Fashion / Music / Business & brands
Maxine Powell
1915–2013 · etiquette instructor, finishing-school founder, talent agent
Detroit finishing-school founder who taught poise and stage manners to the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and other Motown stars in the 1960s.
- Born
Texarkana, Texas- Died
Southfield, Michigan
aged 98- Birth name
- Maxine Blair
- Detroit years
- 1945–2013
- Field
- Fashion, Music, Business & brands
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Raised in Chicago, Powell moved to Detroit in 1945 and taught self-improvement and modeling, opening the Maxine Powell Finishing and Modeling School in 1951. Two years later she bought a large house that became Detroit's largest banquet hall for African Americans, and as a talent agent she brought Black productions to local theaters and placed Black models in advertising. The Gordy family printed the programs for her annual fashion show, and Berry Gordy began asking her opinion of his young artists. In 1964 she closed her school to work for Motown, and from 1966 she taught in its artist development department on West Grand Boulevard, coaching the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5 and the Supremes, for whom she also sourced gowns. Mary Wilson said Powell gave them tools for life, not just stagecraft. She left Motown in 1969 and taught personal development at Wayne County Community College from 1971 to 1985.
Highlights
- Opened the Maxine Powell Finishing and Modeling School in Detroit (1951)
- Motown's instructor in grooming and poise from 1964 to 1969
- Coached the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and the Jackson 5
- Taught at Wayne County Community College (1971–1985)
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 2
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Worked here · 1966–1969
Motown Museum
Motown's artist development department, where she taught, occupied a house in the Hitsville row on West Grand Boulevard.
Worked here · 1971–1985
Wayne County Community College
She taught personal development courses here.