Music industry 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 L’Amour 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.

L’Amour 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. Always evolving his skill set to match the new tech, he provides a full range of recording services at L’Amour that has grown from mixing, sequencing, mastering and producing music projects to a full multimedia suite.

These days, his business is referred to as, “L’Amour Studios,” as Powers and his staff have added video production and editing, still photography, and graphic and web design to meet the increasing demand for digital proficiency. This multifaceted experience with the business allows Powers to tackle technical challenges mastered by a rarified few. This mastery included the capacity to sync live sound with video onsite during live performance, which he provided as programmer, on the “Up Close and Personal Tour” in 2006, for national recording headliners, Ne-Yo and Chris Brown.

From that 2006 tour, industry manufacturers, CAD Microphones and Livid Instruments both invited Powers to evaluate their products. As a result, Powers now serves among leading industry engineers and experts endorsing the CAD ribbon microphone series as well as Livid’s Union software.

Powers may not be the most personable soul you’ll meet, but he has a formidable work ethic that typically surprises and impresses.

“When I’m focused on the work, often there’s no sleep, especially on tour, the work is never done...it’s ongoing. When I’m getting paid to work, I don’t waste time doing anything else. I find many people can’t relate to that, and there’s usually no time to waste worrying about that either,” Powers said.

Whether working in a crunched timetable, independently, or in collaboration, Powers is known to clients and peers as one on whom you may depend. On most projects there isn’t anyone working harder or more focused. Merion Powers is a self-proclaimed “finisher” who has built a solid business reputation for completing, to the highest professional standard, every job he commits.

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