By Carrie Underwood. The

Copyright eonline

James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. He was also named the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Country Songwriter of the Year in 2006 and 2010.

Following James’ death, ASCAP wrote on Instagram, “Brett was a trusted collaborator to country’s greatest names, and a true advocate for his fellow songwriters. Brett, your ASCAP family misses you dearly. Thank you for your unforgettable music.”

But despite becoming a storied songwriter, James almost left the music world for the medical. After leaving med school to pursue his dreams, James re-enrolled in 1999 after his projects following his debut album Brett James didn’t find much success.

“I thought I was quitting the business,” James previously told Yamaha’s All Access in 2005. “But then Faith Hill recorded my song ‘Love is a Sweet Thing.’ It was pretty bizarre. I was going to med school, and my publisher was calling every few days to tell me someone cool was going to cut another one of my songs. My wildest dream up till then would have been to get ten cuts in a year. But that year I had thirty-three.”