HEARTBREAK IN NASHVILLE: Musicians and Stars Gather to Mourn Brett James, the Writer of “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” Dead in Plane Crash at 57
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A heavy silence has settled over Music City. The streets of Nashville, usually alive with the hum of guitars and late-night laughter, are now filled with sorrow as artists, friends, and fans mourn the shocking death of Brett James, the Grammy-winning songwriter behind Carrie Underwood’s career-defining hit “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”
James, whose catalog includes more than 27 No. 1 singles, died Thursday afternoon in a plane crash near Franklin, North Carolina. He was 57 years old. Two other passengers also lost their lives when James’ Cirrus SR22T aircraft went down just short of the runway at Macon County Airport. Federal investigators are now combing through the wreckage, but the cause of the crash remains unknown.
A Community in Mourning
In Nashville, where James spent much of his career, the news spread with a swiftness that stunned even a city accustomed to loss. By Friday morning, the Grand Ole Opry’s iconic circle of wood was draped in flowers. Songwriters gathered in quiet coffee shops, their conversations punctuated by long silences.
Carrie Underwood, the artist who took “Jesus, Take the Wheel” to No. 1 and won two Grammys with it, released a statement filled with both heartbreak and faith:
“Brett loved the Lord. Which is the only comfort we can hold on to now.”
Her words struck a chord with countless fans who have leaned on that very song during their own times of struggle. For Carrie, this was not merely the death of a collaborator. It was the loss of a brother in faith and music—a man whose pen gave her voice one of its earliest, most unforgettable anthems.
Kenny Chesney, who scored a chart-topper with James’ “When the Sun Goes Down,” added his own tribute late Friday: “Brett had this gift of writing songs that sounded like you’d known them your whole life. He didn’t just write hits—he wrote truth. Losing him feels like losing a piece of Nashville itself.”
Jason Aldean, whose hit “The Truth” was co-written by James, called him “one of the most generous souls I’ve ever worked with. He believed the best song was the one that gave people something they didn’t know they needed. Nashville won’t be the same without him.”
And Martina McBride, who recorded the James-penned “Blessed,” described him as “a songwriter who made ordinary moments extraordinary. Brett had a way of reminding us that life itself is a blessing.”
From Medicine to Music
Born Brett James Cornelius in Columbia, Missouri, on June 5, 1968, he originally set out to become a doctor like his father. After earning a degree at Baylor University, he entered medical school at the University of Oklahoma. Yet the pull of Nashville proved stronger than the promise of medicine.
By 1995, James had signed with Career Records, releasing a self-titled debut album that produced three charting singles. But early stardom proved fleeting, and within a few years he found himself without a label, working nights, and questioning his path.
It was then that producer Mark Bright offered him a publishing contract with the fledgling Teracel Music. James promised to write one song every three days. That discipline became his salvation—and eventually his legacy.
A Catalog That Defined a Generation
Over the next two decades, Brett James would become one of the most prolific songwriters in Nashville history. His hits included:
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“Who I Am” (Jessica Andrews)
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“Blessed” (Martina McBride)
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“When the Sun Goes Down” (Kenny Chesney & Uncle Kracker)
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“Cowboy Casanova” (Carrie Underwood)
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“The Truth” (Jason Aldean)
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“It’s America” (Rodney Atkins)
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“The Man I Want to Be” (Chris Young)
His work crossed genres as well, reaching the voices of Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, the Backstreet Boys, and Latin pop star Paulina Rubio. Twice, in 2006 and 2010, ASCAP named him Country Songwriter of the Year.
The Final Note
The crash that claimed his life has left an immeasurable void in Nashville. Yet as tributes pour in, one theme resounds: Brett James gave his life to music, and his songs will outlast the silence.
In churches this weekend, “Jesus, Take the Wheel” will likely be sung not as a chart hit, but as a prayer for the man who wrote it. On stages across America, artists will whisper his name before stepping into the spotlight. And in homes, from Missouri to Tennessee, families will grieve a songwriter whose words once gave them hope.
Carrie Underwood’s voice may echo the loudest, but Nashville speaks as one: Brett James loved the Lord. And in that truth, his music—and his memory—endures.