Who Was Brett James? 5 Things to Know About the Country Singer Before His Death in a Plane Crash

Brett James was an established country singer-songwriter ahead of his tragic death in a September 2025 plane crash.

“I turned 50 last year, and I had one of those birthday epiphanies. I thought, ‘I’d been writing songs for other artists for a long time, and I wanted to re-evaluate things,’” James told Songwriter Universe in a 2020 interview. “I hadn’t put out any music of my own in around 25 years. … I got inspired to do that without thinking about genre or trying to write radio hits. I know what my most natural voice is, and that was my only preconceived take on things.”

James described his EP, I Am Now, as a “Nashville soul record.”

“I’m kind of a natural soul singer,” he told the outlet. “I started writing it and let creativity lead the way. I took time off from my day job as a working songwriter, and I wrote about 11 songs in two weeks. I had as much fun in those two weeks than I’ve ever had writing songs.”

Keep scrolling to learn more about James:

What Was Brett James Known For?

In addition to recording and performing his own music, James also wrote a slate of 26 songs for other artists, including Kenny Chesney’s “When the Sun Goes Down,” Jason Aldean’s “The Truth” and Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”

“It turned into something special for all of us, and I think it’s still special to Carrie. I’ve been so blessed by her over the years,” he told The Tennessean in 2020 of Underwood’s Grammy-winning song. “The right song meets the perfect voice, which is Carrie’s. Put it together with this megaphone [radio], and all of a sudden you really have something that changes the world a little bit.”

Was Brett James Married?

James was once married to Sandra Cornelius. He married Melody Carole Wilson in August 2021. “August 21st Brett and I got married ❤️ Lucky me :)” Carole wrote on Instagram in January 2022.

Brett James Was a Father of 4

James and Cornelius shared four children, three sons and a daughter, which inspired his song “True Believer.”

“I sort of loved watching them all cry as they listened to the song,” he previously told American Songwriter in 2020. “My daughter and I will always have that moment, and we will always have that song.”

How Did Brett James Die?

James, who was 57, was one of three people onboard a plane that crashed in North Carolina. There were no survivors from the accident.

How Stars Have Reacted to Brett James’ Death

Country performers like Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Sara Evans have paid tribute to James’ legacy.

“Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight. I had nothing but love and respect for that guy and he helped change my life,” Aldean wrote via X. “Honored to have met him and worked with him. Thoughts and prayers going out to his family. 💔.”

Bentley, for his part, referred to James as “one of the best singer-songwriters in our town.”

“Rest in peace pal. Total stud. Fellow aviator. Total legend. I brought a couple of roughy 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 said. “When I sing that song live, I’m always thinking of my dad, but I also think about that day we wrote it. He just got it, just lit into it.”

Gavin DeGraw also referred to James as “one of the great ones.”