Engineer and musician, Merion “Joei” Powers has been in the recording business since 1982. Originally from and living in Minnesota then, with the help of fellow vocational students, Powers combined architectural design and construction talents to build, “from the ground up,” his first professional studio. Playing guitar since childhood, Powers’s first performing gig was as a musician with Flytetime, before the band went on to world fame as Prince protégé group, The Time. From there Powers landed pre-deal work with singer Alexander O’Neal. Once O’Neal was signed to Tabu Records, Powers played and toured with him nationally and internationally over six years. After his days with O’Neal, Powers moved to Detroit in 1989 and began, at first, providing live sound for the city’s local artists. He launched his Recording Studio in 1990 where he began recording an ongoing roster of Detroit’s national gospel artists, which led to pop, rock, rap, and R & B. Clients have included The Ridgeway Sisters, The Clark Sisters, Orthea Barnes, The Winans, and Tim Bowman. Powers has worked closely with world-renowned music directors and musicians, Valdez and Kern Brantley, who introduced him to late, “princess of hip-hop,” Aaliyah. Powers became her sound engineer, production manager, and family friend. When asked what recent road tours have taught him, Powers replied, “You’ve got to know what you’re doing. This business is highly demanding and will test you. I like that because I’m a demanding person.” “Many people new to the entertainment business have no knowledge of the dedication, stamina, and know-how it takes to contribute to a major production, let alone a successful tour,” he explained. Powers’s almost obsessive diligence in keeping pace with the ever-changing technologies involved and equipment used in the industry put him in high demand locally and nationally.