Songwriter Brett James died in a plane crash alongside his girlfriend and her 28-year-old daughter, according to North Carolina officials.
James, 57, his girlfriend Melody Wilson, 59, and her daughter Meryl Maxwell Wilson were aboard the musician’s Cirrus SR22T plane when it crashed in Franklin on Thursday.
The songwriter, who wrote songs for various stars including Taylor Swift, is survived by his four adult children with his ex-wife, Sandra Cornelius.
James and Melody had been in a relationship for several years and frequently shared their travels on social media. They resided together in a beautiful $2 million home in Nashville.
Tragically, Melody had wished her daughter a happy 28th birthday just one day before the fatal plane crash.
‘Happy Birthday my Love!! How Blessed am I to be your Momma!’ Melody wrote on Wednesday.
‘You’re the MOST BEAUTIFUL AMAZING HUMAN inside and out! I’m humbled and grateful every day for your shining presence in my life! God has already used you for His Kingdom in so many ways, and so much more to come! No words can express what a gift you are to me and everyone that KNOWS YOU.’
Meryl had written on her own Instagram: ’28 years old. 142 days sober. Extremely Happy to be here.’
Songwriter Brett James, 57, died alongside his girlfriend Melody Wilson, 59, when his plane crashed in North Carolina
Wilson’s daughter, Meryl, 28, was also killed when the small plane crashed on Thursday
No one onboard the small Cessna survived the impact of the collision
James’s single-engine plane took off from Nashville and went down west of Iotla Valley Elementary School at around 3pm in Franklin.
Students and staff at the nearby elementary school were left uninjured in relation to the crash, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office has said.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating what caused the plane crash.
Following the news of his passing, the hitmaker was celebrated for his contributions to country music, including Carrie Underwood’s Grammy-winning ‘Jesus, Take The Wheel’ and ‘The Truth’ by Jason Aldean.
For his work, James was twice named the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers’ Country Songwriter of the year.
The singer was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
He also contributed to the industry as a producer and held positions on the boards of the Country Music Association and the Recording Academy. Furthermore, James owned the publishing company Cornman Music.
James, born on June 5, 1968, in Columbia, Missouri, had initially intended to pursue a career in medicine, Country Now reported.
Tragically, Melody had wished her daughter a happy birthday just one day before the fatal plane crash
James and Melody had been in a relationship for several years and often posted their travels on their social media accounts. They lived together in Nashville in a $2 million home.
The hitmaker was remembered for his country tunes, including Underwood’s Grammy-winning Jesus, Take The Wheel
He was halfway through medical school, when he left college to follow his passion for music.
James then signed to Arista Nashville’s imprint Career Records as a solo artist and released his first solo album in 1995.
He earned his first number one hit just six years later with Jessica Andrews’s ‘Who I Am.’
But it was his work with Carrie Underwood in 2005, however, that solidified James as a renowned songwriter. She then performed the song when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, which James called ‘truly the greatest honor of my life.’
He went on to have more than 800 of his songs recorded by country artists and non-country artists alike, including the Backstreet Boys, Bon Jovi and Nick Jonas.
Following the news of his tragic death, fellow singers and songwriters took to social media to pay tribute to James.
‘I am absolutely devastated at the loss of one of the best writers I’ve ever written with and recorded several of his songs, Brett James,’ Sara Evans shared on Instagram.
‘I’m praying for his loved ones,’ she continued. ‘What a tragic and sad day. He will be so missed.’
The songwriter, left, is pictured aboard his plane before his tragic death this week
Fellow songwriter Jessi Alexander also reminisced about the ‘many fun nights on stage we shared and memories we made traveling around making music together.
‘He lived large and always made me feel special,’ she said. ‘Music Row will never be the same.’
ASCAP further said it is mourning James’ loss, saying he ‘was a trusted collaborator to country’s greatest names and a true advocate for songwriters.
‘We miss him dearly.’
