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Brett James was born Brett James Cornelius, on 5th June 1968, in Columbia, Missouri, and grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His father, Bud Cornelius, worked as a physician, while his mother, Jo Ann, cared for the family and nurtured his love of music.
Brett showed an early aptitude for songwriting and performance, which he developed further while studying at Baylor University, where he majored in pre-med before deciding to pursue a musical career. After leaving medical school, he moved to Nashville in the early 1990s to seek his fortune in country music.
He signed with Arista Nashville in 1995 and released a self-titled debut album, though its modest success did not establish him as a recording star. Instead, he discovered his greatest strength lay in songwriting, and he began to build a reputation as one of Nashville’s most versatile and dependable writers. His breakthrough came when he co-wrote “Jesus, Take the Wheel” for Carrie Underwood in 2005, a song that won a Grammy Award, reached Number 1 on the country charts, and became a defining anthem of contemporary country music.
He followed this with a steady stream of hits (26 Number 1 songs in total), including Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova,” Martina McBride’s “Blessed,” Kenny Chesney’s “When the Sun Goes Down,” Jason Aldean’s “The Truth,” and Kelly Clarkson’s pop hit “Mr. Know It All.” His ability to move seamlessly between country and pop made him a sought-after collaborator.
Brett worked extensively with some of the most prominent figures in Nashville, co-writing with Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson, and Rivers Rutherford, among others. His catalogue of songs spanned styles from heartfelt ballads to uptempo anthems, and his work was recorded by artists as varied as Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Daughtry, and Bon Jovi.
In addition to his songwriting, Brett occasionally returned to recording, releasing albums independently and performing live, but his greatest contribution remained in the words and melodies he crafted for others. His success earned him numerous accolades, including induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and multiple BMI and ASCAP awards.
Brett James demonstrated a gift for pairing memorable hooks with emotional depth, creating songs that resonated with both mainstream country audiences and crossover listeners. His legacy in popular music lay not in becoming a household name himself, but in shaping the voices of others, enabling them to reach their fullest expressive power.
Brett stood as one of Nashville’s most reliable craftsmen, and while his career as a performer never eclipsed that of his peers, his songwriting talent secured him a permanent place in the story of American country and pop music.
Brett James died at the age of 57, along with his wife Melody Carole, and Carole's daughter Meryl Maxwell Wilson, on the 18th September 2025, when his plane crashed near Macon County Airport in Franklin, North Carolina, USA.
The above is just one of the many profiles of leading songwriters, singers, musicians and music industry personnel, published by the International Songwriters Association and "Songwriter Magazine". Please click HERE for more.
© Jim Liddane
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