Reach Music Publishing Inc. has expanded its portfolio, securing the rights to select publishing assets and songwriter shares from multi-Platinum awarded American country music songwriter Wyatt Durrette.
The acquisition, announced by Michael Closter, President and Founder of Reach Music, involves 29 of Durrette’s compositions and grants Reach global administration rights over its newly acquired shares.
Among the songs included in this deal are some of Durrette’s most notable works, such as his contributions to Zac Brown Band‘s breakthrough hit Chicken Fried, which has been certified 9x Platinum by the RIAA. The track has to date been streamed nearly 725 million times on Spotify. Other Zac Brown Band songs in the acquisition include Toes and Whatever It Is, both from their debut album, The Foundation.
Durrette’s songwriting credits also extend to Luke Combs, with the acquisition covering rights to Beautiful Crazy, a single that has achieved Diamond certification (10x Platinum) by the RIAA. This song has generated 870 million Spotify streams to date. Meanwhile, Combs’ Even Though I’m Leaving, which he co-wrote with Durrette, was named SESAC Song of the Year in 2020. Durrette also won SESAC Song of the Year in 2019 for Beautiful Crazy.
Following the agreement with Reach Music, Richard Blackstone of Blackstone Entertainment will remain Wyatt’s publisher, co-administering together with Reach Music for the songs that are part of the acquisition.
“Reach Music has been the publishing administrator for Zac Brown for 12 years, and we’ve always been familiar with Wyatt Durrette and his incredible works with Zac Brown Band starting with ‘Chicken Fried’, as well as his more recent works with Luke Combs.”
Michael Closter, Reach Music Publishing
“This is a thrilling moment to have concluded an acquisition agreement with Wyatt Durrette, an A-level award-winning songwriter,” Closter said.
“Reach Music has been the publishing administrator for Zac Brown for 12 years, and we’ve always been familiar with Wyatt Durrette and his incredible works with Zac Brown Band starting with Chicken Fried, as well as his more recent works with Luke Combs. This marks Reach’s largest acquisition in the country space, and we couldn’t be more excited than to have done this deal with Wyatt.”
The acquisition adds to Reach Music’s growing portfolio, following recent deals in other music genres, such as the acquisition of early catalogs from Judas Priest and the band’s member, Glenn Tipton, as well as the catalog of Chuck D of Public Enemy.
In 2020, Reach Music signed an exclusive worldwide administration deal with the estate of Romanthony (aka Anthony Moore) covering the DJ, producer and singer’s full catalog of over 100 songs. That same year, the company inked a deal with IMPEL, the collective licensing agency representing digital music publishing rights.
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