Songwriter Brett James’ Wife & Step Daughter Were Also Tragically Killed In North Carolina Plane Crash

A heartbreaking event all around.

On September 18, news broke that Grammy-winning country singer and songwriter Brett James was killed in a North Carolina plane crash. According to authorities in Macon County, NC,  the Cirrus SR22T with tail number N218VB took off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville shortly after noon on Thursday before crashing near Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, North Carolina.

Luckily, all students and staff at the elementary school were safe, but all three passengers on the plane were killed in the crash. The aircraft was registered to James, whose full name was Brett James Cornelius.

Brett James was a very well-respected songwriter in the country music community. James came out of the gate swinging as a songwriter, and he ended up dropping out of medical school after releasing his self-titled debut album in 1995. However, after that record, he never released another solo album and ended up re-enrolling in medical school, but continued to write songs on the side.

Thank goodness he did because James ended up penning 27 #1 hits including songs like “Jesus, Take The Wheel” for Carrie Underwood, “When The Sun Goes Down” and “Out Last Night” by Kenny Chesney, “The Truth” by Jason Aldean, “The Man I Want To Be” by Chris Young, and “Somethin’ Bad” by Miranda Lambert. And that’s just scratching the surface: He’s also written songs for artists from Tim McGraw, Wynonna, Billy Ray Cyrus, Dierks Bentley, and Lorrie Morgan to Bon Jovi and the Backstreet Boys.

James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020, and after his death, the Hall of Fame paid tribute to the songwriter on social media:

“We mourn the untimely loss of Hall of Fame member Brett James (“Jesus Take The Wheel” / “When The Sun Goes Down”), a 2020 inductee who was killed in a small-engine airplane crash on Sept. 18. He was 57.”

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After his death was announced, several artists took to social media to pay tribute to the legendary songwriter, including Sara Evans, who recorded several songs by James, including “Cheatin’” and “Big Cry.”

“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.”

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While the country music community mourns the loss of Brett James, the family of James is also mourning the loss of the other two passengers, making this accident all the more tragic.

James was flying in the plane with his wife, Melody Wilson, 59, and her daughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson. According to the New York Post, Wilson had lived with James since at least 2020 before they were married in 2021.

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Wilson wished her daughter a happy 28th birthday just one day before the plane went down:

“Happy Birthday, my Love! How Blessed am I to be your Momma! You’re the MOST BEAUTIFUL AMAZING HUMAN inside and out! I’m humbled and grateful everyday 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.”

The heartbreaking news gets more gut-wrenching knowing that he was not the only death in this accident. But it is oddly comforting knowing that his family is still together on the other side.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Brett James’ family and friends, along with Melody Wilson’s friends and family.The post Songwriter Brett James’ Wife & Step Daughter Were Also Tragically Killed In North Carolina Plane Crash first appeared on Whiskey Riff.