Cory Gerald Joseph Marquardt (born October 11, 1989[1]) is a Canadian country rock singer-songwriter, drummer, actor and former ice hockey player better known by his stage name Cory Marks. He is signed to Better Noise Music.[2] He has released two albums, This Man in 2015 under Big Star Recordings and most recently Who I Am in 2020 under Better Noise. Since the release the album has accumulated over 220 million global streams with his debut single "Outlaws & Outsiders" being certified Platinum in Canada, Gold in the US and reaching top 10 at US rock radio and #3 in Germany, making Marks the first to ever do so as a Canadian country act.

Cory Marks
Also known asLion Man, Sunshine
Born (1989-10-11) October 11, 1989 (age 34)
North Bay, Ontario, Canada
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, actor, drummer
Instrument(s)Drums, guitar, vocals
Years active2011–present
Labels
Websitecorymarks.com

Early life edit

Marks was raised in North Bay, Ontario, the younger brother of professional hockey player Matt Marquardt, and learned how to skate at three years old.[3] He cites Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Bryan Adams, Ozzy Osbourne, and Rush as early musical influences.[4] Marks played university hockey at the Royal Military College of Canada where he also pursued dreams of becoming a fighter pilot.[5][6] He had never performed music publicly until his friends encouraged him to do so while at a bar in college.[7] He has performed using the name "Cory Marks" since the release of his debut album.[1] Marks achieved his private pilot license in 2021.[8]

Career edit

2014-2015: This Man edit

In July 2014, he released his first single to Canadian country radio, "Smartphone".[9] His second single, "21", was released in April 2015.[10] His first album, This Man was released on May 26, 2015 through Big Star Recordings.[11][12] The album included his first two singles, as well as two further singles, "This Man",[13] and "Nowhere With You".[14]

2016-present: Who I Am and extended plays edit

In 2016, Marks signed a deal to work with award-winning producer Kevin Churko, known for work with Ozzy Osbourne, Shania Twain, and Five Finger Death Punch.[15] In 2018, he signed a record deal with Eleven Seven Music (later rebranded as Better Noise Music) as their flagship country artist.[1][16]

In November 2019, Marks released his first single on Better Noise, "Outlaws & Outsiders", featuring Ivan Moody, Travis Tritt, and Mick Mars,[17] which debuted at #1 on iTunes in Canada as well as #1 on the Billboard Rock Digital Songs and Hard Rock Digital Songs charts and #7 on the Country Digital Songs charts.[18][19] The song would later peak inside the top 10 on US Mainstream Rock radio, top 5 on German rock radio, and peaked at #12 on Canada Rock radio.[20][21] It was also certified Gold by Music Canada.[22]

In June 2020, Marks released "Drive",[23][24][25] and announced it as the second single to country radio off his second album, Who I Am, which was released on August 7, 2020 through Better Noise.[26][27][28] In October 2020, "Blame It on the Double" was released as the second single to rock radio in Germany and the United Kingdom.[29] Marks also released his first Christmas single "Jingle My Bells", a cover of a song by The Tractors, that month.[30][31][32] In April 2021, Marks released a new version of "Blame It on the Double" featuring Tyler Connolly of Theory of a Deadman and Jason Hook.[33][34]

On June 18, 2021, Marks released the extended play Nashville Mornings. It included a cover of Blaze Foley's "If I Could Only Fly", as well as a "Country Mix" of "Blame It on the Double" featuring Tyler Connolly, which was sent to Canadian country radio.[35] He followed that up with the extended play Nashville Nights on August 20, 2021, which included a new track "In Me I Trust",[36] the solo version of "Outlaws & Outsiders", and live versions of "Drive" and "Blame It on the Double".[37][38]

In November 2022, Marks released the extended play I Rise, which included the singles "Burn It Up" and "Flying".[39][40] He supported Five Finger Death Punch on their headlining tour in the United States in the fall and winter of 2022 alongside Brantley Gilbert.[41] He is slated to release a full-length album in the first half of 2024.[42]

Discography edit

Albums edit

Title Details Peak chart positions
AUS
Country

[43]
CAN
[44]
SWI
[45]
UK
Country

[46]
US
Heat

[47]
US
Album
Sales

[48]
This Man[12]
Who I Am[26] 16 12 98 6 17 74

Extended plays edit

Title Details
Outlaws & Outsiders
  • Release date: June 2020[49]
  • Label: Better Noise Music
  • Format: CD
Nashville Mornings
  • Release date: June 18, 2021[35]
  • Label: Better Noise Music
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Nashville Nights
  • Release date: August 13, 2021[37]
  • Label: Better Noise Music
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
I Rise
  • Release date: November 4, 2022[50]
  • Label: Better Noise Music
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming

Singles edit

2010s edit

Year Single Album
2014 "Smartphone"[9] This Man
2015 "21"[10]
"This Man"[51]
2016 "Nowhere with You"[52]

2020s edit

Year Single Peak
positions
Certifications Album
CAN
Rock

[21]
US
Country
Digital

[53]
US
Main
Rock

[54]
US
Rock

[55]
2020 "Outlaws & Outsiders"[19]
(featuring Ivan Moody, Travis Tritt and Mick Mars)
12 7 10 14 Who I Am
"Drive"[23]
"Blame It on the Double"[29]
(solo or featuring Tyler Connolly and Jason Hook)
2022 "Burn It Up"[50] I Rise
2023 "Snowbirds" Non-album single
2024 "A Different Kind of Year" TBA
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

As Featured Artist edit

Song Year Peak chart positions Album
US
Main.

