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.”
According to WLOS, James, 57, was among those who died tragically on Thursday, Sept. 18 in a small-engine plane crash near Franklin, North Carolina around 3 p.m. ET. The FAA reported that the aircraft was registered to Brett Cornelius of Brentwood, Tennessee (James’s full name is Brett James Cornelius).
Brett James had 79 career entries on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart as a songwriter, with 25 songs cracking the chart’s top 10, and 13 of those songs making it all the way to the chart’s pinnacle. James also had 43 entries on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, including a top 10 with Kelly Clarkson’s “Mr. Know It All.”
The Missouri native traded his pursuit of a career in medicine for a career in music. As an artist, he inked a label deal and issued his debut, self-titled solo album in 1995. In 2001, he earned his first No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart as a songwriter on the Jessica Andrews hit “Who I Am.” In 2002-2003, he had his own top 40 Hot Country Songs chart singles with “Chasin’ Amy” and “After All,” before going on to find greater success as one of country music’s premier songcrafters.
James was twice named ASCAP’s country songwriter of the year (in 2006 and 2010), and was a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame’s class of 2020 (the ceremony took place in 2021, after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic). James was also a multiple Country Music Association triple play award winner, and beyond his songwriting talent, he also served on the CMA’s board for 17 years. James also launched the boutique music publishing company Cornman Music in 2007, championing and mentoring other songwriters. In 2020, James returned to his artist roots, releasing the solo album I Am Now, spearheaded by the song “True Believer.”
Several of James’s creative colleagues took to social media to pay tribute to James as a friend and songwriter.
Underwood wrote on social media, “Some things are just unfathomable. The loss of Brett James to his family, friends and our music community is too great to put into words. Brett was the epitome of ‘cool.’ I see him in my mind riding up to my cabins to write on his motorcycle…his hair somehow perfectly coiffed despite being under a helmet for however long. I always loved hearing him sing ‘Cowboy Casanova’; because a sassy girl anthem should’ve sounded ridiculous coming from a macho dude like him, but somehow, he even made that cool.
She added, “He was a good guy. I remember writing with him on a song that he basically wrote 75% of and had ready when he walked in the room. We filled in the blanks and added a little melody and I told him after that I didn’t feel right splitting the credit evenly when he did most of the work. He wouldn’t have it. He insisted that everything be equal. He was just that kind of guy…Brett loved the Lord. Which is the only comfort we can hold on to now. We even had the pleasure of singing together at church. My favorite songs to sing of ours are the ones that he or we wrote about Jesus because the thoughts and feelings behind them are so genuine and pure. I won’t ever sing one note of them again without thinking of him. Brett’s passing is leaving a hole in all of us that I fear won’t ever go away. It will forever be a reminder that this life is but a moment…we have to make the most of each day we’re given here on earth. Each day is a gift. I’m asking all of you to pray for his family, friends and all of us that were blessed enough to know Brett. Love you, man. I’ll see you again someday.”
Bentley wrote on Instagram of James, “Rest in peace pal…one of the best singer-songwriters in our town….total legend.” Bentley also recalled writing “I Hold On” with James. “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. 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’s fellow country songwriter, Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) board president Lee Thomas Miller, said in a statement, “Today we mourn the tragic loss of a Music Row giant. Brett James has been a consistent powerhouse songwriter, publisher, and producer for over 30 years. He achieved heights that few songwriters in our town have ever seen. He was a star himself in every way a star can be defined, racking up dozens of hits for the who’s who of music. He represented the Nashville songwriting community all over the world, performing his hits as well as educating fans and lawmakers about the threats to intellectual property. He was a longtime board member and officer for the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), serving in any role he was asked. NSAI and country music are better because of Brett. He will be missed more than I can even begin to say.”
Below, Billboard highlights James’s 13 No. 1 Billboard Hot Country Songs hits as a songwriter.
