Cory Rooney facts for kids

Mark Cory Rooney (born 1968) is an American songwriter and record producer. He is famous for helping create hit songs for some of the biggest stars in music. He has worked with artists like Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Destiny's Child, and even Michael Jackson.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Cory Rooney grew up in Jamaica, Queens, a neighborhood in New York City. Music was a big part of his family life. His parents, Herb Rooney and Brenda Reid, were members of the music group The Exciters. In the 1960s, their group even toured with The Beatles!

His father also worked as a producer. He produced the famous song "It's Your Thing" by The Isley Brothers. When Cory was a teenager, he joined his family's band, continuing the musical tradition.

Career as a Producer

Finding His Path

In the 1990s, Rooney started making a name for himself. He worked with Prince Markie Dee from the rap group the Fat Boys. Together, they formed a group called Soul Convention.

Sony Music offered Rooney a deal to be a solo artist, but he decided to focus on working behind the scenes. He began producing hit songs for other artists. He helped produce "Real Love" for Mary J. Blige and "I'll Do 4 U" for Father MC.

Becoming a Music Executive

His talent got him noticed by Tommy Mottola, a powerful figure at Sony Music. In 1994, Mottola hired Rooney as a producer and later made him the vice president of A&R at Epic Records. A&R, which stands for "artists and repertoire," is the part of a record label that discovers new talent.

Rooney continued to climb the ladder in the music world. He became a senior vice president at Sony Music Entertainment in 1998. This meant he was a top boss responsible for making important decisions and finding new stars. Even with this important job, he kept producing and writing music.

Working on TV and Starting a Company

Rooney also worked in television. He was an executive producer for the MTV show "The Shop" and the VH1 show "Born to Diva." "The Shop" was filmed in Rooney's own barber shop in Queens. Famous artists like Busta Rhymes and Diddy appeared on the show to talk about their careers.

Later, Rooney started his own company called the Cory Rooney Group (CRG). The company manages other writers and producers and helps them succeed in the music industry.

Famous Songs He Helped Create

Cory Rooney has worked on hundreds of songs. His work has helped sell over 100 million albums worldwide. Here are just a few of the famous tracks he has written or produced:

• Jennifer Lopez: Rooney was a key partner for Jennifer Lopez on many of her biggest hits. He worked on songs like "If You Had My Love", "I'm Real", "Ain't It Funny", "Jenny from the Block", and "Get Right".

• Destiny's Child: He co-wrote and co-produced the hit song "Independent Women", which became a famous anthem.

• Marc Anthony: He helped create some of Marc Anthony's most popular English-language songs, including "I Need to Know" and "You Sang to Me".

• Mariah Carey: He worked with Mariah Carey on her album Butterfly, contributing to songs like "The Roof (Back in Time)" and "Babydoll".

• Jessica Simpson: He produced her hit song "I Think I'm in Love with You".

• Lindsay Lohan: He wrote and produced the song "Rumors" for her debut album.

• Michael Jackson: After Michael Jackson's death, Rooney helped produce the song "Chicago" for the posthumous album Xscape.

• Other Artists: He has also worked with Mary J. Blige ("Real Love"), Thalía ("I Want You"), Toni Braxton ("Stupid"), and Drake ("Teenage Fever").