Today we’d like to introduce you to Corey Lee Barker
Hi Corey Lee, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Corey Lee Barker (AKA Christmas Corey) has had over 1,700 songs cut by artists or placed in tv shows since his 1998 arrival in Nashville. His music has been placed on ABC, CBS, Hallmark, Cinemax, Netflix, Pureflix, Entertainment Tonight, Animal Planet, Hulu, Lifetime, WB Network, CW Network, MLB Tonight, Amazing Race, UpTV, Smallville, The Messengers, Hope for Christmas, Last Chance Highway (Theme Song), FD TV, Tom’s Wild Life (Theme Song), Hoge Wild TV, Road to Christmas, Hashtag Blessed, Unperfect Christmas Wish, Sappy Holiday, A Christmas to Treasure, Journey to Christmas, Christmas at the Amish Bakery, A Cowboy Christmas Romance, A Bluegrass Christmas, A Country Music Christmas, Winter’s Garden, Heart Strings Attached, Secrets INnThe Sisterhood, Christmas Cards, A Perfect Christmas Pairing, The Holiday Exchange, TV Binge, Woman in the Maze, Fortis Femina, Shelter in Solitude, Vampire Academy, The Recipe Files, Bringing Christmas Home, Technically Yours, A Christmas of Wonders, Christmas A La Carte, The Last page, etc.
Artists who have recorded Corey’s music include, but aren’t limited to William Shatner, Vince Gill, Tracy Lawrence, Darryl Worley, Jamie O’neal, TG Sheppard, Neal McCoy, Claudette King (BB King’s daughter), Cledus T Judd, Buddy Jewell, T Graham Brown, Home Free, Daryl Singletary, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Bill Anderson, Jeff Bates, Johnny Lee, Pam Tillis, Jeff Carson, Jesse Keith Whitley, Jeff Cook (of Alabama), Suzy Boguss, Riders In The Sky, Jason Jones (Warner Brothers), Rhonda Vincent, Jeannie Seely, The Jordanaires, Larry Gatlin, Lucas Hoge, etc.
His songs have been on Grammy winning albums and #1 Billboard albums collectively in Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Polka. Corey has received 11 wins for Songwriter of the year collectively between the ICMA, The Josie Music Awards and The Tennessee Songwriters Association International, along with multiple song nominations or wins from the Texas Country Music Association, The World Songwriter Awards, GMA, KCMA and the NACMAI. Be sure to check out Corey’s 3 books: “Hit Happens” , “101 Ways to get your songs recorded” and “Songwriting for Sync”.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve been turned down or ignored by just about every publishing company and record label in town over the years but remained resilient and confident that I had something to offer and did not let my passion get detoured. My favorite non-success story is when I once got fired from a place I was singing for free:! Huge ego builder:) I also lost a handful of staff deals I had, as the publishing companies ran out of money and could no longer continue.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Although I write almost every kind of music, I adopted the name “Christmas Corey” , after the 6th person called me that. I write a few hundred Christmas songs per year to keep up with the movie and artist demand. The other thing that makes me a tad different is that people with little or no experience can hire me to turn their ideas into songs and still receive half the credit, regardless of how little they contribute. I want everyone to have a shot at experiencing some of the joy I’ve been able to experience by hearing their song in a movie or on an artist album.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The greatest lesson I’ve learned is that persistence is everything. If you surround yourself with good hearted, hard working, talented people and refuse to give up………….the sky is truly the limit. also, never be afraid of rejection because that is a continued part of the process and only helps you grow stronger when you can march right past it.
Pricing:
- $200 per session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.coreyleebarker.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coreyleebarker_christmascorey
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corey.l.barker/
- Other: https://www.reverbnation.com/christmascorey
