Marks' popularity continues to grow through the pandemic

It's been a pretty amazing 2020 for North Bay's Cory Marks.  

The local artist's album "Who am I" released his newest album in August and now has more than 20 million streams globally.

"It is pretty incredible a kid from North Bay making waves around the world," Marks told BayToday.  

"I got my first top 10 which was with US Rock radio, I got a number twelve on Canadian Rock radio and we got into number three in Germany on German Rock radio."

"It is mindblowing that listeners from 15 to 20 countries tuning in and that could be from Canada to the US, Australia, Brazil to Russia, Argentina, Germany, France, UK, it is just overwhelming but it is very neat to see. To be making this much noise around the world it definitely feels good." 

Prior to the album release date, the song "Drive" got a very positive review on the influential trade magazine Billboard.

Author Dave Brooks describes the song as "a straight-ahead country-pop anthem with an infectious hook and roll-down-your-window feel-good sound "

See related: Big Day for North Bay's Cory Marks

See related: North Bay's Cory Marks hoping for a summertime hit

Marks' success is unique. Not only is he topping the charts in Rock but he is also doing so on the Country music scene. That last northern artist to break through two genres at the same time was someone named "Shania Twain."

"My manager compares the stories about being very similar," noted Marks. 

"The cool thing is, it is two kids from northern Ontario." 

"It is a neat way to look at it not even to mention that my producer Kevin Churko was the engineer on all of Shania Twain's records with 'John 'Mutt' Lange. Now you fast forward 20 years later and Mutt is somewhat out of the game I guess but Kevin Churko is arguably the biggest, greatest Rock producer in the world right now. 

"The similarities are there for sure and if we can have that kind of success with our album that would be incredible." 

While Marks has seen massive success online, sadly the pandemic has forced him to cancel multiple concert dates around the planet.  

"My producer thinks the pandemic has actually allowed more people to hear my music and wanting to see me live," said Marks, who credits sponsors like Farquhar Chrysler and the two Burgerworld locations where the new album is available for purchase.   

"It is unfortunate that I am not able to tour but I have been trying to take the good with the bad with this. It sucks that I cannot do those 40 plus dates across the United States and 30 plus here in Canada and a dozen throughout the UK and Australia."  

But there have been some positives being stuck at home instead of touring. Cory has been able to hop on the ice and play hockey with his brother Matt, spend time with the rest of his family and even work on getting his pilot's license.  

"I am studying another lifelong dream and that is becoming a pilot so I have been studying a long time to get my pilot's exam and then I commence flying in Sudbury on October 14," said the multi-talented Marks.  

"I have been on the ice skating with my brother and did some three on three with his group. It is great to get back to the game I love it, it allows you to enjoy where you are at and stop thinking of where you could be if it was not for COVID-19."

Marks is not sure if it's possible but he has been looking at ways to potentially do a drive-in concert in the north, with North Bay topping the location charts. 

"I would love to do something here in North Bay, possibly a drive-in concert so we are kind of in the works of doing that right now," admitted Marks.  

"So we are kind of in the works trying to do that right now, figure that out and get some sponsors and the city on board and assure that we could have a successful drive-in concert if we were to do that here within the next month before it gets too cold. 

"It is unfortunate we have had to cancel all these gigs but hopefully, we can figure something out until COVID-19 kind of passes us and we can kind of get back to normal."

In the meantime, Marks will continue to do lives on Facebook and Instagram to try and keep fresh, study for his pilot's license, and patiently wait for the end of the pandemic to allow his career to continue to take-off.