Zach Bryan Reveals the Very Special Person Who Gets a Royalty Cut From Every Song He Records: ‘He’s the Reason!’

Zach Bryan says he gives his former Navy commanding officer, Leo Alba, a share of royalties from every song he releases. Bryan credits Alba with encouraging him to record his debut album while he was still serving, a decision he says helped launch his music career.

Bryan, who joined the Navy at 17 and left active duty in 2021, described Alba’s influence in an interview with Matthew McConaughey. He said Alba and his children remain close to him, and that Alba regularly attends his shows. The interview also covered Bryan’s sobriety and recent EP, which reached No. 1 on three Billboard genre charts and No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in its first week.