Brett James, the Grammy Award-winning songwriter behind some of country music’s biggest hits, including “Jesus Take the Wheel” and “I Hold On,” was killed in a plane crash in North Carolina on Thursday afternoon.
James, 57, was one of three people aboard a single-engine Cirrus SR22T aircraft that had departed from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville before it crashed into an open field near Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, NC, according to WTVF.
All three occupants inside the plane were killed. The identities of the other two victims were not known.
No students or staff at the school, located adjacent to Macon County Airport, were injured from the crash.
The 2016 SR22T aircraft was registered to James, under his real name, Brett Cornelius, out of Brentwood, Tenn., according to flight records.
James was scheduled to take off for the 250-mile flight at 1:15 p.m., but didn’t depart Nashville until after 1:40 p.m. The plane crashed in the field just before 3 p.m.
First responders were captured placing a tarp over the white aircraft that was lodged in the ground, footage from WYFF showed.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
James attended medical school before he dropped out halfway through and moved to Nashville to pursue a solo music career. He signed a record deal with Career Records in 1992, according to Songwriter Universe.
He released his own, self-titled album in 1995, and over the span of eight years released five singles that reached Billboard’s country chart.
James turned his attention to songwriting and found near-instant success, creating songs for Billy Ray Cyrus, Kenny Chesney and Martina McBride.
James became one of the most renowned country music songwriters of the 2000s and early 2010s, writing hits including Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel,” Taylor Swift’s “A Perfectly Good Heart,” Brantley Gilbert’s “Bottoms Up” and Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights.”
He wrote a total of 27 number-one hits on country radio and additionally worked with Chesney, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw and Bon Jovi.
James, who was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020, also penned Dierks Bentley’s 2013 smash hit “I Hold On.”
Bentley mourned James’ death on Thursday night, describing the Missouri-born songwriter as “a total legend.”
“Rest in peace pal,” Bentley said. “Total stud. Fellow aviator. One of the best singer-songwriters in our town….total legend.”
Bentley credited James for fine-tuning his concept of the song, which was written in the aftermath of the country superstar’s dad’s death.
“I brought a couple of roughly 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. 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. Our friendship and that song changed my life. Prayers for his family,” Bentley said.
James’ final social media post was a photo of him with his wife, Sandra, and their children celebrating Father’s Day.
Brett James; plane crash. Image Credit : Lawrence Lucier/FilmMagic; WLOS News 13
On Thursday, September 18, 2025, tragedy struck when a Cirrus SR22T aircraft went down in Macon County, North Carolina. The crash occurred just west of Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin around 3 p.m. According to Macon County dispatch, all three people on board were killed.
Among the victims was Brett James, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, known for penning hits like “Jesus Take the Wheel” for Carrie Underwood and “When the Sun Goes Down” for Kenny Chesney. He was 57 years old.
The other two victims of a plane crash that killed songwriter Brett James have been identified.
Multiple news outlets (including the New York Times) are reporting that Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson also died in the small-engine plane crash in North Carolina on Thursday (Sept. 18).
How Did Brett James Die?
- The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame confirmed James’ death in a crash with a post to social media on Thursday night.
- The crash took place around 3PM local time in Franklin, N.C., (per WPDE-TV).
- While it occurred near an elementary school, no children or staff at the school were harmed.
Who Was Brett James’ Wife?
Melody married James in August 2021 and honeymooned in Tulum. On social media, she recently helped celebrate her daughter Meryl’s 28th birthday on Tuesday.
RELATED: 13 Brett James Songs You’ve Known + Loved for Years
Talking to Taste of Country in 2020, James spoke about how his new I Am Now EP was partially inspired by Melody. At the time they were just engaged
On Instagram, she’s shared several pictures of her with James. In fact, her most recent post was with James and actor Robert Redford, who died on Tuesday.
“How mind-bending is this photo? They are all together now,” wrote one person in the comments.
Carole’s photos are public but not available to be embedded. James has shared pics of the two on occasion, however.
Wilson’s final post was in regard to her birthday, and that, too, is not available for an embed.
“She’s also a deep soul and a real musical human,” he admitted. “She doesn’t make music, but she’s got amazing taste in music.”
