Grammy-Winning Songwriter of ‘Jesus Take the Wheel’ Among 3 Killed in NC Plane Crash

Grammy Award-winning songwriter Brett James, best known for penning some of country music’s most recognized hits, was among three people killed in a plane crash in North Carolina on Thursday afternoon. He was 57.

Authorities said James, whose full name was Brett Cornelius, was on board a single-engine Cirrus SR22T aircraft that crashed in a field near Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, North Carolina, just before 3 p.m.

The flight had departed from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville, as reported by The New York Post.

Country Hitmaker Brett James Dies at 57 in Plane Crash https://t.co/1hvCaCehsS pic.twitter.com/rhqfNc1ovk

— Z108.net (@NetZ108) September 19, 2025

All three people on board were killed, though the identities of the other two victims have not yet been released. No students or staff at the elementary school, which sits adjacent to Macon County Airport, were harmed.

According to flight records, the 2016 Cirrus SR22T was registered to James. The aircraft was scheduled to leave Nashville around 1:15 p.m., but did not depart until after 1:40 p.m.

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The plane went down less than 90 minutes later. Emergency crews arrived at the scene, where the aircraft was found lodged in the ground. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched investigations into the crash.

James, originally from Missouri, attended medical school before deciding to pursue music in Nashville.

He signed a record deal with Career Records in 1992 and released a self-titled album in 1995. Over the next eight years, he produced five singles that appeared on Billboard’s country chart.

Though his solo career brought modest success, James found his greatest impact as a songwriter. He wrote hits for some of country music’s biggest names, including Kenny Chesney, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Martina McBride.

His career reached new heights in the 2000s and 2010s, with more than two dozen number-one hits on country radio.

His songwriting credits include Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel,” Taylor Swift’s “A Perfectly Good Heart,” Brantley Gilbert’s “Bottoms Up,” Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights,” and Dierks Bentley’s “I Hold On.”

GRAMMY-WINNING SONGWRITER BRETT JAMES DIES IN PLANE CRASH AT 57

Brett James, who penned hits like “Jesus Take the Wheel” and “I Hold On,” was killed in a North Carolina plane crash Thursday afternoon.

The country music legend wrote 27 No. 1 hits and worked with artists like… https://t.co/pxHo98wpTF pic.twitter.com/4gclKspiFp

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 19, 2025

He also worked with Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, and Bon Jovi. In recognition of his contributions to the industry, James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.

Bentley paid tribute to James Thursday night, calling him “a total legend” and crediting him for shaping one of the most meaningful songs of his career.

“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,” Bentley said. “Our friendship and that song changed my life. Prayers for his family.”

James’ last public post was a Father’s Day photo with his wife, Sandra, and their children.

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