Zach Bryan has chosen to share the earnings from his music royalties with the Navy officer who once led him.
The country music star, now 30, joined the military at 17 and served eight years from 2013 to 2021, earning the title Aviation Ordnanceman Second Class.
During his time in uniform, his commanding officer Alba encouraged him to pursue a career in music. In a generous gesture, Bryan now gives Alba a portion of his song royalties, explaining that the tribute felt deserved because Alba played a pivotal role in his artistic path.
Speaking to Matthew McConaughey in the Young Manhood: Other Donatable Organs — On The Porch conversation, Bryan credited Alba as the sole reason he ever recorded songs; he notes that he wouldn’t be the person he is without Alba’s push to lay down those tracks. Alba’s family connections remain evident—his kids consider Bryan their uncle, he attends Bryan’s shows, and Bryan forwards a share of every new release to Alba.
That act of generosity has allowed Alba to retire, thanks to his friend’s support.
“He’s living well now,” Bryan said, referring to Alba’s retirement from the Navy, emphasizing how much the gesture meant to him and noting that they only see each other when possible.
Bryan released his first two albums, DeAnn (2019) and Elisabeth (2020), along with two EPs while still in the service, and he received an honorable discharge in 2021 to pursue music full-time after the success of Heading South.
He speaks with warmth about his Navy years, telling McConaughey that he misses the military’s structure and was genuinely proud to serve in the Navy. He says he was proud to follow in the boots of his grandfather and his father, and that the Navy helped shape him into the man he would become.
In the meantime, Bryan has said he feels more creatively fulfilled after giving up alcohol.
On his YouTube channel, he reflected that sobriety once seemed comical to him, a perspective rooted in the idea that self-control was overrated. When he drank heavily, he wondered why he couldn’t rein himself in and didn’t recognize the extent of his problem.
The realization came during a month-long motorcycle trip from New York to Los Angeles, a journey he initially planned to share with friends but which became a solitary, liquor-fueled trek.
He recalls spending many nights in bars, drinking to sleep, and waking up each morning to ride on, feeling as though he were on a personal quest.
The turning point arrived in Seattle, where he began to question whether the entire trip had been worth the effort.
“After all the beautiful scenery, all those nights, all the bars I’d visited, all the stuff I’d done, I found myself at a Pilot truck stop just outside Seattle. I’ll never forget it,” he said, describing the moment.
There, he bought a large beer, sat beside his motorcycle, and confronted the emptiness of his journey, wondering what the point had been and why he’d gone through with it.
Since then, Zach Bryan quit drinking, and he believes the change has benefited his music career.
