{"id":157053,"date":"2025-09-20T12:49:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T12:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/157053\/"},"modified":"2025-09-20T12:49:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T12:49:08","slug":"carrie-underwood-shares-emotional-tribute-to-songwriter-brett-james-after-unfathomable-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/157053\/","title":{"rendered":"Carrie Underwood shares emotional tribute to songwriter Brett James after ‘unfathomable’ death"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carrie Underwood shared an emotional tribute to songwriter Brett James after his \u201cunfathomable\u201d death <\/a>on Thursday at the age of 57.<\/p>\n

The two collaborated on many songs together, most famously \u201cJesus, Take the Wheel,\u201d the first single off of Underwood\u2019s debut album in 2005. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe loss of Brett James to his family, friends and our music community is too great to put into words,\u201d the American Idol winner wrote on Instagram<\/a> Friday alongside a carousel of photos of her and James together.<\/p>\n

Carrie Underwood shared an emotional tribute to songwriter Brett James after his \u201cunfathomable\u201d death on Thursday at the age of 57. WireImage<\/p>\n

The two collaborated on many songs together, most famously \u201cJesus, Take the Wheel.\u201d Carrie Underwood\/Instagram<\/p>\n

Underwood, 42, described the record producer as \u201cthe epitome of \u2018cool’\u201d and a \u201cgood guy,\u201d joking that he always had \u201cperfectly coiffed\u201d hair despite constantly wearing a motorcycle helmet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always loved hearing him sing \u2018Cowboy Casanova\u2019 because a sassy girl anthem should\u2019ve sounded ridiculous coming from a macho dude like him, but somehow, he even made that cool,\u201d she continued. <\/p>\n

She also shared a treasured memory of James insisting to split songwriting credit \u201cevenly\u201d with her even though \u201che did most of the work\u201d and wrote 75 percent of the tracks.<\/p>\n

Underwood described the record producer as \u201cthe epitome of \u2018cool’\u201d and a \u201cgood guy.\u201d Carrie Underwood\/Instagram<\/p>\n

She also shared a treasured memory of James insisting to split songwriting credit \u201cevenly\u201d with her even though \u201che did most of the work. Getty Images for BMI<\/p>\n

\u201cHe insisted that everything be equal. He was just that kind of guy\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cGood Girl\u201d songstress wrote that her only \u201ccomfort\u201d during this tragic time is knowing that James \u201cloved the Lord\u201d and is with him now. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy favorite songs to sing of ours are the ones that he or we wrote about Jesus because the thoughts and feelings behind them are so genuine and pure. I won\u2019t ever sing one note of them again without thinking of him,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

She described his death as a \u201chole in all of us that I fear won\u2019t ever go away\u201d and asked her followers to pray for James\u2019 loved ones. Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cLove you, man. I\u2019ll see you again someday,\u201d she concluded. GC Images<\/p>\n

She described his death as a \u201chole in all of us that I fear won\u2019t ever go away\u201d and asked her followers to \u201cpray for his family, friends and all of us that were blessed enough to know Brett.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLove you, man. I\u2019ll see you again someday,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n

The Grammy winner \u2014\u00a0who was also a songwriter for country superstars like Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, and Jason Aldean \u2014 died\u00a0in a plane crash alongside his wife and stepdaughter.<\/p>\n

The Grammy winner died\u00a0in a plane crash alongside his wife, Melody Carole Wilson, and stepdaughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson. Instagram \/ @melodycarole1<\/p>\n

The three had celebrated Meryl\u2019s 28th birthday just one day before the fatal crash. Instagram \/ @meryl_wilson<\/p>\n

The Cirrus SR22T,\u00a0a small-engine plane registered to James, went down Thursday afternoon near Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, NC,\u00a0after departing from Nashville hours prior, WLOS reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n

James and wife, Melody Carole Wilson, 59, had celebrated her daughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson\u2019s 28th birthday just one day before the fatal crash. <\/p>\n

\u201cHappy Birthday my Love!! How Blessed am I to be your Momma!\u201d Melody, who married James in August 2021,\u00a0wrote on Instagram<\/a>\u00a0Wednesday alongside a carousel of photos of Meryl.<\/p>\n

\u201cHappy Birthday my Love!! How Blessed am I to be your Momma!\u201d Melody, who married James in August 2021,\u00a0wrote on Instagram\u00a0Wednesday. Instagram\/brettjamessongs<\/p>\n

James is survived by his four adult children, whom he shared with his first wife, Sandra Cornelius-Little. Frank Micelotta\/PictureGroup via AP IMAGES<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the MOST BEAUTIFUL AMAZING HUMAN inside and out! I\u2019m humbled and grateful everyday [sic] 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meryl had\u00a0written on her own Instagram page<\/a>, \u201c28 years old.\u2728 142 days sober.\u2728 Extremely happy to be here \ud83e\udd0d.\u201d<\/p>\n

James is survived by his four adult children, whom he shared with his first wife, Sandra Cornelius-Little.<\/p>\n

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