Kenny Chesney pays tribute to friend Brett James days after songwriter killed in plane crash

Kenny Chesney mourned the death of his close friend and celebrated songwriter Brett James while balancing the demands of his book tour. The 57-year-old country star turned to Instagram to share his grief, writing,

“A very difficult goodbye to my Brother Of The Sun Brett James. I haven’t wanted to post ‘cause I didn’t want to believe it. Brett and I shared a unique bond. A Brotherhood. A kinship. We wrote ‘Reality’ and ‘Out Last Night’ on the same afternoon sitting on my pool deck in the Virgin Islands two days after Christmas.”

Despite the personal loss, Kenny Chesney pressed ahead with promoting Heart Life Music. According to Music Row, he added three more stops to the tour, which included events in Chicago, Nashville, and Miami in November.

“I wanted to go to the heart of the country, and Chicago sure represents that for me, I wanted to go to the place where all of my music came together, the songwriters and creative community were so generous and encouraging to me. Teaming with Parnassus Books for an event at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, yards from the Turf where I’d played for tips when I arrived, is a dream come true,” Chesney explained.

---

Kenny Chesney says part of his creative soul went with Brett James in emotional tribute:

In his remembrance post of Brett James, Kenny Chesney poured out his grief, a reminder of just how closely their careers and lives had intertwined.

“We had a lot of authentic life fun writing songs together over the years and I’m sure going to miss it. It’s hard to process his creative soul being gone. This kind of loss. I feel as if part of my creative soul went with him. It will be a void in my life and creativity forever. I’ve never known writing songs or being on the road without him,” Chesney admitted.

The singer acknowledged how Brett James’ songwriting shaped his concerts for decades.

“Half the songs in my shows are songs he wrote or songs we wrote together, so it’s impossible for me to do shows moving forward and not think about him,” he shared.

Together, the pair crafted numerous hits, from “Out Last Night” and “When the Sun Goes Down” to “Spirit of a Storm,” “You See Me,” and “Wife and Kids.”

Chesney’s farewell carried both sorrow and gratitude:

“I can’t believe I’m saying it but adios Brett James. Thank you for being a lifer, for being a shirtless, sunburned troubadour, for your friendship, your songs and all the laughs. Save me a seat at the After Party.”

To close, he quoted lyrics from one of their collaborations, words that now carried an added weight:

“God we were so alive. I was a kid on a carnival ride. Holding my breath til the moment you were gonna leave me too soon. But I’d do it all over cause damn it was good Knowing You.”

---

A plane crash in North Carolina claimed the lives of Brett James, his wife, Melody, and their daughter, Meryl:

Brett James, the Grammy-winning country songwriter behind hits for Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, died with his wife and stepdaughter in a plane crash in Franklin, North Carolina, officials confirmed on Friday.

The accident happened on Thursday afternoon, when James’ Cirrus SR22T went down in a field near Iotla Valley Elementary School. He had taken off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville before the aircraft inexplicably slammed into the open land around 3 p.m. No children or staff at the nearby school were injured.

James was with his wife, Melody Wilson, and her daughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson, 28. The family had been living together in a Nashville home valued at $2 million since at least 2020. Just a day before the tragedy, Melody celebrated her daughter’s birthday online.

“Happy Birthday my Love!! How Blessed am I to be your Momma! You’re the MOST BEAUTIFUL AMAZING HUMAN inside and out! I’m 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,” she wrote on Instagram.

Meryl shared her own post that same day:

“28 years old. 142 days sober. Extremely Happy to be here.”

Investigators from the NTSB and FAA are reviewing the wreckage. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, according to Us Weekly. The loss of Brett James left a deep mark on Nashville’s music community and on those closest to him. Known for crafting songs that captured both heartache and joy, he built a legacy that stretched far beyond the charts.

For Kenny Chesney and countless others, that legacy now carried a heavier meaning. As investigations into the crash continue, friends, family, and fans hold onto the words and melodies James left behind, a reminder of the creative soul who shaped so much of country music and the lives around him.