Sad news out of Nashville today. Brett James, one of the most celebrated songwriters in country music history, passed away on September 18 in a private plane crash in North Carolina. He was just 57 years old.
If you don’t know his name, you definitely know his songs. Over his career, Brett racked up more than 500 cuts, 27 number one hits, and even won a Grammy for “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” He was twice named ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
Brett’s story was always a little different. Born in Columbia, Missouri, he went to Baylor and even started medical school before music pulled him in for good. He started off as an artist himself, but quickly found his true calling in writing. His catalog is full of songs that defined eras in country music — from Jessica Andrews’ “Who I Am” and Martina McBride’s “Blessed” to Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker’s “When the Sun Goes Down.” And of course, there’s Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” a song that became one of the most powerful ballads of its time.
His songs touched just about everyone in country music and beyond Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi. He also had a hand in producing projects for Josh Gracin, Kip Moore, and others, and ran his own publishing company, Cornman Music.
But more than the hits, Brett James was known for mentoring young writers, giving back to the Nashville community, and being generous with his time and talent. His legacy will live on every time one of his songs plays on the radio, or when a songwriter he inspired picks up a pen.
This is a heartbreaking loss for the music world, and our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all the artists who were lucky enough to work with him.
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