The country music world is honoring Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James after he died in a plane crash at age 57.
James was one of three people onboard a plane that went down on Thursday, September 18, near North Carolina’s Iotla Valley Elementary School. According to local news stations, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed in a statement that there were no survivors from the crash.
“A Cirrus SR22T crashed in a field in Franklin, North Carolina, around 3 p.m. local time on Thursday, Sept. 18. Three people were on board,” the statement noted, with the FAA confirming the National Transportation Safety Board will launch an investigation into the incident.
The Macon County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a statement of their own that a plane crash happened near the elementary school.
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“To the parents that have children that attend Iotla school. The students, and staff are safe. There was an airplane accident on the neighboring property,” the sheriff’s office noted. “Again all students and staff are safe.”
Throughout his career, James collaborated with some of country music’s best known artists. He had a hand in writing Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take The Wheel,” Kenny Chesney‘s “When The Sun Goes Down,” Jason Aldean‘s “The Truth” and Rascal Flatts‘ “Summer Nights,” among other hits.
Dierks Bentley was one of many country stars to honor James via social media. He reflected on working with James on the song “I Hold On.”
“When I sing that song live, I’m always thinking of my dad, but I also think about that day we wrote it … Our friendship and that song changed my life. 
Prayers for his family,” Bentley wrote via Instagram.”
Keep scrolling to see more tributes to James from the country music world after his death:
Jason Aldean
“Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight. I had nothing but love and respect for that guy and he helped change my life,” Aldean wrote via X. “Honored to have met him and worked with him. Thoughts and prayers going out to his family. .”
Dierks Bentley
Bentley referred to James as “one of the best singer-songwriters in our town,” adding, “Rest in peace pal. Total stud. Fellow aviator. Total legend, ” he wrote. “I brought a couple of roughy sketched verse ideas of I Hold On to Brett after my dad died and he just did his thing. The chorus is all him. When I sing that song live, I’m always thinking of my dad, but I also think about that day we wrote it. He just got it, just lit into it. It was one of the first times we wrote and I decided to drop the most meaningful and necessary idea of a song I had on him, because I felt like God was telling me to do so. Our friendship and that song changed my life. Prayers for his family.”
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Sara Evans
“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,” she wrote. “I’m praying for his loved ones. What a tragic and sad day. He will be so missed. ”
Fellow musician Gavin DeGraw asked in the comments section, “Oh no. How did this happen? One of the great ones.”
Josh Gracin
The former American Idol contestant recalled getting to work with James, writing via Instagram, “I was struggling to connect with the songs being pitched for my first record until I was introduced to Brett’s writing. I went on to cut five of his songs for that debut album, and he quickly transcended far beyond where we both started.”
Gracin continued: “We later teamed up again for the second record. Not only did he produce half of it, but he also co-wrote four of the songs that made the album. His belief in me and the songs he allowed me to record helped carve out a space for me in country music. This is a tragic loss for his family and for the entire country music community.”
