Behind every successful musician and recording artist is a dedicated and hardworking team who makes their music possible. Stryker Records is a record label, but it goes above and beyond for its artists. Stryker Records also provides management for artists and bands, as well as promotes live music events. Under the capable leadership of Chris Dobry, this record label has contributed significantly to the music scene.
Chris Dobry established Stryker Records in 1997. “Back when I first started this, I didn’t have a dime to my name,” he recalled. “ I had an idea that I would organize and put together a battle of the bands in my hometown, Green Bay, Wisconsin.”
Dobry then set out to work promoting his event, and after a successful series of press releases, he secured an interview at the local CBS station.
“That interview happened on the same night as the Grammy’s,” Dobry said. “And this drew a lot of attention to the event I was putting together. After that, financing for the battle of the bands came pouring in, and I was able to launch my label and showcase a lot of local talent.”
Soon after his successful event, Chris Dobry moved Stryker Records from Wisconsin to Detroit, Michigan. After this relocation, Dobry continued to work with several local rock artists. He helped them work on their music and secured spots for them on live performances and events. While working with several of these artists, Dobry was hired by Euphoria Productions. There, he got valuable experience in promoting large-scale live music events.
Chris Dobry has worked with several musicians and artists since starting Stryker Records. “I have partnered with so many people for live events, and I have collaborated with so many artists,” Dobry shared. With the live events Dobry promoted, he worked with artists such as Saliva, Trapt, Tantric, Saving Abel, and Rick Monroe. Headliners in Stryker Records live events include music industry heavy-hitters like Merle Haggard, SheDaisy, The Goo Goo Dolls, John Anderson, and La Guns.
In 2020, Chris Dobry partnered with Holly Hutcherson and her company AnRGirl. Together, they launched one of Stryker Records’ rock groups, helping them top the music charts. In partnership with Mainstage Media, Stryker Records is also behind an annual live hip-hop music showcase. This competition is called The Hip Hop World Series, and it features artists from all over the Midwest. Each aspiring contestant performs in front of three judges and a live audience.
The first hip-hop artist to sign on to Stryker Records is Drew Lines. His chart-topping hit singles “Rise” and “Love Is War” were produced by Malcolm Springer and recorded at the House of Blues Studio in Nashville. Additionally, Chris Dobry has worked with Malcolm Springer and Scott Wilson on a Drew Lines hip-hop remix of Saving Abel’s “15 Minutes of Fame,” which Stryker Records will release on March 11. This remix is also recorded at The House of Blues Studio and will also feature performances by Scotty Austin and Jason Null.
Aside from this remix, Stryker Records is also currently working with Jason Schrick of JPS Productions to put together The Borrowed Time Tour, which kicks off on March 10th. The tour will be headlined by Drew Lines and will also feature JPS Productions recording artist Trotter Water, along with Space Case, and Cesar Reddington. The tour will start at Wildfire in Gillett, Wisconsin. After additional stops in Wisconsin, the tour will go on to Chicago, Kansas City, and other locations in the Midwest.
Chris Dobry discovered his passion for live music at 14 when he received his first bass guitar. He played a few live shows as a teenager before teaming up with his friends to organize a battle of the bands in their high school auditorium. As he grew older, his dreams and plans for live music got bigger, and Stryker Records was born. His record label has become the premier company for promoting and managing rock, country and hip-hop artists. However, Stryker Records is more than just a record label. Aside from working with artists, Chris Dobry also has a network of professional creative teams that can make any live music event a success.
