A famous saying goes, “Everything begins with an idea, but an idea that is not developed into action will never get bigger than the brain cells it occupies.” This saying proves true for Chris Dobry, who, in 1997, conceived the idea to bring on a battle of the bands in his city of Green Bay, Wisconsin. With determination and not a dime to his name, Chris worked hard to bring his idea to life and founded his record label, Stryker Records, where he promotes live concerts, manages artists, and releases music worldwide.
To secure initial funds for the company’s launch, Chris granted a series of press releases and secured an interview on the local CBS station the same night as the Grammy Awards. This created a lot of attention to the event, which drew the initial funds necessary to launch the label and showcased a lot of local talent that Chris would eventually work with. He later moved the operations to Detroit, Michigan, where Euphoria Productions hired him to promote significant events while working with area rock artists under his label.
As part of his mission to bring new artists to the spotlight, Chris, through his label, Stryker Records, signed Drew Lines as its first hip-hop artist and his viral singles’ Rise’ and ‘Love is War’ featuring Clio Cadence were produced by Malcolm Springer at The House of Blues Studio in Nashville. This past fall, Drew Line’s latest single, “Rise,” topped the NACC (Canada and the US) chart at number 18, and on the NY at #1 in the Hip Hop category, M3 Radio chart in Brooklyn, and #1 on the ‘all genre’ top 30 charts.
Currently, Stryker Records is preparing to release a hip-hop remix of the hard-hitting but lesser-known Saving Abel song, “15 Minutes of Fame,” on March 11. Malcolm Springer produced the song and Saving Abel bassist Scott Wilson at the House of Blues Studio in Nashville, and performances by Drew Lines, Scotty Austin and Jason Null will be heard on the track.
In addition, Chris Dobry and Jason Schrick of JPS Productions have been arranging “The Borrowed Time Tour,” which will kick off on March 10 at Wildfire in Gillett, Wisconsin. Drew Lines will headline the tour and feature JPS Productions recording Artist Trotter Water, Space Kase and Caesar Reddington. The tour will have additional stops in Wisconsin and travel to Chicago, Kansas City and other markets around the Midwest.
In the coming years, Chris Dobry plans to expand his company into a global brand, promoting signed artists and helping them earn gold and platinum singles. “I can see expanding my roster to include several Rock, Country and hip-hop groups. I will also continue to promote and produce live music events around the country and support the people who have helped me reach these successes. A lot can happen in five years, and the possibilities are endless. But, the biggest success I can have in the next five years and beyond is just being truly happy,” he shared.
