FINAL GOODBYE: Nashville Mourns Brett James, Husband, Father, and Grammy-Winning Songwriter Behind “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” Dead at 57
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The heart of country music is broken. Brett James, the Grammy-winning songwriter behind Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and more than two dozen No. 1 hits, has died in a plane crash in North Carolina. He was 57 years old. His family confirmed the devastating news late Thursday, describing him not only as a celebrated songwriter but as a beloved husband and father whose greatest joy was found at home.
A Life Cut Short
On September 18, 2025, James was piloting his Cirrus SR22T aircraft when it crashed in a field near Franklin, North Carolina, just shy of the runway at Macon County Airport. Two other passengers were also killed. Flight data shows the plane’s final recorded speed at 83 miles per hour before disappearing from radar at 2:56 p.m. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
The news of his death reverberated instantly through Nashville and beyond. Social media feeds filled with tributes, radio stations played his most famous songs, and fans gathered in prayer circles outside the Bluebird Café, the songwriter’s sanctuary where Brett James’ career first took root.
Faith, Family, and Song
Though the world will remember Brett James for the 27 No. 1 singles he penned, his family insists his truest legacy lies in the life he lived offstage. Known as a devoted husband to his wife, Sandy, and a proud father of two children, James often spoke of family as the anchor that steadied his whirlwind career.
“Music gave Brett a platform,” one close friend said, “but home gave him his purpose.”
That balance between faith, family, and music shaped everything he wrote. It is no accident that his most enduring song—“Jesus, Take the Wheel”—was not a song of fame but of surrender. Recorded by Carrie Underwood in 2006, the track became both a Grammy-winning smash and a modern hymn. For millions, it was the soundtrack of resilience. For Carrie, it was the beginning of a lifelong bond.
“Brett loved the Lord,” she said in her first statement after his passing. “Which is the only comfort we can hold on to now.”
A Catalog That Spanned Generations
From Jessica Andrews’ “Who I Am” to Martina McBride’s “Blessed”, from Kenny Chesney’s “When the Sun Goes Down” to Jason Aldean’s “The Truth”, Brett James’ songs defined country radio for more than two decades. He also wrote for Faith Hill, Chris Young, Rodney Atkins, and Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova.”
Beyond country, his pen reached the voices of Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, the Backstreet Boys, and Paulina Rubio. Twice named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year (2006, 2010), James was celebrated not only for his success but for his humility.
“He never bragged,” said fellow songwriter Hillary Lindsey. “He just showed up, poured his heart into the work, and left the glory to others.”
The Road from Medicine to Music
Born Brett James Cornelius on June 5, 1968, in Columbia, Missouri, he grew up the son of a physician and once seemed destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. After earning a degree from Baylor University, he entered medical school but left after one year to chase music in Nashville.
His journey was not easy. Dropped from his first record deal, working odd jobs, he nearly abandoned music altogether. But in 1998, producer Mark Bright gave him a small publishing contract with a promise: write one song every three days. James kept that promise. In the process, he found his calling not as a performer but as one of Nashville’s most trusted writers.
The Weight of Loss
Now, Nashville must carry on without him. On Friday morning, flowers piled high outside BMI’s Music Row headquarters, and songwriters gathered in hushed rooms, their grief softened only by the melodies Brett James left behind.
Kenny Chesney said, “Brett had a way of writing songs that felt like home. Losing him feels like losing a piece of myself.”
Jason Aldean called him “the rare kind of songwriter who wrote not for the charts, but for the soul.”
And Martina McBride added simply: “Brett gave us songs that will outlive us all.”
A Final Goodbye
In the end, Brett James was more than his awards, more than his hits. He was a man whose faith shaped his art, whose humility defined his career, and whose love for his family grounded it all.
As his family prepares private services in Nashville, the city waits for what will no doubt become a public memorial filled with music, prayer, and stories of the man who gave his words away so generously.
For now, his most famous chorus lingers in the air like a benediction: “Jesus, take the wheel.” The man who once wrote those words has now, at last, been carried home.