‘Jesus, Take the Wheel’ songwriter Brett James dies at 57 in North Carolina plane crash

MACON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James, best known for penning the hit 'Jesus, Take the Wheel', has died in a plane crash at age 57.

The crash occurred near Franklin, North Carolina, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. James was one of three people killed on Thursday, September 18. James, a celebrated figure in country music, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020 for his contributions to the industry.

What happened to Brett James?

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a Cirrus SR22T aircraft went down around 3 pm local time in a field just west of Iotla Valley Elementary School. There were no survivors.

Flight records confirm that the plane had departed from John C Tune Airport in Nashville. The aircraft was registered to Brett Cornelius; James’ full name was Brett James Cornelius. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are jointly investigating the cause of the crash.

In a Facebook post, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame paid tribute to James, "We mourn the untimely loss of Hall of Fame member Brett James ('Jesus Take The Wheel' / 'When The Sun Goes Down'), a 2020 inductee who was killed in a small-engine airplane crash on Sept. 18. He was 57."

“We’re mourning the loss of Brett James, co-writer of 'Jesus, Take the Wheel' & 'When the Sun Goes Down' and a 2-time ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year. Brett was a trusted collaborator to country’s greatest names, and a true advocate for his fellow songwriters. Brett, your ASCAP family misses you dearly. Thank you for your unforgettable music,” the organization wrote on Instagram.

Local authorities responded swiftly to the scene. The Macon County Sheriff’s Office reassured the community that all students and staff at Iotla Valley Elementary were safe.

“There was an airplane accident on the neighboring property. Again all students and staff are safe,” the department wrote in a Facebook statement.

Who was Brett James?

Brett James, who was born on June 5, 1968, in Columbia, Missouri, originally pursued a career in medicine before following his true passion for music. He signed with Arista Nashville’s Career Records as a solo artist and released his debut album in 1995.

Over the years, James became a sought-after songwriter, crafting hits for some of country music’s biggest stars.

His songwriting credits include Carrie Underwood’s 'Jesus, Take The Wheel' and 'Cowboy Casanova', Kenny Chesney’s 'When The Sun Goes Down', 'Out Last Night', and 'Keg In the Closet', Dierks Bentley’s 'I Hold On', Jason Aldean’s 'The Truth', Rascal Flatts’ 'Summer Nights', Brantley Gilbert’s 'Bottoms Up', and contributing to the catalogs of Bon Jovi and Tim McGraw.

'Jesus, Take the Wheel' became a breakout success, climbing to No 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning two Grammy nominations, ultimately winning 'Best Country Song'. The accolades didn’t stop there.

The track also took home 'Single of the Year' at the ACM Awards, 'Country Song of the Year' from ASCAP, and 'Song of the Year' from the 'Nashville Songwriters Association International' (NSAI). James himself was honored as ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year twice, in 2006 and again in 2010.

In 2020, James was honored with induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, marking a major milestone in his celebrated career. That same year, he released 'I Am Now', his first self-written artist project in over two decades, through Songs of Brett/Label Logic/Ingrooves. The album featured the standout single 'True Believer'.

Dierks Bentley pays heartfelt tribute to Brett James

On Thursday night, country star Dierks Bentley paid tribute to Brett James

“Rest in peace pal. Total stud. Fellow aviator. One of the best singer-songwriters in our town….total legend,” Bentley began his post.

He went on to recall their work together, particularly the deeply personal track 'I Hold On', which was written shortly after Bentley’s father's death.

“I brought a couple of roughy sketched verse ideas of I Hold On to Brett after my dad died and he just did his thing. The chorus is all him. When I sing that song live, I’m always thinking of my dad, but I also think about that day we wrote it. He just got it, just lit into it,” the 'Burning Man' hitmaker added. 

Bentley recollected that moment as a turning point in both their friendship and his career. “It was one of the first times we wrote and I decided to drop the most meaningful and necessary idea of a song I had on him, because I felt like God was telling me to do so,” he said.

The 'Gold' singer closed his tribute with heartfelt words, “Our friendship and that song changed my life. 💔 Prayers for his family @brettjamessongs.”