Brett James, Grammy-Winning ‘Jesus Take the Wheel’ Songwriter, Killed in NC Plane Crash
James was best known for his Grammy-winning Carrie Underwood hit, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” but he wrote more than 800 songs in his storied career. He was 57.
Singer/ Songwriter Brett James was best known for his hit songs “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and “When the Sun Goes Down.”
Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty ImagesBrett James, who penned Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel," died Thursday in a plane crash near Franklin, North Carolina. He was 57.
The accident happened at 3 p.m. when his Cirrus SR22T crashed near Iotla Valley Elementary School, killing all three people aboard. The plane - registered to Brett Cornelius, James' legal name - had taken off from Nashville's John C. Tune Airport at 12:41 PM.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame confirmed James' death in a Facebook post:
"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."
Officials from the FAA and NTSB began investigating the cause of the crash. The school confirmed no students or staff were hurt.
"A trusted collaborator to country's greatest names" and "a true advocate for his fellow songwriters," said the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) to Songwriter City.
Throughout his career, James crafted more than 800 songs. His work spawned 27 number-one hits and sold over 110 million copies worldwide.
His songwriting led to hits like Tim McGraw's "Still," Jason Aldean's "The Truth," and Luke Bryan's "Rain Is A Good Thing." Branching out from country music, he wrote Kelly Clarkson's pop hit "Mr Know It All."
In 2006, James picked up a Grammy for Best Country Song. He grabbed ASCAP's Country Songwriter of the Year title twice and earned 40 hit song awards from the organization.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame welcomed him as a member in 2020. While running his company Cornman Music, he spent 18 years serving on the boards of the Country Music Association and Nashville Songwriters Association International.
As a producer, he worked on Taylor Swift's first re-release and Jessica Simpson's "Do You Know." Artists Kip Moore and Danielle Bradbery also got his production expertise.
An Oklahoma native, James initially studied medicine at the University of Oklahoma. Music drew him in instead - he released an album in 1995, then found his groove writing songs for others.
