Michael J. Powell

Michael J. Powell is an American R&B musician, record producer and arranger who is best known for his work as producer for eight time Grammy Award-winning soul / R&B vocalist Anita Baker.

Powell was born in Chicago and lived there until his family moved to Detroit when he was nine years old. In 1974, he formed a band called Chapter 8. A year later, Anita Baker joined Chapter 8 in Detroit. They eventually got a record deal with Ariola.

The self-titled album came out in fall of 1979. Two singles hit the R&B charts: "Ready for Your Love" and "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl". Ariola Records was bought by Arista. In 1983, Powell reunited with Baker and had a hit single with “No More Tears” featured on her album The Songstress.

Beginning in 1986, Baker collaborated with producer Michael J. Powell and keyboardist Sir Dean Gant on a series of critically acclaimed projects. This partnership resulted in three multi-platinum albums Rapture in 1986, Giving You the Best That I Got in 1988 (which reached Number 1 on The Billboard 200) and Compositions in 1990.

Together with co-producer Sir Gant, Powell worked in 1987 as co-producer and arranger of the song "Without You", a composition of Lamont Dozier, starred Bill Cosby, No. 14 on the R&B chart, No. 85 on the UK Singles, and No. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100, between 1987 and 1988.

In 1991, Powell helped produce Patti LaBelle's Grammy-winning album, Burnin' and Gladys Knight's solo album Good Woman, both on MCA Records.