


He lent his talents to television programs such as The Voice at the dawn of his career. Head-spinning rhythm guitar wizardry, technical ebullience, laugh-out-loud jokes, and radiance on stage established him as both a sought-after collaborator and celebrated solo artist alike. Straight out of Minneapolis, Cory positioned himself as music’s answer to motivational speakers like Tony Robbins since emerging in 2011. If I can get one person to feel good this way, it’s a success. To uplift audiences with instrumental music that has no singing or lyrics is a fun challenge. ’ You’ll hear my voice through the guitar, but I’m just a hype man. “I want them to have a visceral response like: ‘I feel better, ’ ‘That was really fun, ’ or ‘I got to escape for an hour. “For me, it’s all about the listener’s experience,” he explains.

Living up to this classification, he slings a Stratocaster and hurls “dad jokes” from the stage with the same panache, poise, and power. As much as he treasures his roles as a guitarist, composer, and producer, Cory Wong fashions himself “a hype man, ” first and foremost. You instinctually hum a tune in order to get pumped up in the morning, for fuel on the treadmill, to soundtrack your commute, or as the pre-game to a big night out. Music motivates at the most primal level.
