James’ wife and stepdaughter were also killed when the Cirrus SR22T crashed in Franklin, North Carolina
Brett James, a Grammy-winning songwriter whose credits include the Carrie Underwood hit Jesus, Take the Wheel – died alongside his wife and stepdaughter in a plane crash on Thursday, according to authorities and reports.
James, 57, had been flying with his wife and stepdaughter when the plane, a Cirrus SR22T, crashed “under unknown circumstances” in a wooded area of Franklin, North Carolina, said officials and media reports. The plane had taken off from John C Tune airport in Nashville, Tennessee, as reported by the Associated Press.
According to flight records online, the aircraft was registered under James’ legal name, Brett Cornelius. The two other people onboard the aircraft were Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson, the North Carolina state highway patrol confirmed to the Associated Press. It is unclear whether James was the pilot.
Reports identified Carole as his wife and Wilson as his stepdaughter.
