We sat down with JoAnn Tominaga of Powerbase Entertainment for our Legendary Interview. JoAnn has served the industry for decades supporting some of the biggest names in the industry.

What inspired you to pursue a career in the Music Business and Music Television, and how did you get your start in the industry?

I studied music in college and graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Masters in Music. I was lucky enough to start working with Tommy Bahlor as a session singer on jingles. Through one of these sessions, I met Russ Titelman, a producer at WB Records and friend of Tommy’s. When his assistant quit, I ended up working with Russ and his producing partner, Lenny Waronker, the summer after I graduated. I learned how to coordinate recording sessions by working on some of the top projects of the time, including Rickie Lee Jones, James Taylor, and Chaka Khan.

When Lenny became President of WB Records, Russ moved to New York, and I started working with Michael Ostin, the head of A&R, for the next 10 years. I worked with some of the biggest acts at WB-Madonna, Prince, Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart- before moving to Quincy Jones’ label, Qwest Records. I spent 7 years there, ultimately becoming GM and running the label.

When Quincy decided to close his label, I shifted to working with a Talent Producer on TV shows. I learned the production side of things, but my goal was always to stay in music. My time at the record labels sharpened my skills in marketing, negotiation, and seeing the bigger picture of a project. 

What has been one of the most memorable moments and what has been your biggest challenges in your career, and how did you overcome it?

One of the most memorable projects was when I was lucky enough to work on a PBS “In Performance at the White House” when President Obama was in office. We were working on a Blues show with Mick Jagger, and during rehearsal, the President walked in and stated for the whole thing. There’s a rule at the White House that no one can leave when the POTUS is in the room, so we all had to sit and wait while he watched Mick Jagger. After a while, President Obama got up, apologized if he’d interrupted our work, and said, “It’s not every day that Mick Jagger is singing in my house.”

“A strong Tech and Music Prep Team is essential to ensure everything is ready for the musicians with minimal rehearsal time.”