Update (2025-09-22) on this story we shared last Friday morning. Sadly, the other two victims are Brett James new wife, Melody Wilson, and her daughter Meryl Maxwell Wilson died in a plane crash. 🙁
On the Country Catch Up this morning we shared sad news in the music world. 🙁
Country music songwriter Brett James was one of three people killed in a small-engine plane crash in North Carolina on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025.
Brett James has numerous hits for artists including Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts and Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Brantley Gilbert, Scotty McCreery, Gary Allen, Mark Wills, Jason Aldean, Jessica Andrews & Rodney Atkins.
James co-wrote many hit songs by Carrie Underwood including “Church Bells,” and “Cowboy Casanova,” however, his most famous, Underwood’s breakthrough song. “Jesus Take the Wheel” which received Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Brett James’ was also a performer but shifted his career to focus more on songwriting. James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
James dies at the age of 57. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as he leaves behind his wife a daughter and three sons.
