Dynamite Songs has acquired the catalog of Terry Kirkman, co-founder and principal songwriter of 1960s group The Association, from his estate, announced on July 10, 2026. The seller was Heidi Kirkman, Terry Kirkman's widow, advised by Music Rights Group and Miles Feinberg. Financial terms were not disclosed.
What changes hands
The deal adds 71 compositions to the portfolio of the UK-headquartered publisher and bundles several income streams:
- 100% of the US publishing copyrights in key works The Association recorded in the 1960s.
- Worldwide non-PRO songwriter royalties and the writer's share of public performance income for all compositions.
- Artist royalties from Kirkman's performances on the group's recordings.
- Neighboring rights income.
The catalog
- Cherish: reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966; BMI later listed it among the most-played songs on US radio and television of the 20th century.
- Everything That Touches You: another of Kirkman's songs for The Association.
- Six Man Band and Requiem for the Masses: also part of the deal.
Why it matters
Dynamite Songs was founded in May 2025 by the team behind Mojo Music & Media and is backed by Crestline Investors. Its CEO, Alan Wallis, has a background in catalog valuation. The company now holds more than 1,700 works spanning six decades, with repertoire connected to artists such as Ed Sheeran, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and Avicii. Earlier deals include the catalog of Grammy-winning producer Keith Harris (more than 200 songs) in September 2025 and around 150 tracks from writers including Eric Turner and TIEKS in November 2025.
For estates, the structure is instructive. Rather than selling one right in isolation, the Kirkman estate combined publishing, writer's share, artist royalties and neighboring rights into a single package. Buyers value that kind of clean, consolidated income profile, and smaller specialist publishers are actively looking for legacy catalogs anchored by one standout hit.