GREENSBURG, Ky. — Barry Durrett didn’t set out to write a song that would be played at a Kentucky State Police vigil or funeral. He just wanted to make sure a family would always have something to remember their loved one by.

After Kentucky State Trooper Hayden Phillips was killed in the line of duty Sept. 28, Durrett thought about the family left behind and the lasting impact of losing a husband and father.

“This hit home with me as a young guy. I’ve seen the changes that can take on people and the tragedy it does to the family,” Durrett said. “You don’t just take a life. He took his family’s future and changed it.”

Durrett, who releases his music under the Black Gnat Band name, understood the risks of law enforcement long before Phillips’ death.

He grew up the son of a lawman. His father served as Green County sheriff more than six decades ago before moving on to work with the U.S. Marshals Service.

Durrett eventually found his own path into law enforcement, working as a federal processor. He knows the dangers that can come with the work.

“I’ve had close calls in my past, shot at and missed,” Durrett said.

So when news of Phillips’ death spread across Kentucky, Durrett couldn’t help but think about the family left behind.

On Sept. 28, authorities across Kentucky were searching for a suspect after Phillips was fatally shot during a traffic stop on Interstate 65 in Warren County. Durrett was working a handyman job as the news began to spread.

“When I got home, the story unfolded,” he said. “I had some friends in Louisville that told me they’d had him cornered in Louisville.”

As the details emerged, Durrett began thinking about what he could do to help ensure Phillips’ family would always have something to hold on to.

Music had been part of Durrett’s life for years, but sharing it with the world was another matter. He said he had written songs privately for much of his life, only beginning to share more of his work after his mother died earlier this year.

“I have written stuff all my life, but it’s always been very private,” he said. “To this day, I don’t like hearing my voice.”

This time, though, he felt compelled to share.

In the span of a night, Durrett began writing lyrics and working through the music for what would become “Unit 369,” a tribute to Phillips that Kentucky State Police later played at a candlelight vigil and his funeral.

Durrett named the song “Unit 369,” drawing from Phillips’ Kentucky State Police badge number.

“I incorporated that into the song because his badge number with KSP is given to him when he graduates,” Durrett said. “That becomes part of him.”

Durrett began with the details he wanted the song to carry: Phillips’ unit number, the family he left behind, his three children and the ordinary day that became anything but ordinary.

From there, he followed the music.

“I’ll chase a melody. I’ll write down my chords that I want to try as I’m going through it,” Durrett said. “Some of them are hard to come by, and some of them aren’t. Everything just fell right in place.”

When he shared the finished song on Facebook, the response was far greater than he expected. The post drew thousands of likes, shares and comments, and the song later became available on streaming platforms, including Spotify.

But the attention was never the point.

Phillips, 28, previously served with the Glasgow Police Department before joining Kentucky State Police in 2023. Assigned to Post 3 in Bowling Green, he left behind his wife, Jordan, and their three sons.

For Durrett, those children were among the biggest reasons to put the song into the world.

“I released it mainly, so that when the kids get older they’ve got something that they can see where their father was appreciated,” Durrett said. “I didn’t want notoriety from it or anything else. I just did it for them and KSP.”

Durrett said he has spoken with Phillips’ mother through social media. He also wanted to make clear that his sympathies remain with the family as they face a loss no song can fully capture.

“Words can’t do justice to what they lost, but that song is about as close as I could get it,” he said.

Durrett continues to work as a handyman, making a living while pursuing the music that brings him joy. His music draws heavily from country and Southern rock.

“It gives me pleasure,” he said. “Basically, if the songs touch one person, it’s worth my time.”

Find updates about upcoming Black Gnat Band releases on his Facebook page.