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Born in Missouri on This Day in 1968, the Beloved Songwriter Who Penned Carrie Underwood’s First No. 1 Hit
The loss of Hall of Fame songwriter Brett James hit Nashville hard when the 57-year-old died in a small-engine plane crash in Franklin, North Carolina, on September 18, 2025. Behind country music favorites such as Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and Kenny Chesney’s “When the Sun Goes Down”, country music A-listers regarded James among the best of the best in Music City. Today (June 5), we’re remembering the illustrious life and career of Brett James on what would have marked his 58th birthday.
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Brett James Abandoned a Medical Career for Songwriting
Brett James Cornelius was born on June 5, 1968, in Columbia, Missouri, relocating with his family to Del City, Oklahoma, as a child.
Upon graduating from Christian Heritage Academy, James attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas. That’s where he began writing songs for fun after receiving his first guitar as a Christmas gift.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree, James headed to medical school at the University of Oklahoma. After attending a Steve Wariner concert, however, he decided to walk away from medicine and toward his songwriting dreams.
“Letting Go of the Dream”
In 1992, Brett James arrived in Nashville in a 1982 Datsun, with his acoustic guitar, a four-track recorder, and a single garbage bag stuffed with clothes.
Signing with Arista Nashville the following year, James recorded his self-titled debut album. Released in 1995, none of the singles cracked the top 40. Discouraged by the lack of commercial success, he returned to the University of Oklahoma to study pathology.
However, the career shift didn’t stop James from signing a publishing deal with Tercacel Music. He promised Teracel owner Mark Bright that he would spend every third day writing.
“It was a big creative shift—letting go of the dream of being a big star and just trying to write some cool music,” James said.
His break came when Faith Hill recorded his song, “Love Is a Sweet Thing”, for her 1999 album Breathe. That led to other artists recording more than 30 of his songs. In high demand, James dropped out of medical school a second time in 2000 and returned to Nashville.
Brett James’ number-one compositions include some of the early-aughts’ most well-worn hits. Examples are “Who I Am” by Jessica Andrews (2000); Martina McBride’s “Blessed” (2001); “When the Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker (2004); and “Jesus Take the Wheel”, Carrie Underwood’s first post-American Idol number one in 2005.
On September 17, 2025, Brett James was attempting to land his Cirrus SR22T near Franklin, North Carolina, when he lost control of the plane and crashed near an elementary school.
James, along with wife Melody Carole, 59, and her daughter, 28-year-old Meryl Wilson, did not survive the crash.
Featured image by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images
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