Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul Bio

Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She first rose to public attention as a cheerleader and later head choreographer for the Los Angeles Lakers’ Laker Girls before moving into music-video choreography for Janet Jackson and other top artists. Signed to Virgin Records, her 1988 debut album Forever Your Girl set a record at the time for the most number-one singles from a debut album on the Billboard Hot 100. Abdul later became a household name as an original judge on the Fox series American Idol from 2002 to 2009.

Across her career, Paula Abdul has earned a Grammy Award, five MTV Video Music Awards from 17 nominations, two Primetime Emmy Awards for choreography, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the first Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards Hall of Fame Award. Her work spans pop music, film choreography, network television, and live performance, including a Las Vegas residency titled Paula Abdul: Forever Your Girl.

Early Life and Background

Paula Julie Abdul was born on June 19, 1962, in San Fernando, California. She is Jewish, and her father, Harry Abdul, is of Syrian Jewish heritage, born in Aleppo, Syria, raised in Brazil, and later immigrated to the United States. Her mother, Lorraine (Rykiss), was a concert pianist of Jewish origin from Minnedosa, Manitoba, Canada. Abdul has an older sister named Wendy.

Inspired toward a show business career by Gene Kelly in the film Singin’ in the Rain, Abdul began taking dance lessons in ballet, jazz, and tap at an early age. She attended Van Nuys High School, where she was a cheerleader and an honor student, and at age 15 she received a scholarship to a dance camp near Palm Springs. In 1978, she appeared in the low-budget independent musical film Junior High School, and she graduated from Van Nuys High School in 1980.

Abdul studied broadcasting at California State University, Northridge. During her freshman year, she was selected from a pool of 700 candidates for the Los Angeles Lakers’ famed Laker Girls cheerleading squad. Within a year, she had risen to become head choreographer, a role she held until 1986, when she moved on to professional choreography work.

Path to Choreography and Recording Artist

Paula Abdul was discovered by the Jacksons after several members of the group watched her perform at a Los Angeles Lakers game. The Jacksons signed her to choreograph the music video for their single “Torture,” and the success of that work launched her career as a sought-after music-video choreographer in the 1980s. She went on to choreograph Janet Jackson’s videos “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” “Nasty,” “When I Think of You,” and “Control,” and was chosen as choreographer for the Jacksons’ Victory tour.

Throughout the 1980s, Abdul built a reputation as one of the leading film and music-video choreographers of her era. She received choreography credits in numerous films, including Can’t Buy Me Love (1987), The Running Man (1987), Coming to America (1988), Action Jackson (1988), The Doors (1991), Jerry Maguire (1996), and American Beauty (1999). She also choreographed the giant keyboard sequence for Tom Hanks’s character in Big (1988).

In 1987, Abdul used her personal savings to record a singing demo, which led to her signing with the newly formed Virgin Records America by Jeff Ayeroff. Although she was a relatively untrained singer, Abdul worked with vocal coaches and record producers to develop her mezzo-soprano voice, paving the way for her transition into recording artist.

Paula Abdul Career

Early Career (1982–1986)

Paula Abdul’s first years in the entertainment industry were defined by her work as head choreographer of the Los Angeles Lakers’ Laker Girls, a position she held from the early 1980s until 1986. In that role, she helped shape the squad’s distinctive dance style and image, drawing the attention of major recording artists and their management teams. Her choreography for the Jacksons’ “Torture” video became her breakout professional credit and led directly to work on the Victory tour.

During this period, Abdul appeared in a low-budget independent musical film, Junior High School, in 1978, and continued to refine her dance and choreography skills at California State University, Northridge. By the time she left the Laker Girls in 1986, she had earned choreography credits on several major music videos, including Janet Jackson’s “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” “Nasty,” “When I Think of You,” and “Control,” establishing her as a leading figure in the music-video era.

Breakthrough (1987–1999)

Abdul’s debut studio album, Forever Your Girl, was released in 1988 on Virgin Records and became one of the most successful debut albums at that time. It reached number one on the Billboard 200 after 64 weeks on the chart and spent 10 weeks at the top. The album produced four U.S. number-one singles — “Straight Up,” “Forever Your Girl,” “Cold Hearted,” and “Opposites Attract” — and was later certified 7× platinum by the RIAA. A companion remix album, Shut Up and Dance: Mixes, also reached number seven on the Billboard 200.

At the 32nd Grammy Awards, Paula Abdul won her first Grammy Award for Best Music Video for “Opposites Attract.” She was also nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Straight Up.” Her second studio album, Spellbound (1991), continued her commercial success, selling seven million copies worldwide and yielding two additional number-one singles: “Rush Rush” and “The Promise of a New Day.” The “Rush Rush” video starred Keanu Reeves in a Rebel Without a Cause motif. Abdul received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 1991.

Her third studio album, Head over Heels (1995), saw moderate commercial success, peaking at number 18 on the Billboard 200 and eventually becoming her lowest-selling release. Its lead single, “My Love Is for Real,” performed with Yemeni-Israeli singer Ofra Haza, reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following her 1995 album, Abdul took a brief professional hiatus while she sought treatment for personal and physical issues.

Notable Works and Milestones

Paula Abdul’s signature work is her 1988 debut album Forever Your Girl, which set a then-record for the most number-one singles from a debut album on the Billboard Hot 100. Her career-defining moments include her 1991 Grammy win for Best Music Video (“Opposites Attract”), her 1991 star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and her role as an original judge on American Idol, which cemented her as a television personality.

Paula Abdul Award Nominations

Across her career, Paula Abdul has received numerous award nominations recognizing her contributions to music, choreography, and television. She received 17 MTV Video Music Award nominations in total, along with a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Straight Up.” Her choreography work for film, television, and live performance has also earned industry recognition.

Paula Abdul Awards Won

Paula Abdul has won a Grammy Award, five MTV Video Music Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Choreography, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards Hall of Fame Award, the first ever given to an entertainer. Her Grammy came at the 32nd Grammy Awards for Best Music Video for “Opposites Attract” (1991). Her Primetime Emmys recognized her choreography work on The Tracey Ullman Show and her own performance at the American Music Awards in 1990.

Paula Abdul Family

Paula Abdul was raised in a Jewish household in San Fernando, California. Her father, Harry Abdul, is of Syrian Jewish heritage, born in Aleppo, Syria, raised in Brazil, and later immigrated to the United States. Her mother, Lorraine (Rykiss), was a concert pianist of Jewish origin from Minnedosa, Manitoba, Canada. Abdul has an older sister named Wendy. She later studied her faith more deeply, observing her Jewish heritage and in 2013 celebrating her bat mitzvah at age 51 in Safed, Israel, at the International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah.

Personal Life

Paula Abdul married actor Emilio Estevez in 1992, and the couple divorced in 1994. In 1995, Abdul stated that the marriage ended because she wanted children and Estevez, who already had two children from a previous relationship, did not. She later married clothing designer Brad Beckerman in 1996 at the New England Carousel Museum in Bristol, Connecticut, and they divorced in 1998 after 17 months of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.