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Carrie Underwood is mourning the death of her longtime friend and collaborator Brett James. 

The Grammy-winning songwriter was among three people who died Sept. 18 after a small plane crashed near Franklin, North Carolina.

James wrote a number of Underwood’s hit songs like “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” which earned him his first Grammy win, “Flat On the Floor” and “Cowboy Casanova,” among others. 

Sharing photos of them together, Underwood called his death “unfathomable.” On Instagram on Sept. 19, she wrote that the loss is “too great to put into words,” before reflecting on their time together. 

“Brett was the epitome of ‘cool.’ I see him in my mind riding up to my cabins to write on his motorcycle… his hair somehow perfectly coiffed despite being under a helmet for however long,” Underwood wrote. “I always loved hearing him sing ‘Cowboy Casanova’ because a sassy girl anthem should’ve sounded ridiculous coming from a macho dude like him, but somehow, he even made that cool.” 

The “American Idol” winner described his as a “good guy.” She recalled one time when he had already written 75% of a song for her but insisted that they split the credit. 

“We filled in the blanks and added a little melody and I told him after that I didn’t feel right splitting the credit evenly when he did most of the work. He wouldn’t have it,” she wrote. “He insisted that everything be equal. He was just that kind of guy.”

Underwood wrote that James “loved the Lord” and remembered singing with James at church. She added that her favorite songs to sing that they created together were the ones they wrote about Jesus “because the thoughts and feelings behind them are so genuine and pure.” 

“I won’t ever sing one note of them again without thinking of him. Brett’s passing is leaving a hole in all of us that I fear won’t ever go away,” Underwood wrote. “It will forever be a reminder that this life is but a moment…we have to make the most of each day we’re given here on earth.”

She concluded her message by acknowledging that each day is a gift and asking for prayers for James’ family, friends and “all of us that were blessed enough to know Brett. Love you, man. I’ll see you again someday.”

In a statement to NBC News, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said that it responded to a plane crash around 3 p.m. on Sept. 18. Upon arrival, all three people, identified as Brett James Cornelius, the artist’s full name, Melody Carole and Meryl Maxwell Wilson, were pronounced dead at the scene. 

Upon news of his death, the music industry and those who worked with James have expressed their condolences on social media. 

Kathie Lee Gifford, who co-wrote “He Saw Jesus” with James and dedicated it to late husband Frank Gifford, paid tribute on X, writing, “He lit a fire in my heart again for music and we wrote many songs together, including the song we wrote about my husband Frank’s death, HE SAW JESUS.”

“It comforts me to know that that’s exactly what happened to Brett as well, the moment he left this earth for the glory of eternal life,” Gifford said.

Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Bobby Bones and many others also honored the late songwriter.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• Authorities Say Remains Found Likely Belong to Man Accused of Killing His Young Daughters
• Grammy-Winning Country Music Songwriter Brett James Dies in Plane Crash
• Marilyn Hagerty, Food Critic Beloved for Olive Garden Review, Dies at 99

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