Country superstar Kenny Chesney has broken his silence following the tragic death of Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James, who was killed in a small plane crash on September 19 alongside his wife and stepdaughter.
On Sept. 22, Chesney posted a moving Instagram tribute filled with photos of his longtime friend and collaborator, calling James his “Brother Of The Sun.”
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“I haven’t wanted to post cause I didn’t want to believe it,” Chesney wrote. “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.
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.”
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Chesney added that James’ presence is deeply woven into his live shows.
“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. 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!”
The post closed with lyrics from James’ song “Knowing You”:
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.
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Fans Flood Kenny’s Post With Support
Chesney’s heartfelt message quickly drew thousands of responses from fans who wanted to send love, prayers and memories in the wake of Brett James’ passing.
One fan called the tribute “What a story. God bless Kenny and Brett James.” Another added, “Forever on our minds and words on our heart through the music he made. Condolences to his entire family and music family.”
Several others reflected on the deep loss Chesney must be feeling. “Never easy to lose someone close to you … thankful you had the gift of sharing life with him,” one commenter wrote. Another admitted that when the tragic news broke, their first thought was of Chesney: “You were the first one I thought of when I heard this news. I’m so sorry for your loss. ‘Out Last Night’ is one of my favorite songs.”
Many fans kept their comments short but heartfelt, with messages like “So sorry you lost a brother. 💙” and “May his memory be eternal.”
James wrote songs for Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, Miranda Lambert, Wynonna Judd, and Little Big Town, among many others. He and Chesney wrote over a dozen songs together.
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