By Abram Farrington | Staff Writer
Baylor alumnus and country music star Brett James died in a plane crash on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 57 years old.
A small plane registered under Brett Cornelius, James’ legal name, crashed in a field in Franklin, N.C., about 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon. The three passengers — including James, one other passenger and the pilot — were pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the crash is unknown and currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, and the wreckage will be investigated Sunday.
James graduated from Baylor in 1991 with a degree in medicine and enrolled in medical school at OU. Though he sought a degree in medicine, James soon realized he had a passion for music. He debuted his new dream in Nashville and made quite the impression.
James wrote and produced hundreds of country songs with popular artists, like Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean and Tim McGraw. In 2006, he won a Grammy for Best Country Song after writing Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” He later earned an ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year honor. Twenty-six of James’ songs have topped “Billboard” country charts, and he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
“We are devastated by the loss of our longtime friend, Brett James,” Songwriter City founder and CEO Mike Severson said in a statement. “For more than 30 years, we had the privilege of knowing Brett not only as one of the most accomplished songwriters of our time, but as a kind, genuine, and joyful human being.”
