Country Music

Brett James -- a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter who worked with the likes of Taylor Swift -- has reportedly died in a plane crash.

James -- best known for his collaborative hit with Carrie Underwood, “Jesus, Take the Wheel” -- was reportedly flying aboard a small plane when it went down in a field near a school in Franklin, North Carolina about 3 PM Thursday. Police said none of the students or school staff were injured.

WLOS-TV reports the aircraft took off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville, Tennessee, with three people on board, and all of them died.

Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes have officially split up ... a rep for Ballerini confirms to TMZ.

Sources familiar with the situation tells TMZ ... the two broke up recently after nearly three years together.

People was first to report the breakup, and they quote a source who says, "They’re two adults who gave it their all and tried to do everything they could to make it work, but ultimately couldn’t. It happens."

Zach Bryan and Gavin Adcock nearly turned the Born and Raised Festival into a fight night this weekend ... squaring up in a heated clash that played out right in front of fans.

The drama went down Saturday in Oklahoma just before Adcock was due to perform. In footage Adcock shared on Instagram, the country stars are seen shouting at each other from opposite sides of a wire fence.

"Hey, do you want to fight like a man? Come open the gate," Bryan can be heard yelling, before shoving the fence toward Adcock. Another clip, posted on Facebook, shows Bryan actually trying to climb over the barbed wire to get to Adcock but he was quickly restrained by security. Adcock, meanwhile, was escorted away by a bodyguard.

Bryan Martin had a wild night onstage in upstate New York -- getting "forcibly" yanked off stage after what cops call a drunken meltdown.

The country singer was performing on Friday at the Schaghticoke Fair, about 30 minutes from Albany, when deputies say he started showing "signs of intoxication and erratic behavior." Cops tried to guide him offstage, but he resisted and had to be carried out.

Video posted to Facebook shows Martin shouting as deputies closed in before he was hauled out of the venue.

Asher Angel is stoked that his new "Rodeo" collaboration with Nelly returned the rap star to the world of country music.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the former Disney star out in West Hollywood on Wednesday night and told us the entire experience has been nothing but surreal.

Asher tells it was his Makasound Records team -- Hitmaka, Prince Chrishan, Princess Tuhh -- that sent Nelly the record for his approval.