DER US-AMERIKANISCHE SINGER-SONGWRITER BRETT JAMES IST GESTORBEN

Der am 5. Juni 1968 in Columbia (Missouri) geborene Singer-Songwriter und Musikproduzent Brett James Cornelius (Bild) ist am 18. September 2025 in Franklin (North Carolina) bei einem Flugzeugabsturz ums Leben gekommen. Seine Kompositionen wurden auf 494 Aufnahmen von einer Vielzahl von Künstlern:innen verwendet. Ab Anfang der 2000er-Jahre wurde James vor allem als Songwriter für andere Country- und Popmusiker:innen bekannt. Zu seinen Kompositionen zählte Carrie Underwoods Nummer-1-Hit «Jesus, Take the Wheel» aus dem Jahr 2006, der mit Grammy Awards für den besten Country-Song und die beste weibliche Country-Gesangsdarbietung ausgezeichnet wurde. Zu seinen Erfolgen gehörten auch Nummer-1-Hits für Jessica Andrews, Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney, Rodney Atkins und Jason Aldean sowie Songs für Taylor Swift. (*)

Brett James, 2015 - Foto: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff/D. Myles Cullen, https://www.flickr.com/photos/thejointstaff/23549336412/ - Lizenz: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en - Datei: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brett_James_performing_at_Ramstein_Air_Base,_2015.jpg

Bild: Brett James, 2015 – Foto: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff / D. Myles Cullen, https://www.flickr.com/photos/thejointstaff/23549336412/ – Lizenz: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en – Datei: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brett_James_performing_at_Ramstein_Air_Base,_2015.jpg

Brett James, Songwriter for Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney, Dead at 57

The Grammy winner, who co-wrote country hits like Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and Dierks Bentley’s “I Hold On,” died in a plane crash in North Carolina

“I always say there’s two ways to grow old as a songwriter,” James told PBS’ The Songwriters series earlier this year. “One way is to sit with a young 18-year-old or 19-year-old and think you know everything…. And the other is to listen, and the other is to learn. What I’m trying to do every day now, is to soak up the brilliance of the young kids that I am fortunate enough to work with and then sprinkle in whatever experience and knowledge that I have.”

Joseph Hudak

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/brett-james-nashville-songwriter-plane-crash-dead-obituary-1235430889/

Brett James’ Top Billboard Hot Country Songs Hits as a Songwriter: ‘Jesus, Take the Wheel,’ ‘The Truth’ & More

Billboard looks at 13 Brett James-written songs that reached the pinnacle of the Hot Country Songs chart after his death this week at age 57.

Nashville’s music community is mourning the shocking loss of Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Brett James, known for writing hits including Dierks Bentley‘s “I Hold On,” Carrie Underwood‘s Grammy-winning songs “Jesus, Take The Wheel” and “Something in the Water,” and Kenny Chesney’s “When The Sun Goes Down.”

Jessica Nicholson

https://www.billboard.com/lists/brett-james-top-country-songs-chart-jesus-take-the-wheel

Brett James Perished Alongside Wife, Stepdaughter in NC Plane Crash

If you have listened to country radio at any point during the last three decades, you’re almost certainly familiar with Brett James’ work. The Missouri native’s repertoire includes 26 chart-topping hits, such as Carrie Underwood’s debut single “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and Jessica Andrews’ “Who I Am.”

Erinn Callahan

Brett James Perished Alongside Wife, Stepdaughter in NC Plane Crash

He found great success as a songwriter and is credited for writing hundreds of songs

He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. That night, Carrie Underwood, Gordie Sampson and Hillary Lindsey took the stage to honor him with a touching performance of “Jesus Take the Wheel” which earned the 2006 GRAMMY for Best Country Song and 2005 ACM Single of the Year trophy. He called his induction “truly the greatest honor of my life.”

Lauren Jo Black

https://countrynow.com/breaking-grammy-winning-songwriter-brett-james-dies-in-tragic-plane-crash-at-57/

Brett James, Grammy-winning songwriter, dies in plane crash

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame mourned the death of James on Facebook, saying he was inducted into the institution in 2020. Meanwhile, in a separate statement to CNN, the hall of fame’s executive director said of James, «He was a kind, giving, delightful soul».

Maya Yang and agencies

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/19/brett-james-grammy-songwriter-plane-crash

Er schrieb auch Songs für Taylor Swift

In der Country-Szene zählte James zu den namhaften Songschreibern. Nun ist er gemeinsam mit seiner Frau und seiner Stieftochter ums Leben gekommen. Der Grammy-Gewinner wurde nur 57 Jahre alt. Die Countrymusik-Vereinigung CMA würdigte ihr Vorstandsmitglied James: „Sein Talent, seine Großzügigkeit und Freundlichkeit berührte unzählige Leben.»

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/er-schrieb-auch-songs-fur-taylor-swift-country-star-brett-james-stirbt-bei-flugzeugabsturz–auch-ehefrau-und-stieftochter-tot-14359718.html

Videos:

PBS 2025, 26m29s, The Songwriters – Brett James, Episode 4

https://www.pbs.org/video/brett-james-4361eb

Brett James «Jesus Take The Wheel»

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSJ5ObgbNBA

Carrie Underwood – Jesus, Take The Wheel (Official Video)