Maxine Powell (May 30, 1915 – October 14, 2013) was an American etiquette instructor and talent agent. She taught grooming, poise, and social graces to many recording artists at Motown in the 1960s.[1][2][3][4]
Born Maxine Blair in Texarkana, Texas, she was raised by her aunt in Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1933, attended Madam C.J. Walker's School of Beauty Culture, and worked as a manicurist to finance her acting studies; she also studied elocution and dance.[5] In the early 1940s she worked as a model and as a personal maid, and she developed a one-woman show, An Evening with Maxine Powell, which she performed with a group at the Chicago Theatre.[5]
She moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1945 and taught self-improvement and modeling classes before opening the Maxine Powell Finishing and Modeling School in 1951. She bought a large house in 1953, which became the largest banquet facility in Detroit for African Americans, and worked as a talent agent, bringing black productions and artists to Detroit theaters and placing black models in advertising campaigns.[2][5] Around this time she hired a printing business to prepare programs for her annual Las Vegas–style fashion show. The business was operated by the family of Berry Gordy. She and Gordy became friends, and in the early 1960s he asked her opinion of the young artists that had signed with his record company, Motown.[2]
In 1964, she closed her school to be a consultant to Motown's talent. When Motown expanded into new offices in 1966, she was hired to work in the company's department of artist personal development, teaching artists such as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5 and the Supremes, whose Mary Wilson stated Powell taught them more than stage presence, but "tools for us as human beings". In Powell's words, she turned them into performers "fit for kings and queens."[1] Powell left Motown in 1969 and taught personal development courses from 1971 until 1985 at Wayne County Community College.[1][2][3][4]
On May 31, 2013, Powell suffered a fall. Her health steadily declined until her death of natural causes on October 14, 2013, at the age of 98 at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan.[1][3][4]
Referencesedit
^ abcdMaxine Powell, mentor to Motown's stars, dies at 98
^ abcdGale Contemporary Black Biography: Maxine Powell
^ abcMaxine Powell, Motown Charm Coach, Dies at 98
maxine, powell, 1915, october, 2013, american, etiquette, instructor, talent, agent, taught, grooming, poise, social, graces, many, recording, artists, motown, 1960s, bornmaxine, blair, 1915, 1915texarkana, texas, united, statesdiedoctober, 2013, 2013, aged, s. Maxine Powell May 30 1915 October 14 2013 was an American etiquette instructor and talent agent She taught grooming poise and social graces to many recording artists at Motown in the 1960s 1 2 3 4 Maxine PowellBornMaxine Blair 1915 05 30 May 30 1915Texarkana Texas United StatesDiedOctober 14 2013 2013 10 14 aged 98 Southfield Michigan United StatesOccupation s Etiquette instructor talent agentKnown forInstructing Motown artistsBorn Maxine Blair in Texarkana Texas she was raised by her aunt in Chicago Illinois She graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1933 attended Madam C J Walker s School of Beauty Culture and worked as a manicurist to finance her acting studies she also studied elocution and dance 5 In the early 1940s she worked as a model and as a personal maid and she developed a one woman show An Evening with Maxine Powell which she performed with a group at the Chicago Theatre 5 She moved to Detroit Michigan in 1945 and taught self improvement and modeling classes before opening the Maxine Powell Finishing and Modeling School in 1951 She bought a large house in 1953 which became the largest banquet facility in Detroit for African Americans and worked as a talent agent bringing black productions and artists to Detroit theaters and placing black models in advertising campaigns 2 5 Around this time she hired a printing business to prepare programs for her annual Las Vegas style fashion show The business was operated by the family of Berry Gordy She and Gordy became friends and in the early 1960s he asked her opinion of the young artists that had signed with his record company Motown 2 In 1964 she closed her school to be a consultant to Motown s talent When Motown expanded into new offices in 1966 she was hired to work in the company s department of artist personal development teaching artists such as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles Marvin Gaye the Jackson 5 and the Supremes whose Mary Wilson stated Powell taught them more than stage presence but tools for us as human beings In Powell s words she turned them into performers fit for kings and queens 1 Powell left Motown in 1969 and taught personal development courses from 1971 until 1985 at Wayne County Community College 1 2 3 4 On May 31 2013 Powell suffered a fall Her health steadily declined until her death of natural causes on October 14 2013 at the age of 98 at Providence Hospital in Southfield Michigan 1 3 4 References edit a b c d Maxine Powell mentor to Motown s stars dies at 98 a b c d Gale Contemporary Black Biography Maxine Powell a b c Maxine Powell Motown Charm Coach Dies at 98 a b c Maxine Powell Obituary a b c Entertainment Makers Maxine PowellExternal links editMaxine Powell at IMDb Part One of Powell interview with WGBH TV video Part Two of Powell interview with WGBH TV video Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Maxine Powell amp oldid 1150067212, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