[57]
"Unstoppable"
(with Eva Under Fire)
2023 20 Non-album single

Christmas singles edit

Year Single Album
2020 "Jingle My Bells"[30] Christmas With Better Noise Music

Music videos edit

Year Video Director
2014 "Smartphone"[58] Manee Osman
2015 "21"[59] Blake McWilliam
2016 "Nowhere with You"[14]
"Don't Count Saturday Night"[60] Ed Regan
2019 "Outlaws & Outsiders"[61]
(featuring Ivan Moody, Travis Tritt and Mick Mars)
"Better Off"[62] Blake Judd
2020 "Blame It on the Double"[63]
"Outlaws & Outsiders"[64]
(solo)
Jaclyn Cataldi
"Drive"[24] Ed Regan
"Out In the Rain"[65]
(featuring Lzzy Hale)
2021 "Blame It on the Double"[66]
(featuring Tyler Connolly and Jason Hook)
"Blame It on the Double" - Country Mix[67]
(featuring Tyler Connolly)
Ed Regan
"In Me I Trust" Travis Nesbitt
2022 "Burn It Up" Michael Lombardi
"Flying"[68]
2023 "I Rise"[69]

Awards and nominations edit

Year Association Category Nominated Work Result Ref
2021 Canadian Country Music Association Alternative Country Album of the Year Who I Am Nominated [70][71]
2022 Country Music Association of Ontario Fans' Choice Nominated [72][73]
Songwriter(s) of the Year "Blame It on the Double" (with Kevin Churko and Kane Churko) Nominated

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Marquardt signs record deal". North Bay Nugget. Postmedia Network. September 26, 2018.
  2. ^ "Cory Marks - Biography". Invictus Entertainment Group. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  3. ^ Bowman, Bethany (September 11, 2020). "Cory Marks rise to stardom".
  4. ^ "Cory Marks - Bio". CoryMarks.com. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  5. ^ Kenney, Kortney (November 20, 2019). "Cory Marks hits a live wire with "Outlaws and Outsiders"". My North Bay Now.
  6. ^ "INTERVIEW: CORY MARKS – Ontario, CA; 2020". Musicalypse. March 12, 2020.
  7. ^ Corder, Bryan Joe (March 31, 2020). "Interview~ Mixing country music with the hard-hitting stomp of rock & roll, Cory Marks". Ignite Music Magazine.
  8. ^ Lee, Michael (April 29, 2021). "Cory Marks' single certified Gold". North Bay Nugget. Postmedia Network.
  9. ^ a b "Smartphone hits Canadian country radio". CoryMarquardt.com. July 1, 2014.
  10. ^ a b Melanson, Jenna (April 21, 2015). "New single released by Cory Marquardt". Canadian Beats Media.
  11. ^ "Cory Marquardt releases his first album "This Man"". Kiss 100.5 North Bay. May 26, 2016.
  12. ^ a b Dawson, Chris (May 26, 2015). "Marquardt releases first album today". BayToday.ca.
  13. ^ "INTRODUCING, THIS MAN, CORY MARQUARDT". Sound Check Entertainment. July 26, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Melanson, Jenna (January 6, 2016). "New video released by Cory Marquardt". Canadian Beats Media.
  15. ^ Dawson, Chris (May 27, 2016). "More good news for local artist Cory Marquardt". BayToday.ca.
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  17. ^ Gosselin, Jessica (November 26, 2019). "North Bay's Cory Marks' new song is number one on iTunes Canada". CTV News Northern Ontario.
  18. ^ "Cory Marks Throws Down in Single "Outlaws & Outsiders" ft. Travis Tritt, Ivan Moody & Mick Mars". Front Porch Music. January 26, 2020.
  19. ^ a b Brooks, Dave (December 20, 2019). "Cory Marks 'Outlaws and Outsiders' Is the 2019 Hit That Couldn't Be Confined". Billboard.
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  28. ^ Iahn, Buddy (August 11, 2020). "CORY MARKS 'WHO I AM' DEBUTS WORLDWIDE". The Music Universe.
  29. ^ a b "Cory Marks on Twitter: "Very excited to announce that my single #BlameItOnTheDouble is now at UK & [German] rock radio!! 🥃🥃 @BetterNoise 🇬🇧🇨🇦"". Retrieved October 5, 2020 – via Twitter.
  30. ^ a b Brooks, Dave (December 3, 2020). "Cory Marks Releases Amped-Up Cover of 'Jingle My Bells' for Better Noise Christmas Album". Billboard.
  31. ^ Iahn, Buddy (October 8, 2020). "CORY MARKS RELEASING 'JINGLE MY BELLS'". The Music Universe.
  32. ^ Dawson, Chris (December 1, 2020). "Cory Marks has a new Christmas tune and it's catchy!". BayToday.ca.
  33. ^ Parton, Chris (April 30, 2021). "CORY MARKS PUTS THE HAMMER DOWN FOR 'BLAME IT ON THE DOUBLE' COLLAB". Sounds Like Nashville. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  34. ^ Brooks, Dave (April 30, 2021). "Cory Marks Drops Single With Jason Hook & Theory of a Deadman's Tyler Connolly". Billboard.
  35. ^ a b "CORY MARKS' NEW 'NASHVILLE MORNINGS' EP OFFERS REFRESHED APPROACH TO THE COUNTRY-ROCKER'S CATALOGUE". Rock N' Load Magazine. June 17, 2021. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  36. ^ "Cory Marks - In Me I Trust". New Country Songs. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
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  41. ^ Brooks, Dave (November 4, 2022). "Cory Marks Ready to Support a Major Tour, After 3-Year Pandemic Delay". Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
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  69. ^ "Cory Marks – I Rise (Official Music Video)" (video). YouTube. February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
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External links edit