Carrie Underwood Pays Tribute to ‘Jesus, Take the Wheel’ Songwriter Brett James

Carrie Underwood is remembering Brett James.

In an Instagram post shared on Friday, Sept. 19, the American Idol alum paid tribute to the Grammy-winning songwriter who died in a plane crash on Sept. 18. James, 57, perished in the crash along with his wife Melody Carole Wilson and her daughter Meryl.

“Some things are just unfathomable. The loss of Brett James to his family, friends and our music community is too great to put into words,” Underwood, 42, began.

“Brett was the epitome of ‘cool.’ I see him in my mind riding up to my cabins to write on his motorcycle…his hair somehow perfectly coiffed despite being under a helmet for however long.”

“I always loved hearing him sing ‘Cowboy Casanova’ because a sassy girl anthem should’ve sounded ridiculous coming from a macho dude like him, but somehow, he even made that cool.”

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Underwood went on to call James “a good guy” and recalled when they collaborated on a song that he insisted on evenly sharing the credit. “I remember writing with him on a song that he basically wrote 75% of and had ready when he walked in the room.”

“We filled in the blanks and added a little melody and I told him after that I didn’t feel right splitting the credit evenly when he did most of the work. He wouldn’t have it. He insisted that everything be equal. He was just that kind of guy…”

Underwood also spoke about singing at church with James. “Brett loved the Lord. Which is the only comfort we can hold on to now. We even had the pleasure of singing together at church.”

“My 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’t ever sing one note of them again without thinking of him.”

“Brett’s passing is leaving a hole in all of us that I fear won’t ever go away,” continued Underwood. “It will forever be a reminder that this life is but a moment…we have to make the most of each day we’re given here on earth. Each day is a gift.”

“I’m asking all of you to pray for his family, friends and all of us that were blessed enough to know Brett,” she concluded. “Love you, man. I’ll see you again someday.”

James, his wife and her daughter were aboard a small plane on Sept. 18 that crashed in Franklin, N.C. just before 3 p.m. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there were no survivors.

James wrote the Grammy-winning song “Jesus, Take the Wheel” along with “Cowboy Casanova” for Underwood.

He is survived by four grown children, whom he shares with his former wife, Sandra Cornelius-Little.