Country Music Loses Acclaimed Songwriter Brett James and His Family in Tragic Plane Crash
The fatal North Carolina plane crash that took the life of country music songwriter Brett James also tragically killed his wife, Melody Carole, and his stepdaughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson.
On Friday, September 19, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that all three perished when their single-engine Cirrus SR22T aircraft went down in a field close to Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, North Carolina, the day before, Thursday, September 18, as reported by The New York Times. The inquiry into the incident by both the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration is continuing, with an initial report anticipated within a month.
The publication indicated that the aircraft was registered under the name Brett Cornelius, a detail that a biography on the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame website implied was the artist's legal identity.
The Hall of Fame had earlier disclosed on Thursday that James, 57, passed away in “a small-engine airplane crash,” but the presence of Melody and Meryl on the flight was not confirmed then.
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Meryl marked her 28th birthday on Tuesday, September 16, with a final Instagram message that proved deeply moving: “28 years old.142 days sober.Extremely happy to be here.”
Her mother Melody’s second-to-last Instagram update was a heartfelt homage to Meryl, commemorating her birthday.
“What a blessing it is to be your Momma,” Melody posted on Wednesday, September 17. “You are the most beautiful, incredible person, both internally and externally! I feel humbled and thankful every single day for the radiant impact you have in my life! God has already employed you for His divine purpose in countless ways, with so much more ahead! Words simply cannot convey the precious gift you are to me and to everyone who knows you!”
“MOMMMMAAA you are truly the greatest,” Meryl responded.
In January 2022, Melody — who was 59 when she passed away — revealed her marriage to James took place the prior summer, accompanying the announcement with images of the pair slicing their wedding cake.
“What an amazing year! Brett and I exchanged vows on August 21st. How fortunate I am,” she shared on Instagram then.
Over his three-decade career, James established himself as an acclaimed singer-songwriter, crafting songs for artists such as Taylor Swift, Jessica Simpson, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, and the Backstreet Boys. His most celebrated work was the cowritten 2006 smash “Jesus, Take the Wheel” for Carrie Underwood, a track that soared to the peak of the Billboard Hot Country chart and earned Grammy Awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song.
Underwood recalled James as a “genuinely good person” who, on one occasion, granted her an even songwriting credit for a song he had “essentially composed three-quarters of.”
“We completed the gaps and contributed a small melodic part, and I later expressed to him that I felt it was unfair to divide the credit equally given that he had performed the majority of the work,” Underwood, 42, recounted in an Instagram post on Friday. “He wouldn't accept that. He was adamant that all contributions be considered equivalent.”
“Brett possessed a deep faith in God. That is the sole source of solace we can cling to at this moment. We even had the privilege of performing together at church. My most cherished songs of ours to sing are those he or we penned about Jesus, as the sentiments and emotions within them are so sincere and unblemished. I will never utter a single note of those songs again without remembering him.”
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Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Sara Evans, and numerous other artists who collaborated with James conveyed their sympathies on social media.
“My heart aches upon learning of the passing of my friend Brett James this evening. I held immense affection and admiration for him, and he played a part in transforming my life,” Aldean, 48, posted on X on Thursday. “I am privileged to have known and collaborated with him. My deepest sympathies and prayers are extended to his family.”
James leaves behind four grown children – three sons and a daughter – from his previous marriage to ex-wife Sandra Cornelius-Little.
