Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James, best known for co-writing Carrie Underwood’s breakout hit Jesus, Take the Wheel, has died in a plane crash in North Carolina. He was 57.
Authorities confirmed that James was one of three people aboard a single-engine Cirrus SR22T that went down near Macon County Airport under “unknown circumstances.”
All three passengers were killed. Flight data shows the plane had departed from Nashville earlier that day.
James’ career spanned decades, with more than 500 songs recorded by artists across genres. His work earned him a Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2006, ASCAP Songwriter of the Year honors in 2006 and 2010, and induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
Carrie Underwood, who turned Jesus, Take the Wheel into a career-defining anthem, called his death “just unfathomable.”
“Brett was the epitome of ‘cool’… I won’t ever sing one note of our songs about Jesus without thinking of him. His passing leaves a hole in all of us that I fear won’t ever go away,” she said.
James also wrote hits for Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, Jason Aldean, and many others. Aldean, who recorded The Truth, said he was “heartbroken” and praised James for helping change his life.
Paul Williams, president of ASCAP, described him as “a songwriting force of nature” who paired big hits with an even bigger heart.
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
