A tragic aviation accident in North Carolina claimed the lives of three individuals, including Brett James, a prominent Christian songwriter known for his contribution to the Grammy-winning hit “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”
His wife, Melody Carole Wilson, and stepdaughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson, were also among the victims.
The crash occurred around 3 p.m. last Thursday near Franklin. The aircraft involved, a Cirrus SR22T registered to Brett James Cornelius, James' legal name, crashed in a field close to Macon County Airport, as reported by Fox4.
The 57-year-old songwriter, celebrated for his collaboration in writing Carrie Underwood’s song, was reportedly piloting the plane, which had departed from Nashville’s John C. Tune Airport. Nearby Iotla Valley Elementary School students and staff remained unharmed, ABC News reported.
Following the accident, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator inspected the site, with plans to remove the wreckage for further analysis. The crash's cause has yet to be determined.
With a songwriting career extending over two decades in Nashville, James wrote or co-wrote over 500 songs recorded by notable artists such as Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Kelly Clarkson.
“His song “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” co-written with Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson, won the Grammy Award for best country song in 2007 and was named ASCAP’s Country Song of the Year in 2006, the Los Angeles Times noted.”
Brett James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. His accolades also include receiving ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year honor twice—in 2006 and 2010.
Some of his notable compositions include “Blessed” by Martina McBride, “Out Last Night” by Kenny Chesney, and the Carrie Underwood hit “Cowboy Casanova,” Rodney Atkins’ “It’s America,” and Uncle Kracker’s duet with Chesney, “When the Sun Goes Down.” He co-wrote Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights” and "Love You Out Loud," among others.
