Story

Born in Azusa, California thirty miles east of Hollywood, LC Powell is a versatile and accomplished voice actor known for her dynamic performances and captivating musical abilities. With a career spanning over two decades, they have established themselves as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, contributing their talents to a diverse range of projects across various genres.

From a very early age, LC exhibited a natural aptitude for drawing and music, studying and demonstrating proficiency in intonation, piano, singing, and songwriting. Powell is of Scottish, British Canadian, English, German, and Italian descent.

Her first recording session was at age seven, next came her first professional acting opportunity in a pilot at age eight. She honed dance, acting, piano, and vocal skills through formal training and extensive performance experience, which laid the foundation for their multifaceted career.

As a crawling baby, her mother taught her how to read flashcards before she could talk, while her favorite place to nap was under the piano during Mom’s practice hours. When LC entered kindergarten, she was sent to third grade for reading class. Advanced schooling continuing for two more years – first grade to fourth grade, second grade to fifth grade – then being held back in third grade to complete all schoolwork at the third grade level which led to extreme boredom in school.

At age 11, she taught herself guitar by sneaking her mother’s Crown nylon-string guitar into her room to use for songwriting, later sneaking her father’s acoustic Takamine when he left for work. Her mother telling her “you have to wait until your hands are big enough” didn’t deter her from taking the instrument into her own small hands.

Both of Powell’s parents, still living, were musicians. Her mother Cathy Susan Dickinson (née Tabbert) was a classical pianist, rhythm guitarist and singer who played piano in Kingdom Halls for their original hymns called “kingdom songs” composed by many well-known music industry greats during the years “the organization” still allowed pianos and organs in their places of worship. Her father Joseph Brent Dickinson was an expert banjo player, professional rhythm guitarist and singer who founded the band Buffalo Springfield Again with original Buffalo Springfield members, drummer Dewey Martin and bassist Bruce Palmer. BSA toured in the early to mid-1990s. Joseph still performs regularly in the southwest US with Texas Clearwater Revival, while Cathy runs her own Etsy shop.

Being raised in a religion that does not allow higher education, extra-curricular activities, having friends or association that are not members of “the organization,” nor a career in the arts proved extremely difficult during Powell’s school years. Her industry training was extremely frowned upon leading to multiple counseling sessions with the elders in the church, as they encourage all members to pursue full-time “door-knocking” also known as “pioneering.”

Powell attended Rowland High School in Rowland Heights, California. She was bullied in school for her extremely pale skin, nicknamed “Casper,” and for being made to sit in the cafeteria all alone while any schoolwork or class projects were done involving holidays and birthdays. The anxiety this led to dropping out of high school at age 15 during the middle of sophomore year. Powell was asked to be involved in the high school musicals and to play piano in the jazz band, but not being able to participate in anything motivated her to say to her mother, “I’m not going back to school.” She eventually finished sophomore year as homeschooled at Nogales High School in La Puente, and passed the California High School Proficiency Exam at the end of the 1995 school year.

Powell’s teenage work in the industry starting at age 16 involved mostly regional professional musical theatre productions as a “dancer who sings.”  LC is a proficient tap dancer, having started their training in tap, ballet, jazz, and acrobatics at age three after her mother thought she was uncoordinated and clumsy running into walls and coffee tables as a toddler. She secretly auditioned for her first professional musical, a production of The Sound of Music, at age 15 but was not allowed to accept the job because she would have been playing a Catholic postulant. After only her second audition for a professional musical production, she was cast as a stripper in Gypsy but was also forced to drop out for the family’s religious reasons. Powell’s third professional musical theatre audition led to being cast in the ensemble of a production of 42nd Street in 1997, which is her favorite musical to this day.

