Carrie Underwood Mourns Tragic Death Of “Jesus, Take The Wheel” Writer Brett James
on Sep 19, 2025
Songwriter Brett James Died In A Plane Crash On September 18
Carrie Underwood is joining those in the country music community mourning the loss of songwriter Brett James.
James was an esteemed country songwriter who was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. He helped pen some of the biggest hits in country music in the past few decades, including Kenny Chesney‘s “When The Sun Goes Down,” Dierks Bentley‘s “I Hold On,” and Jessica Andrews’ “Who I Am.”
James also wrote some of Carrie Underwood’s most impactful songs, including “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and “Something in the Water.” The former song led James to win Best Country Song at the 49th Grammy Awards.
Additionally, James penned Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova,” “Love Wins,” “Game On,” “Twisted,” and her “Somethin’ Bad” duet with Miranda Lambert.
RELATED: CARRIE UNDERWOOD PERFORMS “JESUS, TAKE THE WHEEL” AND “HOW GREAT THOU ART” MEDLEY
On Thursday (September 18), news broke that a small plane registered to James (under his full name Brett Cornelius), crashed outside of Franklin, North Carolina earlier that day. WSMV reports that FlightAware data shows the Cirrus SR22T left John C. Tune Airport in Nashville at 12:41 PM local time before crashing around 3:00 PM near the Iotla Valley Elementary School in North Carolina. The school sits adjacent to the Macon County Airport.
The plane carried three passengers: Brett James, his wife Melody, and Melody’s daughter, Meryl. All were killed in the crash.
Brett James was 57 years old. The North Carolina Highway Patrol, FAA, and National Transportation Safety Board are currently investigating the crash and its cause.
The NTSB shared a statement with Country Rebel about the investigation:
“An NTSB investigator is on scene documenting the scene, examining the aircraft. The aircraft will then be removed and taken to a secure facility for further evaluation.”
Carrie Underwood Shares Emotional Tribute To Brett James Following His Death
“Some things are just unfathomable,” Carrie Underwood said at the beginning of an emotional tribute. “The loss of Brett James to his family, friends and our music community is too great to put into words.”
She shared three photos of her and James over the years, showcasing how they’ve been friends and collaborators since the earliest days of her career.
Underwood described James as “the epitome of ‘cool.'” She recalled loving it when he’d sing “Cowboy Casanova,” saying, “a sassy girl anthem should’ve sounded ridiculous coming from a macho dude like him, but somehow, he even made that cool.“
Underwood also spoke about James’ passion for his Christian 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.”
Underwood said that James’ passing reminds us all that “each day is a gift.” She ended her message by asking her followers to pray for his family during this heartbreaking time.
“Love you, man. I’ll see you again someday,” she wrote.
Read Carrie Underwood’s entire tribute to Brett James below. May he, Melody, and Meryl rest in peace…
