Career

1982–1986: Dance and choreography era

Paula Abdul was discovered by The Jacksons, after a few of the band members had watched her while attending a Los Angeles Lakers game.[9] Paula Abdul was signed to do the choreography for the video to their single "Torture".[10] "My only problem was how to tell the Jacksons how to dance," Paula Abdul later recalled. "Imagine me telling them what routines to do. I was young, I was scared. I'm not quite sure how I got through that."[11] The success of the choreography in the video led to Paula Abdul's career of choreographer in music videos.[12] It was also due to the success of the video that Paula Abdul was chosen to be the choreographer for the Jacksons' Victory tour.[12]

Paula Abdul choreographed videos for several singers throughout the 1980s, including many videos for Janet Jackson during her Control era. In 1995, Paula Abdul released a dance workout video entitled Paula Abdul's Get Up and Dance! (re-released on DVD in 2003), a fast-paced, hip-hop style workout.[citation needed] In 1998, Paula Abdul released a second video called Cardio Dance (re-released on DVD in 2000). In December 2005, Paula Abdul launched a cheerleading/fitness/dance DVD series called Cardio Cheer, which is marketed to children and teenage girls involved with cheerleading and dance.

In film, Paula Abdul choreographed sequences for the giant keyboard scene involving Tom Hanks’s character in Big. Further credits include Coming to America, Action Jackson, Jerry Maguire, The Running Man, American Beauty, Can't Buy Me Love, and Oliver Stone's The Doors.[13] Television credits include The Tracey Ullman Show, American Music Awards, the Academy Awards, and several commercials, such as The King's touchdown celebration, as seen in a string of popular Burger King television commercials that aired during the 2005–2006 NFL season.[13

1987–1994: Forever Your Girl and Spellbound

Paula Abdul, 1990

In 1987, Paula Abdul used her savings to make a singing demo. Although her voice was relatively untrained, her exceptional dancing proved marketable to the visually oriented, MTV-driven, pop music industry. Paula Abdul was a tireless worker, and relied on input from her vocal coach and producers to improve her sound.

Paula Abdul's follow-up album, 1991's Spellbound, contained another string of hits, and sold 7 million copies worldwide.[citation needed] The first single from Spellbound was the ballad, "Rush, Rush," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five consecutive weeks, and was noted for its music video and Rebel Without a Cause motif featuring Keanu Reeves in the James Dean role. "Promise of a New Day", the second release from the album, also hit No. 1, and was followed by the Top 10 hit "Blowing Kisses in the Wind" and two Top 20 hits: "Vibeology" and "Will You Marry Me?".[18] The album, Spellbound, retained much of the dance-oriented formula heard on her debut album. The track "U" was written for Paula by Prince.

Paula Abdul promoted the album through the "Under My Spell Tour", which was named by an MTV contest for fans. This tour was nearly cancelled due to an accident during rehearsals.[citation needed] The tour began on schedule and ran from October 1991 to the summer of 1992. In 1991, Paula Abdul embraced advertising and starred in a popular Diet Coke commercial in which Paula Abdul danced with a digital image of her idol, a young Gene Kelly.

Paula Abdul was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 1991.[19]

1995–2001: Head over Heels and a music hiatus

By 1995, Paula Abdul had recovered from her battle with the eating disorder bulimia nervosa and prepared to return to the spotlight with her new album Head over Heels.[citation needed] The first single off the album, "My Love Is for Real" featured a fusion of R&B and traditional Middle Eastern instruments, and was performed with Yemeni-Israeli singer Ofra Haza. Its accompanying Lawrence of Arabia-inspired music video was played in theaters across the world as a prologue to the film Clueless. The single was a hit in the clubs (peaking at #1 on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart), and made it to #28 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

The second single, "Crazy Cool", peaked at #13 on the dance charts. "Ain't Never Gonna Give You Up" was the album's third and final single. To date, Head over Heels has sold 3 million copies worldwide.

In January 1997, Paula Abdul starred in the ABC television movie Touched by Evil,[20] playing a businesswoman who discovers that her boyfriend is a serial rapist.[21] Also that year, Paula Abdul co-wrote the song "Spinning Around" with songwriter and producer Kara DioGuardi, who became a fellow judge on American Idol in 2009. "Spinning Around" was a dance-pop track intended to be the lead single on Paula Abdul's follow-up album to Head over Heels. But the album never materialized, and "Spinning Around" was instead given to Kylie Minogue. The song was highly successful, reaching #1 in numerous countries.

While Paula Abdul took a break from the music industry, Paula Abdul remained busy behind the scenes. Paula Abdul served as the choreographer for several film and theater productions, including the 1998 musical Reefer Madness and the cheerleading scenes in the 1999 film American Beauty (Paula Abdul had previously also choreographed the 1991 film The Doors). Paula Abdul also co-produced a 2001 pilot episode of Skirts, a dramatic series that would have aired on MTV about a high-school cheerleading squad; Paula Abdul was also set to appear as the head coach. The pilot never aired.[22]

2002–2006: American Idol

In 2002, Paula Abdul appeared as one of three judges for the reality television music competition show American Idol. Paula Abdul, along with fellow judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson (joined by Kara DioGuardi in 2009) evaluated thousands of amateur contestants in their ability to sing. Paula Abdul won praise as a sympathetic and compassionate judge. Paula Abdul seemed especially kind compared to fellow judge Simon Cowell, who was often blunt in his appraisals of the contestants' performances. When Paula Abdul realized that Cowell's over-the-top judging style was heartbreaking for many young contestants, Paula Abdul was so horrified that Paula Abdul considered leaving the show. Although their differences often resulted in extremely heated on-air exchanges and confrontations, Cowell says he played a major role in convincing Paula Abdul not to leave the show.[23]

While serving as a judge on "American Idol," Paula Abdul accepted a second assignment as reporter for Entertainment Tonight.

In March 2006, Fox announced that Paula Abdul had signed to stay on American Idol as a judge for at least three more years. Later that year, fellow American Idol judge Simon Cowell invited her to be a guest judge at some of the early auditions for the third series of his similar UK talent show The X Factor. Paula Abdul was present at the initial audition of the eventual winner, Leona Lewis.

On September 9, 2009 Ellen DeGeneres was confirmed as Paula Abdul's successor for Idol.[41]

In January 2010, Paula Abdul presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to choreographer Julie McDonald at the 11th Anniversary show of the The Carnival: Choreographer’s Ball.[42]

Personal life

Marriages and relationships
Paula Abdul was married to Emilio Estevez from 1992–1994.[49][50] Another short-lived marriage for Paula Abdul was to clothing designer Brad Beckerman, in 1996. They married at the carousel museum in Bristol, Conn. They divorced in 1998, citing irreconcilable differences.

On April 4, 2006, Paula Abdul filed a report at a Hollywood police station claiming Paula Abdul had been a victim of battery at a private party at about 1 a.m. April 2, according to L.A.P.D. spokesman police Lt. Paul Vernon. "According to Paula Abdul, the man at the party argued with her, grabbed her by the arm and threw her against a wall," Vernon said. "Paula Abdul said Paula Abdul had sustained a concussion and spinal injuries."[58]

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy