Brett James, the Grammy-winning Nashville songwriter behind ‘Jesus, Take the Wheel’, died in a small-plane crash near an elementary school in North Carolina on Thursday, 18 September 2025.
The music community has been stunned by the sudden death of Brett James, born Brett James Cornelius, who was reported among three people killed when a single-engine Cirrus SR22T crashed into a field near Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, Macon County.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the aircraft went down at about 15:00 on 18 September 2025; the National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation. Authorities say there were no survivors; family, peers and industry bodies paid immediate tribute to a songwriter whose work shaped contemporary country music.
What is Known So Far
Local emergency services and Macon County dispatch confirmed the small aircraft crashed west of Iotla Valley Elementary School on 18 September 2025, and first responders found no survivors at the scene.
Brett James was not alone on the flight. Officials say there were three people aboard the Cirrus SR22T when it crashed, James plus two others, and no survivors.
Though there is speculation in one report identifying names like Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson as the other victims, those names have not been confirmed by any official source as of yet. The identities of the two other people remain unverified pending formal confirmation from investigators or family representatives.
Flight data compiled by aviation trackers and statements from the FAA identify the model as a Cirrus SR22T; officers from the North Carolina Highway Patrol and Macon County Sheriff’s Office were at the site while the FAA and NTSB began a formal probe.
Macon County Schools said pupils and staff were safe and that the crash did not occur on school grounds, though its proximity provoked alarm among residents. Fire and rescue crews reported debris scattered across a field and, crucially, no post-impact fire. Investigators cautioned though that the investigation is in its early stages and toxicology, maintenance and weather factors will all be examined.
A Storied Songwriting Career in Nashville
Brett James, who had long used the professional name Brett James though his legal surname was Cornelius, built a career as one of Nashville’s most prolific songwriters, penning dozens of chart-topping country songs and earning a Grammy for Carrie Underwood’s ‘Jesus, Take the Wheel’.
He was widely credited for hits recorded by the likes of Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley, Martina McBride and Jason Aldean, and was recognised repeatedly by ASCAP and his peers for his craft.
A former pre-med student who moved from Oklahoma to pursue music, James released his own material in the 1990s before finding major success writing for others. Industry biographies and organisation pages note his election to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020.
Colleagues often remarked on his ear for melody and lyric that married commercial appeal with emotional heft, a combination that earned him sustained demand in Nashville’s songwriter circles.
Reactions and Legacy
Tributes flowed from across the music world within hours. The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame posted they ‘mourn the untimely loss’ of their member and called James’ contribution to American music ‘indelible’, underscoring his role as mentor and collaborator.
Peers and artists who recorded his songs emphasised both his professional gifts and the human side of his work, a writer who often charted faith, family and working-class life in a way that resonated widely.
Artists who worked closely with James posted personal notes. Dierks Bentley, who co-wrote hits with James, called him ‘a total stud’ and referred to shared memories both in the studio and in the air, noting James was a ‘fellow aviator’. Others in the industry highlighted his generosity, calling him a ‘legend’ and a steadying creative force behind numerous modern country standards.
Fans have flooded social media with memories of songs that ‘saved’ or ‘changed’ moments in their lives, a plain measure of the human drama embedded in his catalogue.
Brett James’ sudden death leaves a tangible hole in Nashville’s songwriting community and in the lives of artists whose careers his songs helped define.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
