brett James began his career as a solo artist after leaving medical school and relocating to Nashville in the early 1990s. While he released five charting singles of his own, it was his songwriting that made him one of the most respected names in country music.
He wrote for country superstars including Kenny Chesney, Billy Ray Cyrus, Martina McBride, Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, and Bon Jovi. In total, James wrote 27 No. 1 hits on country radio — including Carrie Underwood’s Grammy-winning debut single “Jesus Take the Wheel,” Taylor Swift’s “A Perfectly Good Heart,” and Dierks Bentley’s “I Hold On.”
In 2020, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame for his massive contributions to the genre.
Tributes Pour In
Dierks Bentley, whose emotional hit “I Hold On” was co-written with James, honored him in a heartfelt post Thursday night.
“Rest in peace pal. Total stud. Fellow aviator. One of the best singer-songwriters in our town…. total legend,” Bentley wrote.
He added that James helped shape the song’s most important section — the chorus — after Bentley brought him the idea following the death of his father.
“When I sing that song live, I’m always thinking of my dad, but I also think about that day we wrote it,” Bentley said. “Our friendship and that song changed my life.”
Final Moments
James’ final post on social media was a warm family photo shared on Father’s Day, showing him surrounded by his wife, Sandra, and their children.
Brett James leaves behind a powerful legacy — not only in the countless songs he wrote that shaped modern country music, but in the lives he touched through faith, family, and friendship.