Former MuchMusic VJ Juliette Powell dies at 54
Former MuchMusic and MusiquePlus host Juliette Powell died last week. She was 54.
The news was shared in an obituary, which said Powell, who spent much of her life living in Montreal and Toronto, died on June 3 from acute bacterial meningitis.
Born in New York in 1970, Powell got her start in the spotlight at a young age, spending time on the pageant circuit and as a model after moving to Montreal with her mother at the age of eight.
In 1989, at the age of 18, she made history as the first Black Canadian to be crowned Miss Canada, earning her a chance to represent Canada at the Miss Universe pageant. She joined the pageant circuit 'motivated by a desire to challenge racial biases in beauty pageants,' her obituary reads.
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FILE – Juliette Powell weeps with joy after being crowned Miss Canada in Toronto. Ron Bull/Toronto Star via Getty Images
In 1992, she joined MusiquePlus as a VJ, hosting the dance music show Bouge de là!, before moving over to sister station MuchMusic in 1996 and hosting both French Kiss and Electric Circus.
In 1999 she began working for CP24 as a business reporter and would eventually graduate summa cum laude with a degree in sociology from Columbia University.
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After founding her own media and consulting company, Powell International Entertainment Inc., she became a prominent figure in the media world and much of her work focused on digital strategy and examining the ethics of new technologies.
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In recent years, she joined the faculty of New York University's Interactive Telecommunications Program, teaching courses on media, technology and ethics.
One of her books on social media, 33 Million People in the Room, published in 2009, was translated into several languages. The last book she co-authored, The AI Dilemma, examined the implications and perils of artificial intelligence.
A celebration honouring Powell's life will take place later this year.
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Published Jun 11, 2025 • 4 minute read Simone Denny, left, of the Love Inc. band poses for a photo with MuchMusic host and producer Juliette Powell. Powell, who once commanded attention as the host of MuchMusic's live dance party Electric Circus, has died at 54. Photo by Debbie Holloway / Toronto Sun Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Juliette Powell, who once commanded attention as the host of MuchMusic's live dance party Electric Circus and later as a respected commentator on the societal risks of advanced technology, has died at 54. The former television host, author and New York University faculty member was found dead at home on June 3, said Art Kleiner, the co-author of her 2023 book The AI Dilemma . He said the cause of death was acute bacterial meningitis. It came as a shock to many friends who say Powell's energetic personality and drive to shatter barriers defined her life up until the end. 'She was obviously brilliant,' Kleiner said Wednesday in a phone interview. 'And she had a charismatic personality.' Many Canadians will remember Powell's radiance, captivating smile and towering figure best from her role as ringleader on Electric Circus , where she mingled with the show's fashionable dancers as they moved and grooved to the latest '90s club hits. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Her experience in the spotlight actually began years earlier after she moved from her birthplace in Manhattan, N.Y., to Montreal with her French-Canadian mother. As a young adult, she entered local beauty pageants in hopes that she could challenge racial biases that were prevalent in the industry. She placed second in the Miss Montreal Pageant and became the first Black woman to win Miss Canada in 1989. Much Music VJ Juliette Powell, left, chats with rap superstar LL Cool J at the Much Music Snojob '98 show at the Sun Peaks ski resort in 1998 in B.C. Photo by Nick Procaylo / Postmedia Network The recognition opened doors to TV opportunities and Powell was eager to walk through many of them. In 1992, she joined Montreal music video channel MusiquePlus as a video jockey and the bilingual host of its weekly dance show Bouge de la! The station's founder, Moses Znaimer, said Wednesday in a post on X that he was struck by the young Powell's 'sass' and 'smarts,' though he couldn't recall if she challenged him for the job or he offered it to her first. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Powell held onto her TV gig while studying finance and business at McGill University. Eventually, she moved to Toronto, where Znaimer handed her the reins of Electric Circus , which had been hosted for years by Monica Deol. Both women were beauties suited for television, and many former Much staffers acknowledge Powell had big shoes to fill. She did it with her own trademark style, frequently wrapping her long arms around people she interviewed as she floated through the open studio in downtown Toronto with her wireless microphone. 'You have to be warm, you have to give of yourself,' said Tony Young, also known as Much VJ Master T. 'She came in there and handled it famously.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO When Nam Kiwanuka joined the MuchMusic team in 1999 as an intern on Rap City, Powell was already on a roll. Her weekly presence on Friday night TV, and the bilingual music video show French Kiss had made her a household name. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. So Kiwanuka was surprised to learn that her office desk would be right next to Powell's at 299 Queen St. W., which made her a frequent observer of her mentor's enigmatic appeal. 'She was one of those people that when you spoke to her, you were the only person in the room,' Kiwanuka said. 'There was an energy about her; she was very confident. Whenever stars came in, they seemed to be more enamoured with her.' Powell signed off from Electric Circus in 2000 by popping a bottle of champagne on-air as the dancers surrounded her. Together, they rushed onto the streets outside the studio, everyone bobbing to the groove of a disco beat. 'I will never, ever forget this,' Powell said while clutching armfuls of bouquets and stuffed animals. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She assured viewers she wasn't leaving TV entirely. Her next stop was as a business reporter at news channel CablePulse 24, now known as CP24, a role she insisted wasn't so different 'because money is very sexy, too.' Read More However, Powell would eventually drift away from her role as a TV personality, and friends say she became accustomed to a more private life. She founded media consulting company Powell International Entertainment Inc. and took advisory roles at the United Nations, World Economic Forum and the World Bank. In 2009, she wrote her first book, 33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence, and Run a Successful Business Using Social Networking . This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. By then, she had already found a new calling in the fast-evolving world of technology, eventually becoming a voice for the societal risks of a world dominated by artificial intelligence. In 2014, she met Kleiner through a mutual friend who felt they could be fruitful collaborators on the ethics of tech. Kleiner said the intellectual spark between them happened quickly and he saw an opportunity to work together. 'She commands the room just in the way she shows up,' he said, pointing to YouTube videos of her conversations about unconscious biases in technology, data ownership and privacy. The pair published the 2023 book The AI Dilemma: 7 Principles for Responsible Technology , which explored the risks and misuses of machine learning. It expanded on her interests in the intersection of media, technology and ethics, a topic she taught as part of NYU's faculty in the interactive telecommunications program. Last year, they founded Kleiner Powell International, an AI consultancy firm for business clients, one of several projects he said Powell was working on up until her final days. 'Everyone that I talked to had some future thing they planned with Juliette.' Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. 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