Brett James, the legendary songwriter most closely associated with launching Carrie Underwood’s career with hit song after hit song, like ‘Jesus, Take The Wheel,’ has died in a plane crash at the age of 57. James was one of three people killed in the single-engine plane crash. Other artists he wrote for included Chris Young, Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, and Kenny Chesney.

It’s ‘New Country Friday’ with two new albums and single for you to check out. Chase McDaniel released his debut album today, ‘Lost Ones,’ featuring his hit, ‘Burned Down Heaven.’ Chase Rice is celebrating finding his true sound with his new album, ‘Eldora,’ and Hardy, a week before his album is out, just released a new single called ‘Dog Years.’

and as Jason Aldean continues to put the finishing touches on his new album, he’s doing more teasing. Last week he released the first single from the album, ‘How Far Does A Goodbye Go.” Now, he’s talking about the collaborations. While he’s not naming names, because he said he doesn’t want to let the cat out of the bag, he said it’s been a fun project, and there are three collaborations with special guests on the new album.