Reservoir Inks Deal With Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Member Buddy Cannon

Reservoir Media has acquired the producer catalog of Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Buddy Cannon. The deal includes rights to all of Cannon’s Kenny Chesney collaborations from 1997’s I Will Stand through 2017’s Live In No Shoes Nation, though the deal does not include Cannon’s SoundExchange royalties.

“I have worked very hard with Kenny for the past 25 plus years to make the best music possible and with the help of all the publishers and songwriters who have given us their very best songs we have managed to stay consistently around the top of the charts for a very long time,” Cannon said in a statement. “When I was presented with this offer from Reservoir it seemed like it was the right thing to do and the right time for me to turn over my portion of future Kenny Chesney royalties to them. And now it’s time to make some more records and I promise to continue making the best music that I can make from here on down the road.”

Reservoir executive vp, creative John Ozier added, “Buddy has created some of country music’s biggest tracks for over two decades. We are honored to be entrusted with rights to his phenomenal legacy and are excited to continue expanding our country catalog with these fantastic songs.”

Cannon’s collaborative relationship with Kenny Chesney spans more than two decades. Among the most successful titles Cannon contributed to are double-Platinum “American Kids,” two-time Grammy-nominated and Platinum-certified “You and Tequila” featuring Grace Potter, and Platinum-certified “When the Sun Goes Down.”

Cannon has also worked extensively with Willie Nelson, as a producer on albums including That’s Life, Ride Me Back Home, My Way, God’s Problem Child and more. Cannon has also been a producer on albums for Reba McEntire (including Stronger Than The Truth), Billy Ray Cyrus (I’m American) and more. In 2006, the Academy of Country Music honored Cannon with its producer of the year award.

Cannon, who is self-published through his company Run Slow Music, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021. Cannon also earned the Country Music Association’s song of the year honor for co-writing the George Strait hit “Give It Away.”