Reach acquires Wyatt Durrette publishing and songwriting rights

Reach Music acquires the publishing and songwriting rights of Wyatt Durrette, including hits by Zac Brown Band and Luke Combs.

Reach Music Publishing has acquired select publishing and songwriting assets from Wyatt Durrette, including the songwriter’s interests in songs co-written with Zac Brown and Luke Combs.

According to Michael Closter, president, founder and owner of Reach Music, the acquisition includes interests in 29 of Durrette’s compositions as well as worldwide administration rights for his interests in those rights. The copyrights include Durrette’s interests in songs he co-wrote with Zac Brown, including “Chicken Fried,” “Toes” and “Whatever It Is” by the Zac Brown Band.

In addition to Zac Brown, Durrette has also written songs with Luke Combs, including the hit single “Beautiful Crazy,” which was certified 10x platinum (diamond) by the RIAA. This song is also included in the Reach acquisition.

Richard Blackstone of Blackstone Entertainment, Wyatt’s long-time publisher, will remain his publisher and will work with Reach Music to manage the select songs that are part of the deal.

“It’s an exciting moment to have entered into an acquisition agreement with Wyatt Durrette, an award-winning, A-list songwriter,” said Closter. “Reach Music has been the publishing agent for Zac Brown for 12 years, and we’ve always been familiar with Wyatt Durrette and his incredible work with the Zac Brown Band, starting with ‘Chicken Fried,’ as well as his more recent work with Luke Combs. This is Reach’s largest acquisition in country, and we couldn’t be more excited to have closed this deal with Wyatt.”

The agreement between Reach and Wyatt Durrette comes shortly after the company’s other acquisitions of classical catalogs in other genres, including the recent acquisition of the copyrights for Judas Priest and Chuck D. from Public Enemy.

Wyatt Durrette was represented in the transaction by Adam Ritholz and John Brill of Ritholz Levy Fields LLP. Reach Music was represented in the transaction by Jeff Sacharow of The Sacharow Firm, PC.