Brett Based in Nashville, James Cornelius was an American country music performer, songwriter, and record producer. Numerous musicians have given James’ compositions credit on 494 albums.
Brett James Biography
| Real Name | Brett James Cornelius |
| Nick Name | Brett James |
| Affair/Girlfriend | Sandra Cornelius |
| Famous As | American Songwriter |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Profession | Songwriter And Record Producer |
Family Details
| Father | Dr. Sam Cornelius |
| Mother | Carolyn |
| Siblings | N/A |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife Name | Sandra Cornelius |
| Children | N/A |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 176 cm |1.76meters |5 Feet 9 |
| Weight | In Kg –80 kg | 190 lbs |
| Age (2025) | 57-year-old |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Hair Colour | Brown |
| Shoe Size | 10 U.S |
| Body Measurements | – |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
Personal Details
| Birth Place | Columbia, Missouri, United States |
| Date Of Birth | June 5, 1968 |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Date Of Death | 18 September 2025 |
| Place Of Death | Western North Carolina |
| Gender | Male |
| Residence | Columbia |
| School | Christian Heritage Academy high school |
| University/College | Baylor University |
| Education Qualification | Graduate |
| Net Worth | $18 Million |
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Career
He briefly attended medical school in the early 1990s before leaving in 1995 to pursue a career in music as a recording artist for Career Records, an Arista Nashville subsidiary. Female Bonding, If I Could See Love, and “Worth the Fall were among the charting songs from his self-titled first album, which was released that year. “Wake Up and Smell the Whiskey,” which Dean Miller co-wrote and later released as a song in 1997, was also featured on this album.
He also made appearances on two Arista Nashville compilation albums. The first was Star of Wonder: A Country Christmas (1996), on which he performed “What Child Is This?” and the second was Peace in the Valley, a country-gospel album, on which he recorded “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” Additionally, a Nashville Network special on Spike was used to promote this latter record. Following Career Records’ 1998 merger with Arista Nashville, both James and Tammy Graham were dropped from the label.
Early in the new millennium, James resumed his singing career. He re-signed with Arista Nashville and started working with producer Dann Huff after turning down the opportunity to join the band Sixwire. He never published a complete album, despite the fact that his songs “Chasing Amy” and “After All” both peaked in the top 40 of the Hot Country Songs charts.
James was at his lowest point in 1998. He had dropped out of the University of Oklahoma’s medical school after just one year in order to pursue a career in Nashville, but after nine months of waiting tables and going to a lot of open mic nights, he had not had much success and had been cut off from his publishing and recording deals. According to entertainment writer David Ross, James believed he was in the wrong line of work. After James met with producer Mark Bright, Bright agreed to sign him as the first and only writer for his new publishing firm, “Teracel Music,” for a pittance. James chose to return to medical school after being re-accepted six weeks into the contract.
Among his releases for other artists in the early 2000s were the number-one successes “Blessed” by Martina McBride and “Who I Am” by Jessica Andrews. He kept writing songs for other musicians, and two more of his compositions reached the top of the charts: “Jesus, Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood in 2006 and “When the Sun Goes Down” by Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker in 2004.
The Grammy Awards for “Jesus, Take the Wheel” were also given to James and the song’s other two songwriters for Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance. James co-wrote the hits “It’s America” by Rodney Atkins, “Out Last Night” by Chesney, and “Cowboy Casanova” by Carrie Underwood, all of which peaked at the top of the country charts in 2009.
Family Detail
Brett James’s family consists of his parents. His father’s name is Dr. Sam Cornelius and his mother’s name is Carolyn. There is no information about his siblings.
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Death Detail
On the afternoon of September 18, 2025, Brett James lost his life in a plane crash close to Franklin, North Carolina. The catastrophe also claimed the lives of two other passengers. The aircraft crashed in an Iotla Valley, North Carolina, field after taking off from John C. Tune Airport, which is close to Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
