Country Music Songwriter Brett James Among Three Killed in North Carolina plane Crash
WILKESBORO, N.C. – Country music songwriter Brett James, known for penning hits for artists including Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, and Kenny Chesney, was among three people killed in a plane crash in North Carolina on Monday, authorities confirmed. The single-engine plane went down near Wilkesboro Municipal Airport, according to the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office.
James, a Missouri native, began his own recording career in the early 1990s, signing with Career Records in 1992 and releasing a self-titled album in 1995. He achieved five Billboard country chart singles over eight years before transitioning to a highly successful songwriting career.
He quickly became one of country music’s most sought-after songwriters,crafting 27 number-one hits on country radio. His credits include Carrie Underwood’s “jesus, Take the Wheel,” Taylor Swift’s “A Perfectly Good Heart,” Brantley Gilbert’s “Bottoms Up,” and Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights.” James also collaborated with artists such as Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, and Bon Jovi.
in 2020, James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He co-wrote Dierks Bentley’s 2013 hit “I Hold On,” a song bentley credited James with significantly shaping after the loss of Bentley’s father.
“I brought a couple of roughly sketched verse ideas of I Hold On to Brett after my dad died and he just did his thing. The chorus is all him,” Bentley shared in a statement. “Our friendship and that song changed my life.”
Bentley mourned James’ death on Thursday, describing him as “a total legend” and “a fellow aviator.”
James’ final social media post was a Father’s Day photo with his wife, Sandra, and their children. Details regarding the other victims of the crash have not yet been released.