Beginning a long affiliation with the Walt Disney Company in 1995, Powell snuck away to the original Disney Casting Center in Anaheim, California for an interview at age 16. She was hired immediately with the issue of her age never being discussed, having matured early into height and curves. Powell remains the youngest Jungle Cruise Skipper and the youngest Attractions Trainer in Disneyland Park History at age 16. In summer of 2001, Powell auditioned for an AGVA union improv performer position at Disney California Adventure and booked the job. She met Deke Sharon, “The Father of Contemporary A Cappella,” a few months later and founded the a cappella sextet Groove 66 with the November 2001 opening cast and crew, eventually moving into an associate choreographer position in addition to her duties as Line Captain. Powell was the only member of the group to perform all three treble (which were then only cast as female-identifying) Soprano, Mezzo, and Alto parts, and additionally a fourth part in the Vocal Percussion/Baritone track which was cast exclusively male-identifying. She began directing, choreographing, arranging for, and co-producing the group in 2004 under the name Vybration. The group changed their name in 2022 to LA6. In 2011, Sharon hired LC to co-voice, aka “stack and sweeten” all of the Bellas in the first Pitch Perfect film with Candice Helfand-Rogers. Recording took place on location in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in an abandoned federal building during the time period LC was working in Orlando, Florida as composer and musical director for Pirates Dinner Adventure on both coasts and in the a cappella octet Voices of Liberty as Soprano I and II at Epcot simultaneously.

Powell’s journey in the tumultous session singing side of the music industry began in 2006 with their work as a vocal contractor, arranger, director and session vocalist, lending their voice to numerous recordings, commercials, and film soundtracks. Their laser beam vocals, soaring soprano, and impeccable technique quickly garnered attention, leading to collaborations with renowned artists and producers including Michael Bublé, Spiritualized, Disney TV Animation, and Walt Disney Pictures.

While best known for their work with Disney Television Animation, this remains the most painful part of Powell’s career to date. Powell was subjected to rape, bullying, breach of contract, extreme gender pay gap, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, racial discrimination, ageism, and on-the-job drug and alcohol abuse by her superiors. Her voice appears on Disney Television multiple times every day year-round. Powell was severely underpaid breaching the SAG-AFTRA contract for their work on four seasons of Phineas and Ferb, was never once credited on screen, and has yet to be properly compensated. Powell’s work on the first Frozen film still remains uncredited and uncompensated, while her work on Frozen II is also uncredited.

Powell’s position as a performing music casting director, also known as vocal contractor, has very specific SAG-AFTRA provisions which were finally legally clarified during the 2023 strike after Disney cut her salary illegally and unethically by two-thirds due to bullying and incorrect contract interpretation that went against decades of standards.

In addition to their work as a vocalist, Powell is also an accomplished voice actor. She was the first voice actor to voice Rocky the Flying Squirrel after original voice actor June Foray’s passing. Powell has enjoyed a relationship with Riot Games as the announcer for their RPG phenomenon League of Legends.

Throughout her career, Powell has embraced opportunities as a musician to explore diverse musical styles and genres, ranging from jazz, big band and classical, to chamber ensembles and numerous professional choirs. This versatility has allowed a connection with audiences from all walks of life throughout the world, solidifying her reputation as a dynamic performer with wide-ranging appeal. Her debut and sophomore big band albums have received worldwide airplay and critical acclaim, and can be found on all streaming platforms.

In recent years, Powell has undergone a significant evolution in both their human and artistic identity, adopting her lived and married name LC Powell as she embarks on a new chapter in her career. Powell continues to push the boundaries of their creativity, exploring new sonic territories and pushing herself as an artist while remaining true to her individuality.

As LC Powell, she is dedicated to creating art that inspires, uplifts, and resonates with listeners on a deep and meaningful level. With her passion, talent, and unwavering commitment to her craft, LC Powell continues to leave an indelible mark on the entertainment industry and is poised to captivate audiences around the world for years to come.

Mx. Powell currently resides in Studio City, California with their spouse and seven-year-old maltipoo Luna.

For the latest, follow @mxlcpowell or visit IMDb here.