A plane crash in western North Carolina has killed Grammy Award-winning country songwriter Brett James , best known for penning Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”
James, 57, was one of three people on board a single-engine Cirrus SR22T that departed from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville on Thursday, New York Post reported. The aircraft came down in a field near Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, close to Macon County Airport. All three aboard were killed, though officials confirmed no students or staff at the school were harmed.
The Missouri-born songwriter was among the most prolific figures in Nashville, credited with more than 300 tracks on major labels and 27 number-one country radio hits. His work included Brantley Gilbert’s “Bottoms Up,” Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights,” and songs for Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Bon Jovi and Underwood. His breakthrough came with Jessica Andrews’ 2001 hit “Who I Am.”
Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” earned James the Grammy for Best Country Song in 2007, cementing his reputation as one of Nashville’s most successful songwriters. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
Country star Dierks Bentley, who co-wrote the 2013 hit “I Hold On” with James, paid tribute on Thursday night. “Rest in peace pal. Total stud. Fellow aviator. One of the best singer-songwriters in our town….total legend,” he said.
Bentley explained how James had shaped the chorus of the song following his father’s death. “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. Our friendship and that song changed my life. Prayers for his family.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.
James, 57, was one of three people on board a single-engine Cirrus SR22T that departed from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville on Thursday, New York Post reported. The aircraft came down in a field near Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, close to Macon County Airport. All three aboard were killed, though officials confirmed no students or staff at the school were harmed.
The Missouri-born songwriter was among the most prolific figures in Nashville, credited with more than 300 tracks on major labels and 27 number-one country radio hits. His work included Brantley Gilbert’s “Bottoms Up,” Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights,” and songs for Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Bon Jovi and Underwood. His breakthrough came with Jessica Andrews’ 2001 hit “Who I Am.”
Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” earned James the Grammy for Best Country Song in 2007, cementing his reputation as one of Nashville’s most successful songwriters. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
Country star Dierks Bentley, who co-wrote the 2013 hit “I Hold On” with James, paid tribute on Thursday night. “Rest in peace pal. Total stud. Fellow aviator. One of the best singer-songwriters in our town….total legend,” he said.
Bentley explained how James had shaped the chorus of the song following his father’s death. “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. Our friendship and that song changed my life. Prayers for his family.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.
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