Brett James, a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and GRAMMY Award winner, has died at 57 years old in a tragic plane crash in North Carolina.
According to multiple sources, a Cirrus SR22T plane (tail #N218VB) took off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville at 12:41 PM on September 18 with three passengers onboard. Around 3 PM, the plane crashed near Iotla Valley Elementary School, close to Macon County Airport in Franklin, North Carolina. All three passengers, including two others alongside the pilot, died in the crash. FAA records list the plane as being registered to Brett Cornelius of Brentwood, Tennessee.
“A Cirrus SR22T crashed in a field in Franklin, North Carolina, around 3 p.m. local time on Thursday, Sept. 18. Three people were on board. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates,” a report from the FAA read (per FOX 17 News).
Brett James Cornelius, known professionally as Brett James, passed away on Thursday, September 18, 2025. Born on June 5, 1968, in Columbia, Missouri, Brett James first set out to pursue a career in medicine at the University of Oklahoma before discovering his true calling in music. Midway through medical school, he made the life-changing decision to leave college and dedicate himself fully to his passion of music.
In 1995, James signed with Arista Nashville’s imprint Career Records and released his Self-Titled debut solo album. While his early career as a recording artist laid the foundation, his greatest success came as a songwriter. Over the years, James became one of Nashville’s most prolific and respected songwriters, penning hundreds of songs recorded by country music’s biggest stars.
His writing credits include Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take The Wheel” and “Cowboy Casanova,” Kenny Chesney’s “When The Sun Goes Down,” “Out Last Night,” and “Keg in the Closet,” Dierks Bentley’s “I Hold On,” Jason Aldean’s “The Truth,” and Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights,” among hundreds of others. His first No. 1 hit was “Who I Am” by Jessica Andrews in 2001.
He has had over 800 songs of his recorded by artists such as Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Cody Johnson, Parker McCollum, Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson, Meghan Trainor, Nick Jonas, Miranda Lambert, Steven Tyler, Kip Moore, Sheryl Crow, Colbie Caillat, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Leona Lewis, Daughtry, Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker, The Fray, Dierks Bentley, Chris Young, Florida Georgie Line, Brantley Gilbert, Chicago, Backstreet Boys, Will I Am, James Arthur, Emily Sande’, Paulina Rubio, Jake Owen, Rascal Flatts and many more.
Throughout his career, James was honored with numerous accolades, including a GRAMMY Award for Best Country Song for “Jesus, Take The Wheel.” He was also named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year multiple times and saw his songs top the charts more than 25 times.
James also served as a producer on several projects, working with artists such as Taylor Swift, Jessica Simpson, Danielle Bradberry and Kip Moore.
Brett dedicated 18 years to the board of directors of the Country Music Association, served as a national trustee for The Recording Academy (GRAMMYs), and was also a board member of the Nashville Songwriters Association International. Additionally, Brett James is the owner of Cornman Music, a successful boutique publishing company based in Nashville.
