Carrie Underwood Dedicates Opry Performance Of “Jesus, Take The Wheel” To Late Songwriter Brett James
on Oct 27, 2025
Prolific Songwriter Brett James Died In A Plane Crash On September 18
Carrie Underwood took a moment at the Grand Ole Opry to pay tribute to her dear friend, the late songwriter, Brett James.
James died in a plane crash in Franklin, North Carolina, on September 18. He, his wife, Melody Carole, and his stepdaughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson, were all killed in the crash.
James was a prolific and well-connected songwriter in Nashville. His death devastated his friends in the country music community, including Carrie Underwood.
Many of Underwood’s greatest hits were written by James. He had a hand in writing songs such as “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” “Something in the Water,” “Cowboy Casanova,” “Love Wins,” “Somethin’ Bad,” and “Twisted,” among others.
James and his co-writers, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson, won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song for “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”
RELATED: NEW DETAILS RELEASED ONE MONTH AFTER COUNTRY SONGWRITER BRETT JAMES’ FATAL PLANE CRASH
Underwood was among those who paid tribute to James after his death. She remembered him as “the epitome of ‘cool,‘” and spoke about his devotion to his faith.
“Brett loved the Lord,” she wrote. “Which is the only comfort we can hold on to now. We even had the pleasure of singing together at church. My favorite songs to sing of ours are the ones that he or we wrote about Jesus because the thoughts and feelings behind them are so genuine and pure. I won’t ever sing one note of them again without thinking of him.“
Carrie Underwood Pays Tribute To Brett James With Emotional Performance At The Grand Ole Opry
While performing at the Grand Ole Opry on Friday (October 24), Underwood dedicated her performance of “Jesus, Take the Wheel” to James.
Underwood got choked up as she said:
“I am extraordinarily blessed, because I get to, for the rest of my life, get onstage and sing his words. And it’s a beautiful thing. And I get to think about him every time I do.”
From there, she encouraged the crowd to sing along as she moved into her stunning performance of “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”
Watch Underwood share her emotional tribute to James in the videos below.
@somewhereoutthere03 I love this song 🥹 she sang four songs tonight in the first Opry show that Brett James cowrote. “Cowboy Casanova,” “Church Bells,” “Something in the Water,” and “Jesus Take the Wheel.” It was very special! ❤️ @Carrie Underwood #CarrieUnderwood #JesusTakeTheWheel #CountryMusic #Opry #superfan ♬ original sound – Country Fan 🤠
@thecountryconcertguy A tear jerker to begin with, even more so on this particular night💔 “I refuse to say goodbye, because that’s not what it is. It’s a see you later.” #carrieunderwood #brettjames #opry #nashville #jesustakethewheel ♬ original sound – thecountryconcertguy
Underwood’s Opry tribute comes shortly after she announced that this month’s “Carrie’s Countdown” on SiriusXM will honor James.
Later, Underwood shared a series of photos from her Opry performance. She wrote:
“Such a sweet Friday at the @opry ! Tonight I got to honor my friend, @brettjamessongs … I’m blessed to have known him and I get the gift of singing his words and melodies for the rest of my life. Thanks to all who love the #GrandOleOpry as much as I do!”
Look below to see the photos she shared. You can tell how much she misses her friend…
