The Life and Legacy of Brett James
On September 18, 2025, the United States music world was shaken by a tragic event — the sudden death of one of its most prolific and beloved songwriters, Brett James, in a small plane crash near Franklin, North Carolina. He was 57 years old. The accident didn’t just claim his life; it also took the lives of his wife, Melody Carole Wilson, and his stepdaughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson, as the aircraft came down in a field shortly after an attempted landing.