Indie music publisher peermusic has acquired the entire music publishing catalog of bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs and the majority of the song catalog of his son, Gary Scruggs.
Independent music publishing company peermusic has acquired the entire music publishing catalog of bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs and the majority of the song catalog of his son Gary Scruggs, the company announced today. During his lifetime, Earl Scruggs was a collaborator with and close friend to many at peermusic, including the company’s founder, Ralph S. Peer.
Though peermusic has served as the publisher of the Earl Scruggs catalog from the time the songs were written, this new deal sees the company acquire the US rights it was previously administering for Earl Scruggs, as well as some of the songs that the Scruggs estate previously controlled. The deal also includes the acquisition of the majority of the song catalog of the late Gary Scruggs, Grammy award-winning songwriter, musician, and eldest son of Earl and Louise Scruggs.
“It’s a rare opportunity to acquire these incredible catalogs of songs in this competitive music rights landscape, but what makes this most meaningful to us is the decades-long relationship that peermusic has enjoyed with Earl Scruggs and Gary Scruggs. This deal really exemplifies everything a relationship between a songwriter and a publisher should be,” says Kathy Spanberger (pictured center right), President & Chief Operating Officer at peermusic Anglo American Region.
“Earl and peermusic worked together successfully for decades to share his music with the world, and peermusic continues that tradition with the songs of Gary Scruggs. We thank Jesse, Jaime, and the Scruggs family for this opportunity — the entire team at peermusic is honored to continue championing and protecting Earl and Gary’s incredible legacy of music so that these songs can be enjoyed for generations to come,” Spanberger continues.
“The Scruggs are multi-generational music royalty who have worked with the Peers, a multi-generational family of music publishers, since day one. The history here is incredible,” adds Michael Knox, President, peermusic Nashville (pictured right). “There are few artists that have defined an entire genre the way that Earl Scruggs and Gary Scruggs have with bluegrass or that so popularized a single instrument across genres as Earl did with the banjo — we’re delighted to continue our work with the Scruggs family and to represent their interest in some of country music’s most beloved songs.”
“We are now the third generation of the Scruggs family to be working alongside the team at peermusic. Our grandfather trusted peermusic as his music publisher from the beginning of his career, and the team at peermusic has been like a family to us throughout these many years. Keeping these song catalogs with peermusic is an easy decision for us because we know how much they have done to support the Scruggs family — and they know these song catalogs inside and out. We’re thrilled to have these songs looked after by Katha, Knox, and the peermusic team,” concludes a joint statement from Jesse and Jaime Scruggs (pictured center), Earl Scruggs’ grandsons, and Gary Scruggs’ sons.
Earl Scruggs was recognized with numerous accolades for his contributions to bluegrass and country music during his lifetime. Scruggs is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Fame and has received four Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a National Medal of Arts.
In May, the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum officially accepted the donation of Earl Scruggs’ Granada banjo into their permanent collection. Jesse and Jaime Scruggs, along with the peermusic team, were present at the event hosted by singer-songwriter Vince Gill.
