User:Krista Mann/sandbox

Kris Kory™ (born Krista Lee Mann, March 1, 1968 in Saint John, New Brunswick) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, devoted wife and dedicated mother. She won the NBSI(New Brunswick Sound Initiative) songwriter award in 1999 for her song I Thank You Lord. The prize qualified her to participate in the Songwriter Showcase held at The Renaissance in Nashville during Gospel Music Week'99.

Her work includes: live performances with other artists, band memberships, subbing in bands from a variety of genres including Paul Brandt (a Ralph Bell Celebration event), Sweet Temptation (top 40), The Nations (gospel), Lee Marlow (country - back vocals & local band accompaniment), Cajun Moon (country), Ralph Bell Celebration (Billy Graham Association - pianist, back vocalist, accompaniment) as well as a surprise visit by Kitty Wells during a Maritime venue.

Early Years

Kris Kory™ is from a hard working family. Her father, Ervin Mann, was a school bus driver and often moonlighted as cab driver or bread truck driver. Her mother, Marsha (Charlong), was a fulltime registered nurse. Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, she was adopted into the Mann family at just six-weeks old and was raised in Campbellton, New Brunswick. She is the eldest sibling of three younger brothers Jeffrey, Jason, and Kevin.

Her parents recognized her innate love for music and enrolled her in the Royal Conservatory of Music at the age of 4 1/2. She participated in the annual Rotary Music Festivals as well as the Encounters variety shows put on by her high school (SSHS). She started playing organ and piano in her local church at the age of 13 and began teaching piano while she was still in junior high.

During a search for her birth parents, she was pleased to discover that she inherited her birth father's musical genes. Her grandfather, father, uncle, and cousin are all musical: 1)her grandfather played and sang on local television, 2) her grandfather and his sons performed dance music at legions, festivals, and fairs, 3) her birth father travelled to Nashville TN, 4) her grandfather is a good friend of Tommy Hunter. Tommy often stopped in at the house during his Maritime visits. The living room wall displays a photo of them by the woodstove playing their guitars and singing a tune.

Her birthparent search also resulted in the discovery of more siblings. A paternal sister and maternal brother and sister.

Ervin and Marsha, Kris's parents, also parented foster children for a time. To this day, Kris Kory™ remains in contact with her foster siblings.

Other Miscellaneous Facts about Kris Kory™

Kris is a bird lover, a devoted Montreal Canadian fan, and a faithful Shopping Channel viewer. Her favorite meal is glazed ham with scalloped potato. Her annual birthday cake is angel food with vanilla custard and real cream or cool whip. For her husband, she loves to make his favorite chocolate oat cake topped with boiled icing, her mother's recipe. She loves to relax by checking Facebook and plays various Mahjong games. During winter she loves to make tissue boxes out of plastic canvas and yarn. She gives most of them away. In summer, she makes a year supply of strawberry freezer jam. In the fall she makes various pickles, including Cucumber Lunch and Po Mann's carrots.

Most Memorable Moments in her Career 1. Vestal Goodman heard Kris Kory's song I Thank You Lord during her Gospel Music Week showcase. Afterward, Vestal took a moment and spoke so encouragingly to her. She cupped Kris's chin in her hand and said "Sing baby, Sing". When she returned home from Nashville, there was a letter from Vestal awaiting her. Beautiful paper penned in feminine pink ink. A treasure she has kept since that day. 2. Kitty Wells and her bus stopped in a New Brunswick pub for a quick bite before returning to the road. Kris Kory™ was performing at the Urban Coral and had no idea Kitty was there. The legend hung out long enough to hear Kris Kory's set. While singing It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels, the lovely Kitty Wells joined in. A moment she cherishes still today.

3. Gospel Music Week'99 was a life-changer for Kris Kory™. During GM Week festivities, Grant Cunningham met with Kris and the two began singing another of Kris's original songs at the back of the Showcase room which opened to The Renaissance's magnificent hallways. Russ Taff strolled by to catch an elevator. While waiting for it to open, he joined Grant and Kris's mini jam. Unfortunately, Grant passed away a few years later. But that moment lives on in Kris's memory.

4. Another game-changer during Gospel Music Week'99 was a Songwriter class led by Darin Rowsey. It was about songs that had been stolen. The lesson was to not let it happen again and to believe that God Himself would give a new song to replace the one that was stolen. Any income lost from the stolen song would be more than restored by the new song. Singing With The Saints was an example of a restoration song. Lesson learned. Thank you Mr. Rowsey!

Kris Kory™ is forever writing... writing songs, commercial jingles, short stories, blogs or jotting down ideas. She also teaches piano and is an accomplished vocal coach.