Quick Facts
- NAME: Paula Abdul
- OCCUPATION: Choreographer, Singer, Television Personality
- BIRTH DATE: June 19, 1962 (Age: 51)
- PLACE OF BIRTH: San Fernando, California
- Full Name: Paula Julie Abdul
- ZODIAC SIGN: Gemini
Best Known For
Paula Abdul is best known for her hit songs and dancing in the 1990s, and for judging American Idol in the 2000s.
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Play NowPaula Abdul. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 12:59, Jun 20, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/paula-abdul-20631149.
Paula Abdul. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/paula-abdul-20631149 [Accessed 20 Jun 2013].
"Paula Abdul." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Jun 20 2013, 12:59 http://www.biography.com/people/paula-abdul-20631149.
"Paula Abdul," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/paula-abdul-20631149 [accessed Jun 20, 2013].
"Paula Abdul," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/paula-abdul-20631149 (accessed Jun 20, 2013).
Paula Abdul [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 Jun 20] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/paula-abdul-20631149.
Paula Abdul, http://www.biography.com/people/paula-abdul-20631149 (last visited Jun 20, 2013).
Paula Abdul. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/paula-abdul-20631149. Accessed Jun 20, 2013.
Synopsis
Paula Abdul was born in 1962 in California. A natural born dancer, Abdul was selected as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers while in college. She continued her career as a dancer and choreographer and eventually worked with The Jackson 5 before becoming a pop star in her own right during the '80s. After making it big with her debut album, Straight Up,
Abdul stayed out of the public spotlight until she joined the judges panel of the immensely popular show American Idol from 2002-'10.
Early Life
Dancer, singer, choreographer and television personality Paula Julie Abdul was born on June 19, 1962, in San Fernando, California. The daughter of Harry Abdul, owner of a sand and gravel business, and Lorraine Abdul, a pianist, Paula grew up in the San Fernando Valley. Abdul showed a passion for dance at an early age, and began taking lessons at 8 years old. In addition to her dance classes, Abdul was a conscientious student. By the time she entered Van Nuys High School, she was an honor student and cheerleader. At 15, she received a scholarship to a Palm Springs dance camp, and appeared in the 1978 musical film Junior High School, with several other Van Nuys students.
After high school, Abdul continued her studies at California State University in Northridge, where she majored in communications. But dancing remained her biggest passion, and during her freshman year at CSU she was selected from more than 700 women to become a Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader. Within three months as a Laker Girl, Abdul was selected to be the group's head choreographer. She dropped out of CSU six months later to focus completely on her dance career. The move paid off, and soon Abdul's choreography caught the attention of The Jackson 5, who hired her as an assistant dance director for their Victory tour.
Rise to Fame
She quickly became a choreographer for the stars, including big names such as ZZ Top, George Michael, Duran Duran and Janet Jackson. After choreographing Janet Jackson's hit video "Control," and earning an Emmy Award for her dance work on The Tracey Ullman Show, Abdul launched a recording career of her own. Thanks in no small part to talented producers and big-budget videos like Forever Your Girl, Abdul's debut album Straight Up made her into a bona fide star.
She released her second album, Spellbound, in 1991 and her third, Head Over Heels, in 1995 with moderate success. By 2000, Abdul had sold in excess of 30 million records, released two No. 1 albums and six No. 1 singles, and won a Grammy Award. That year, Abdul decided to take a break from the music industry.
'American Idol'
In 2002, Abdul stepped back into the spotlight as one of the three judges on the instantly popular television reality competition, American Idol, alongside producers Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell. Abdul became the show's voice of optimism, often countering the dour and overly pessimistic Cowell. In addition to her role on Idol, Abdul also ran dance and cheerleading camps across the country.
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