Legendary songwriter Brett James has passed away. James was 57 years old when he passed away on Thursday, September 18, in a plane crash in Franklin, North Carolina. James was with two other people in the airplane, which left a local Nashville airport yesterday afternoon, crashing in a field around 3:00 PM local time yesterday afternoon. There were no survivors.
Brett James’ Songwriting Legacy
James first attended medical school, before pursuing his passion and moving to Nashville for a music career. He released one solo album in 1995. But after not having the success he dreamed of, James returned to medical school, still writing to fulfill an agreement with a publishing company. This time, James found immediate success, ironically, while he had mostly given up his dream of a career in the music industry. Within one year of being back in medical school, James had 33 of his songs recorded, with five of those becoming Top 10 records.
“I’d had two recorded in the previous seven years, so 33 in a nine-month period was a pretty good run,” James says (via his website). “It was a good year.”
James left medical school a second time, never to return. His success was swift, with some of country music’s biggest songs penned by James. Among James’ many hits are Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and “Something In the Water,” Dierks Bentley’s “I Hold On,” “Blessed” by Martina McBride, “The Truth” by Jason Aldean, “Summer Nights” by Rascal Flatts, and many, many more.
In 2020, the Grammy winner was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, waiting until 2021 for his ceremony, due to the pandemic.
“I want to thank the songwriting community and all my fellow songwriters,” James said at the time, per Billboard. “This award especially belongs to you.” He also offered a special thank you to all of the artists who have recorded his songs, but especially to Underwood and Chesney “for sharing your talents and being so good to me for so many years.”
Dierks Bentley Reacts to Brett James’ Passing
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Dierks Bentley shared a touching story about James, shortly after the news of his passing was announced.
“Rest in peace pal,” Bentley writes. “Total stud. Fellow aviator. One of the best singer-songwriters in our town….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. 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,” he continues. “It was one of the first times we wrote and I decided to drop the most meaningful and necessary idea of a song I had on him, because I felt like God was telling me to do so. Our friendship and that song changed my life. Prayers for his family.”
James’ wife and stepdaughter were reportedly in the plane with him at the time of the crash. He is survived by his four children. Everything Nash extends our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.