Who were Brett James parents? Singer followed in dad’s footsteps and pursued career in medicine

Celebrated songwriter Brett James has passed away after the small plane he was in went down in North Carolina at around 3 p.m. local time on Thursday, September 18. According to People magazine, James was best known for his collaboration with Carrie Underwood on her song, "Jesus Take The Wheel." Interestingly, Brett James, the son of Carolyn and Dr. Sam Cornelius, had originally pursued a degree in medicine before dropping out to follow his passion for music.

According to People, James and two other people were aboard the plane that went down in a large field west of Iolta Valley Elementary School in North Carolina. The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers released a statement on Instagram mourning his sudden and untimely death, which also claimed the lives of the two others on board. It read:

"Brett was a trusted collaborator to country’s greatest names, and a true advocate for his fellow songwriters. Brett, your ASCAP family misses you dearly. Thank you for your unforgettable music."

More about Brett James' life and career, as the beloved songwriter passes away in plane crash

Brett James, whose full name was Brett James Cornelius, was born on July 5, 1968, to Dr. Sam Cornelius and Carolyn Cornelius. He and his two siblings grew up in Columbia, Missouri, with their parents.

Not much is known about his mother. His father was a U.S. Army veteran who later pursued a career in medicine, graduating from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Missouri. According to The Legacy Obituary, he passed away in 2007 and had been married to Carolyn Cornelius for forty-three years at the time of his death.

Brett James attended Christian Heritage Academy and later enrolled at Baylor University, from which he graduated in 1991. Soon after, he attended Oklahoma Medical School but left to pursue music. According to Billboard, he was initially signed to Career Records and released his self-titled album in 1995. In a recent interview with The Oklahoman, James recalled that time, saying that he was forced to return to medical school after his music career failed to take off. He said:

"My singles never really worked out at radio. Everybody thought I was gonna be a big shot, and then seven years later, I lost my record deal, lost my publishing deal. And I decided I’d better go back to med school and figure out how to feed my kids."

James eventually found fame as a songwriter, writing for country music icons including Billy Ray Cyrus, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, and most notably Carrie Underwood, among others. In his interview, he reflected on how his songwriting career took off just as he had nearly given up on music, saying:

"I got 33 cuts in Nashville in the next nine months while I was going to school every day. Which was just crazy. I’d had two cuts up to that point in my career. It was like every day my publisher was calling saying, ‘Hey, Martina McBride cut this, and Tim McGraw cut that.’ ... Just when I had kind of given up the dream of ever making it in the music business at all, it kind of all just fell in my lap."

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For his contribution to the song "Jesus Take The Wheel" he and the other collaborators won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song at the 2007 Grammy Awards. In 2020, Brett James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Brett James, who was fifty-seven at the time of his death, is survived by his wife, Sandra Cornelius, and their four children.

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