Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley & More Pay Tribute to Late Songwriter Brett James
The country music world is reeling from the sudden death of Brett James, one of Nashville’s most celebrated songwriters. James, 57, was killed on September 18 in a small plane crash near Franklin, North Carolina, alongside his wife Melody and her daughter Meryl.
News of his passing broke just hours before Jason Aldean was set to take the stage in Lincoln, Nebraska. Rather than keep quiet, Aldean chose to honor his late friend from the spotlight.
Jason Aldean’s Onstage Tribute
Aldean paused his show to reflect on the songwriter who helped shape his career.
“Heartbroken to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight,” Aldean later wrote on social media. “I had nothing but love and respect for that guy and he helped change my life. Honored to have met him and worked with him. Thoughts and prayers going out to his family.”
He then performed part of “The Truth” — James’ 2009 hit co-written with Ashley Monroe that became one of Aldean’s most beloved songs.
James’ catalog with Aldean runs deep. Beyond “The Truth,” he contributed to at least ten tracks across the superstar’s first eight albums, including “Gonna Know We Were Here” and “Grown Woman” (a duet with Miranda Lambert).
Country Stars Remember Brett James
Within hours of Aldean’s tribute, other country artists joined in remembering James.
Dierks Bentley called him a “total stud, fellow aviator, one of the best singer-songwriters in our town … total legend.” Bentley recalled writing “I Hold On” with him:
“It was one of the first times we wrote and I decided to drop the most meaningful and necessary idea of a song I had on him, because I felt like God was telling me to do so. Our friendship and that song changed my life.”
Josh Gracin, Gary LeVox, Sara Evans and many others also shared their memories, each noting James’ unmatched talent, generosity, and faith.
A Legacy Written in Songs
James’ contributions to country music are impossible to overstate. His credits include Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and “Something in the Water,” Kenny Chesney’s “When the Sun Goes Down,” Dierks Bentley’s “I Hold On,” Jason Aldean’s “The Truth,” and hundreds more. His songs topped the charts more than 25 times, and he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.
Final Goodbye
Brett James leaves behind four children and a body of work that shaped modern country music. As Aldean’s raw onstage tribute showed, the loss is personal for the artists who worked with him — and profound for the fans who sang along to his words for decades.
As Bentley put it, James wasn’t just a hitmaker. He was a friend, a mentor, and a legend whose songs will continue to carry truth, faith, and heart long after his passing.