Cory Henry

Cory Henry is a Grammy-winning organist, pianist, bandleader, producer, arranger, and first-call sideman. He was a child prodigy on piano and organ, and made his debut at the Apollo Theater at age six. His approach to the Hammond B-3 and the piano are heavily influenced by Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson. He combines gospel, blues, and jazz in his playing and writing. His albums as a bandleader include 2010's Christmas with You, 2011's Leave You Alone, and 2012's Gotcha Now Doc. The Revival appeared on Universal in 2016. Recorded in 2019 and released during the pandemic, Something to Say showcased the Funk Apostles and other players. Henry released the digital Live at the Piano in 2023. February 2024's star-studded, 23-track Church took home the Grammy for Best Roots Gospel album at the 2025 awards ceremony.Henry was born in Brooklyn, New York. According to family sources, he was a child prodigy who had already learned to play the organ and piano by the age of two from his mother Marie, a choir director and multi-instrumentalist. At five he was dubbed "Master Henry" because of his ability to accompany any song in any key on the Hammond B-3 organ, and he played at his Unity Temple Church in Brooklyn. At six he made his debut at the famed Apollo Theater.By the time he was in high school, he was a well-known player in New York City due to his performances at the Village Underground.With an already well-established reputation, he was hired by saxophonist Kenny Garrett at 19, and remained a star member of his touring band for three years.That apprenticeship established him with a wide variety of industry professionals and he toured and played in-studio with Yolanda Adams, Stanley Brown, Israel Houghton, Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Boyz II Men, Michael McDonald, Bruce Springsteen, the Roots, and dozens of others. In 2010, Henry released his debut album, the holiday set Christmas with You, and followed it a year later with the acclaimed Leave You Alone. Late that year, Snarky Puppy founder Michael League asked Henry to join the band. He made his first recorded appearance with them on 2012's groundUP; that year Henry released his third long-player, 2012's Gotcha Now Doc. Henry was a member of the acclaimed experimental jazz and funk ensemble Snarky Puppy, with whom he won a 2014 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance (Family Dinner, Vol. 1), and a 2015 Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (Sylva). In 2016, Henry released his Universal debut and fourth long-player, the gospel-infused solo effort The Revival, filmed and recorded at Brooklyn's Greater Temple of Praise, showcasing a program of canonical gospel, R&B, jazz, and soul.Two years later, Henry left Snarky Puppy, moved to California, and launched a solo career with the independent project Art of Love in July. A month later, he followed it with the digital-only Art of Love (Live in L.A.). In October 2020, during the first real break in the COVID-19 pandemic, Henry released Something to Say, a varied studio effort that featured the Funk Apostles on four songs, with the remainder recorded by studio players Henry could safely bring into the studio. A reissue of Christmas with You appeared in December.In September 2021, Henry released Best of Me, on which he sang lead, played Hammond B-3, synth, and the Harpejji. According to the musician, the diverse album showcased songs inspired by his musical heroes, ranging from Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, and P-Funk. He stayed true to those '70s influences on 2022's self-revealing Operation Funk. Released in July, it added muscle and groove to Henry's R&B chops. Two weeks later he issued the digital outing Operation Funk (Live) with the Funk Apostles and guests Kamasi Washington on saxophone and guitarist Eric Gales. That September, Henry posted to social media that he would be leaving the music industry in the near future in order to focus on music-making for personal edification rather than monetization. In May 2023, Live at the Piano was a showcase for Henry playing his own compositions. By the time he released the 23-track Church in February 2024, it was obvious that his retirement announcement had been premature. The set, sequenced to provide listeners with a dynamic gospel revue, included guests, from his late mother Marie on the opener "Amazing Grace" and grandmother Dr. Janice McDonald, to gospel star Kierra Sheard, Raphael Saadiq, the Tone3s, Robert Randolph, Charlie Bereal, McClurkin, John P. Kee, Kim Burrell, and the late Bishop Carlton Pearson. Henry took home the 2025 Grammy award for Best Roots Gospel Album. Following a long tour, he released the psychedelic soul single "Let's Go Fall in Love" on Valentine's Day 2025.
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