Brett James, the Grammy-winning singer and songwriter behind the Carrie Underwood hit "Jesus Take the Wheel," has reportedly died in a plane crash.
According to a report from CNN, a small plane registered to James took off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville on Thursday, September 18, with three people onboard. The plane later crashed in a field in Franklin, North Carolina killing all three—a pilot and two passengers.
Franklin is about 270 miles from Nashville. The crash reportedly took place in a field near near Iotla Valley Elementary School, though no students or staff members on the ground were injured.
A brief summary of the crash from the FAA reads, "Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances in a wooded area." CNN reports the National Transportation Safety Board is now handling the investigation into what went wrong.
James has worked with some of the biggest stars in music, including Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Sara Evans, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Bryan, Nick Jonas and Keith Urban.
Evans posted a tribute to James after learning of his death, sharing a photo with James and others with the caption, "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. I’m praying for his loved ones. What a tragic and sad day. He will be so missed."
According to James' info page on the Nashville Songwriters Association, he's penned over 500 songs with 27 #1 hits. In 2006, James won a Grammy for Underwood's "Jesus Take the Wheel."
The website also says James won ASCAP's country songwriter of the year in 2006 and 2010. He was then elected into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
James was 57 years old.