Brett James, 57, a prominent Nashville-based songwriter whose work included Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, died in a private-plane crash in Franklin, North Carolina, along with his girlfriend Melody Wilson, 59, and Wilson’s daughter Meryl Maxwell Wilson, 28.
The Cirrus SR22T, a single-engine plane, took off from Nashville and went down west of Iotla Valley Elementary School around 3 p.m. Thursday. Authorities said none aboard survived the impact, and the Macon County Sheriff's Office said nearby students and staff at the elementary school were not injured.
James built a catalog of more than 800 songs recorded by country and pop artists and wrote for a wide range of names, including Carrie Underwood on several projects. Underwood's 2005 rendition of Jesus, Take the Wheel, written with James, helped cement his reputation as a leading songwriter. James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020 and was twice named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year. He also worked as a producer and publisher, owning Cornman Music, and served on the boards of the Country Music Association and the Recording Academy. James and Melody Wilson had been in a relationship for several years and frequently posted travels on social media; they lived together in a Nashville home valued at about 2 million dollars.
Melody Wilson had publicly celebrated her relationship with James and, just before the crash, had posted messages about family. She had wished her daughter Meryl a happy 28th birthday the day prior to the fatal flight, while Meryl had written on Instagram that she was 28 years old and 142 days sober.
James was born June 5, 1968, in Columbia, Missouri. He initially planned a medical career, but left medical school to pursue music, eventually signing with Arista Nashville's Career Records as a solo artist. He released his first solo album in 1995 and earned his first chart-topping hit six years later with Jessica Andrews's Who I Am. His collaboration with Underwood in 2005 and the subsequent era of chart success helped shape modern country songwriting, and Underwood performed the song again when James was inducted into the Hall of Fame, which he called the greatest honor of his life.
Offstage, James built a large catalog and collaborated with a range of artists, with more than 800 of his songs recorded by country stars and pop acts alike. Fellow musicians and industry colleagues mourned his loss on social media; Sara Evans said she was devastated and prayed for his loved ones, and fellow songwriter Jessi Alexander recalled the many fun nights on stage and on tour. ASCAP said it was mourning the loss of a trusted collaborator and advocate for songwriters.
James is survived by his four adult children with his ex-wife, Sandra Cornelius.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.