Brett James died with his wife, her daughter — who just celebrated birthday — in private plane crash

Grammy Award-winning country music songwriter Brett James was flying on his private jet with his new wife and her 28-year-old daughter, who had just celebrated her birthday, when the plane crashed and killed them, officials said Friday.

James, 57 — who co-wrote and wrote songs for Taylor Swift, Dierks Bentley and Carrie Underwood  — was with wife Melody Wilson, 59, and her daughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson, on the hitmaker’s Cirrus SR22T when it crashed in an open field in Franklin, North Carolina, Thursday afternoon, according to the Daily Mail.

Wilson, who lived with James in a lavish $2 million Nashville home since at least 2020, had wished her daughter a happy 28th birthday just one day before the plane went down.

 

 

 

Brett James and Melody Wilson sitting by a pool.

Grammy Award-winning country music songwriter Brett James, his wife Melody Wilson, and her daughter Meryl Maxwell Wilson died in a plane crash.Instagram / @melodycarole1

“Happy Birthday my Love!! How Blessed am I to be your Momma!” she wrote on Instagram Wednesday.

“You’re the MOST BEAUTIFUL AMAZING HUMAN inside and out! I’m humbled and grateful everyday for your shining presence in my life!” she added. “No words can express what a gift you are to me and everyone that KNOWS YOU.”

Meryl Wilson, meanwhile, celebrated her birthday with an Instagram post declaring, “28 years old. 142 days sober. Extremely Happy to be here.”

 

Meryl Maxwell Wilson, daughter of Melody Wilson, who died in a plane crash.

Meryl Maxwell Wilson had just celebrated her 28th birthday.Instagram / @melodycarole1
James’ single-engine aircraft had departed from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville before it inexplicably slammed into the field, near Iotla Valley Elementary School, at around 3 p.m. Thursday. No students or faculty were injured.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating what caused the crash.

Wreckage of a small blue and white plane scattered on green grass with caution tape.

The crashed Cirrus SR22T light aircraft.WLOS

On New Year’s Day 2022, Wilson posted pictures of her and James — who wrote the Underwood hit “Jesus Take The Wheel” and “The Truth” by Jason Aldean — getting married. “What an awesome year! August 21st Brett and I got married. Lucky me,” she wrote.

Wilson often posted glamorous photos of herself and James traveling the world, playing golf or lounging by swimming pools.

Over the past eight years, James released five singles that reached Billboard’s country chart and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.

 

 

Ambulance and officials at a plane crash site in a grassy field.

Emergency services attend the crash scene in an open field in Franklin, North Carolina.WLOS

His songs were also recorded by pop and rock artists such as Backstreet Boys, Bon Jovi and Nick Jonas.

James is survived by his four grown children, who he shared with ex-wife Sandra Cornelius-Little.

One of James’ final instagram posts was a sweet shot of himself grinning with his kids on June 16.

 

A Cirrus SR22T light aircraft on a tarmac.

A Cirrus SR22T light aircraft similar to the plane that crashed and killed music songwriter Brett James.