Brett James, the Grammy-winning country songwriter, was married to Sandra “Sandy” Cornelius (also referred to as Sandra Cornelius or Sandy), with whom he built a long-time family life in Nashville and had four children, including a daughter named Clare.

Quick Scoop: Who he was married to

  • Multiple entertainment outlets report that Brett James’ wife was Sandra (Sandy) Cornelius, described as his long-time partner and the mother of his children.
  • They lived together in Nashville, Tennessee, where he developed much of his country music career.
  • The couple had four children together: three sons and one daughter, Clare, who Brett often mentioned as an inspiration in his songwriting.

A bit of recent and “latest news” context

  • Brett James died in a small private-plane crash near Franklin, North Carolina, in September 2025, at age 57, which is why many people started searching “who is Brett James married to” afterward.
  • Coverage from music and entertainment outlets after the crash consistently identifies his spouse as Sandra/Sandy Cornelius and notes that he is survived by his wife and their four children.

Family and low-key personal life

  • Reports emphasize that Sandy largely stayed out of the spotlight and preferred to keep their family life private, even as Brett’s profile grew in Nashville’s music scene.
  • Articles mention family appearances like a Friends & Fashion fundraiser where Brett performed with Sandy and their son Preston, giving fans a rare public glimpse of his home life.

In short, if you’re wondering “who is Brett James married to,” publicly available sources identify his wife as Sandra “Sandy” Cornelius, his long- time partner and mother of his four children.

TL;DR: Brett James was married to Sandra “Sandy” Cornelius; they lived in Nashville with their four kids, and she largely kept a private life even after his tragic death became major news.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.