{"id":467,"date":"2025-09-22T16:52:52","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T20:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inhishands\/?p=467"},"modified":"2025-09-22T16:53:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T20:53:38","slug":"country-songwriter-brett-james-wife-and-stepdaughter-identified-as-additional-victims-in-fatal-plane-crash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inhishands\/2025\/09\/country-songwriter-brett-james-wife-and-stepdaughter-identified-as-additional-victims-in-fatal-plane-crash\/","title":{"rendered":"Brett James\u2019 Wife and Stepdaughter Identified as Additional Victims in Fatal Plane Crash"},"content":{"rendered":"
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@melodycarole1 \/ Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Christian music and country songwriting community is mourning the sudden loss of Grammy Award-winning songwriter Brett James, who died Thursday afternoon in a private plane crash along with his wife, Melody Wilson, and her daughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson.<\/p>\n

James, 57, was flying his Cirrus SR22T when the aircraft went down in an open field in Franklin, North Carolina, near Iotla Valley Elementary School. Thankfully, no students or staff were injured. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating what caused the crash.<\/p>\n

The loss is especially heartbreaking because it came just a day after Meryl Wilson\u2019s 28th birthday. Melody had posted a moving tribute to her daughter on Instagram:<\/p>\n

\u201cHappy Birthday my Love!! How Blessed am I to be your Momma!\u201d she wrote. \u201cYou\u2019re the MOST BEAUTIFUL AMAZING HUMAN inside and out! I\u2019m humbled and grateful everyday for your shining presence in my life! No words can express what a gift you are to me and everyone that KNOWS YOU.\u201d<\/p>\n

For her part, Meryl celebrated the day with a hopeful post of her own: \u201c28 years old. 142 days sober. Extremely Happy to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The very next afternoon, the three boarded James\u2019 plane in Nashville. It took off from John C. Tune Airport but never made it to its destination.<\/p>\n

James and Wilson married in 2021, a moment she joyfully marked on Instagram: \u201cWhat an awesome year! August 21st Brett and I got married. Lucky me.\u201d The two often shared glimpses of their life together, traveling, playing golf, and enjoying time by the pool.<\/p>\n

James, who lived with Wilson in a Nashville home since at least 2020, was deeply proud of his family. Just this past Father\u2019s Day, he shared a smiling picture with his four grown children from his previous marriage, writing, \u201cSuch an amazing Father\u2019s Day!!\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond his personal life, James leaves behind an extraordinary musical legacy. He co-wrote Carrie Underwood\u2019s smash hit \u201cJesus, Take The Wheel\u201d\u2014a song that touched millions with its message of faith and surrender to God. He also penned Jason Aldean\u2019s \u201cThe Truth\u201d and had songs recorded by artists like Taylor Swift, Dierks Bentley, Bon Jovi, the Backstreet Boys, and Nick Jonas.<\/p>\n

In all, James released five singles that reached Billboard\u2019s country charts and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. His impact on country, pop, and Christian music is immeasurable.<\/p>\n

Fellow songwriter Jessi Alexander, known for Miley Cyrus\u2019 \u201cThe Climb,\u201d summed up what so many are feeling: \u201cMusic Row will never be the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

This tragedy comes as a sobering reminder of how fragile life is. James\u2019 song \u201cJesus, Take The Wheel\u201d encouraged listeners to surrender control to God in moments of crisis\u2014a message that feels especially poignant now.<\/p>\n

As family, friends, and fans grieve, many will take comfort in James\u2019 legacy of music rooted in faith and his devotion to the people he loved most.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Christian music and country songwriting community is mourning the sudden loss of Grammy Award-winning songwriter Brett James, who died Thursday afternoon in a private plane crash along with his wife, Melody Wilson, and her daughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson. James, 57, was flying his Cirrus SR22T when the aircraft went down in an open field…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":470,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nBrett James\u2019 Wife and Stepdaughter Identified as Additional Victims in Fatal Plane Crash<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James died in a plane crash with his wife and stepdaughter, just a day after celebrating her 28th birthday.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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