Brett James Cornelius (June 5, 1968 – September 18, 2025) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer based in Nashville. He was well-known for writing or co-writing hundreds of songs, including Carrie Underwood's 2005 hit "Jesus, Take the Wheel," which earned him Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Over his career, Brett James had credits on 494 recordings by diverse artists and achieved 27 number-one songs. He also wrote hits for artists like Jessica Andrews, Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney, Rodney Atkins, Jason Aldean, and even worked with Bon Jovi. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. James passed away tragically on September 18, 2025, in a plane crash in Franklin, North Carolina, along with his wife Melody Wilson and her daughter. He was 57 years old and was piloting the plane himself at the time of the crash. His passing triggered an outpouring of grief from the country music community, including heartfelt tributes from Carrie Underwood and other artists who collaborated with him.
