Brett James' heartbreaking Instagram post on 'Father's Day' viral after award-winning songwriter dies in plane tragedy

Grammy award-winning songwriter Brett James, known for his megahit Jesus, Take the Wheel, has died in a plane crash. The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame confirmed the 57-year-old was one of three victims when a small plane crashed in Franklin, North Carolina, on Thursday.

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame said in a post on social media that they "mourn the untimely loss" of James. The plane crashed in a field next to Iotla Valley Elementary School at 3. p.m, but "all students and staff are safe," Macon County Sheriff's Office's said in a Facebook post.

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Who was Brett James' wife?

Brett James, a pillar of Nashville's songwriting community, is survived by his wife, Sandra Cornelius, and their four children, three sons and a daughter named Clare. Though not much is known about his private life, but he lived with his family in Nashville, Tennessee.

One of his last posts on Instagram was a group photo of him and his loved ones on June 16, which he captioned: "Such an amazing Father's Day!!"

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A post shared by Brett James (@brettjamessongs)

His song, "True Believer", about the relationship between a father and daughter, was inspired by his kids, especially his relationship with Clare. "I sort of loved watching them all cry as they listened to the song. My daughter and I will always have that moment, and we will always have that song," he told American Songwriter.

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Brett originally planned to follow in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Sam Cornelius, by becoming a physician. He enrolled at the University of Oklahoma's medical school but left during his sophomore year to chase a career in music. A friend helped him set up meetings with three record labels, and while two of them dismissed him, the third—Arista Records—recognized his potential. "At the time, they were the best record label around," he told The Oklahoma in 2009.

However, he While he didn't end up as a physician like his father. Music did run in the family as Brett's father was a talented singer and his mother, Carolyn, was a classical pianist.

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"He's the best singer in the family. He could have done it professionally, and I think he always wished he had," Brett said of his dad. "He was really in favor of me pursuing music. I think he's been able to live vicariously through me a little."

Brett released his self-titled album in 1995 after signing with Arista Nashville's Career Records and released five singles in eight years that reached Billboard's country chart. After turning his attention to songwriting, he found huge success and wrote songs for artists including Carrie Underwood ("Jesus, Take The Wheel," "Cowboy Casanova"), Kenny Chesney ("When The Sun Goes Down," "Out Last Night," "Keg In the Closet"), Dierks Bentley ("I Hold On"), Jason Aldean ("The Truth"), and Rascal Flatts ("Summer Nights").