Brett James, ‘Jesus Take the Wheel’ songwriter, dies in plane crash

Country music songwriter Brett James — known for hits like Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel” and Kenny Chesney’s “When the Sun Goes Down” — has died in a plane crash alongside his girlfriend and her daughter.

He was 57.

The Cirrus SR22T, a small-engine plane registered to James, went down Thursday afternoon near Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, NC, WLOS reported.

The plane had departed from Nashville hours prior.

“A Cirrus SR22T crashed in a field in Franklin, North Carolina, around 3 p.m. local time on Thursday, Sept. 18. Three people were on board,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.

“The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates.”

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and WZTV later confirmed that James was on the plane and had died.

“We mourn the untimely loss of Hall of Fame member Brett James (‘Jesus Take the Wheel’/’When the Sun Goes Down’), a 2020 inductee who was killed in a small-engine airplane crash on Sept. 18. He was 57,” read a statement shared on social media by the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

According to the Daily Mail, the other two people on the plane were the musician’s 59-year-old girlfriend, Melody Carole Wilson, and her 28-year-old daughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson, who had celebrated her birthday just one day before the fatal crash.

“Happy Birthday my Love!! How Blessed am I to be your Momma!” Melody, who lived with James in Nashville, wrote on Instagram Wednesday alongside a carousel of photos of Meryl.

“You’re the MOST BEAUTIFUL AMAZING HUMAN inside and out! I’m humbled and grateful everyday for your shining presence in my life! God has already used you for His Kingdom in so many ways and so much more to come! No words can express what a gift you are to me and everyone that KNOWS YOU.”

Meryl had written on her own Instagram page, “28 years old.✨ 142 days sober.✨ Extremely happy to be here 🤍✨🫶🏼.”

The Macon County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook that the students and staff at Iotla Valley Elementary School were safe following the “accident” that occurred “on the neighboring property.”

As for James, he wrote 27 No. 1 songs during his career and won a Grammy Award for “Jesus Take the Wheel” in 2007.

In addition to Underwood and Chesney, he also worked with Taylor Swift, Martina McBride, Jason Aldean and more.