Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James dies in North Carolina plane crash

Highlights:

• Brett James, Grammy-winning songwriter behind Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” died in a plane crash in Franklin, North Carolina.
  
• He was 57 and was one of three people aboard the small-engine plane.
  
• James collaborated with artists including Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Bon Jovi, and Kenny Chesney.
  
• Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020, James wrote more than 500 songs featured on albums with over 110 million combined sales.
  
• Tributes poured in from across the music industry, including from Dierks Bentley and ASCAP.
  

Brett James, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter best known for co-writing Carrie Underwood’s hit “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” died Thursday in a small-plane crash in Franklin, North Carolina, according to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was 57.

The crash

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a plane registered under James’ name crashed around 3 p.m. in a field near Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, about 270 miles southeast of Nashville.

Flight data shows the aircraft departed from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville before going down. The Macon County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that students and staff at the nearby school were safe.

The FAA reported that three people were aboard the aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the crash.

Career and contributions

James was one of Nashville’s most successful songwriters, with more than 500 songs recorded by top artists. His work appeared on albums that collectively sold more than 110 million copies, according to the Nashville Songwriters Association International.

In 2006, he won a Grammy for Best Country Song for “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” He also co-wrote Kenny Chesney’s “Out Last Night” and collaborated with artists including Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Bon Jovi, and Martina McBride.

Beyond songwriting, James owned the publishing company Cornman Music, served on the board of the Country Music Association, and was a national trustee of The Recording Academy. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.

Tributes

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) called James “a trusted collaborator to country’s greatest names, and a true advocate for his fellow songwriters.”

Country singer Dierks Bentley remembered him on Instagram, writing: “Rest in peace pal. Total stud. Fellow aviator. One of the best singer-songwriters in our town… total legend.”