Kenny Chesney Pays Tribute to ‘Brother of the Sun’ Brett James With a ‘Very Difficult Goodbye’

Kenny Chesney is speaking retired astir the heartbreaking nonaccomplishment of his person and predominant cowriter Brett James, who died successful a small-engine level clang connected Sept. 18 successful North Carolina. James was 57.

“A precise hard goodbye to my Brother Of The Sun Brett James. I haven’t wanted to station origin I didn’t privation to judge it,” Chesney wrote connected societal media connected Monday (Sept. 22). “Brett and I shared a unsocial bond. A Brotherhood. A kinship. We wrote ‘Reality’ and ‘Out Last Night’ connected the aforesaid day sitting connected my excavation platform successful the Virgin Islands 2 days aft Christmas. We had a batch of authentic beingness amusive penning songs unneurotic implicit the years and I’m definite going to miss it.”

Chesney continued, “It’s hard to process his originative psyche being gone. This benignant of loss. I consciousness arsenic if portion of my originative psyche went with him. It volition beryllium a void successful my beingness and creativity forever. I’ve ne'er known penning songs oregon being connected the roadworthy without him. Half the songs successful my shows are songs helium wrote oregon songs we wrote together. So it’s intolerable for maine to bash shows moving guardant and not deliberation astir him. I can’t judge 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 each the laughs. Save maine a spot astatine the After Party!”

James was a adjacent person and originative collaborator of Chesney’s, arsenic a writer connected songs including “When The Sun Goes Down,” “Out Last Night,” “Just to Say We Did,” “Keg successful the Closet,” “Spirit of a Storm” and galore others. The precocious creator besides wrote numerous songs for musicians including Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts.

Alongside his tribute, Chesney shared photos of himself with James, including onstage performances...