Songwriter Brett James and 2 family members killed in N.C. crash

Brett James, the Grammy-winning Nashville songwriter behind hits such as “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and “When the Sun Goes Down,” died Thursday in a small-plane crash in western North Carolina. He was 57.

The Federal Aviation Administration said a Cirrus SR22T went down in a field near Franklin around 3 PM local time. Three people were on board. The aircraft was registered to James under his legal name, Brett James Cornelius; authorities have not said whether he was piloting.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol confirmed three fatalities. James’s wife, Melody Carole Wilson, 59, and her daughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson, 28, were also killed, according to songwriter Lee Miller, who spoke to FOX 17 News.

The plane departed Nashville’s John C. Tune Airport before crashing under still-undetermined circumstances. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating; officials said more details will be released as they become available.

Over a decades-long career, James amassed more than 500 recorded cuts by major artists including Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, and Meghan Trainor. His first No. 1 came in 2001 with Jessica Andrews’s “Who I Am,” helping cement his status as one of Nashville’s most in-demand writers.