Background | solo_singer |
---|---|
Caption | attending Los Angeles Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios, Culver City, CA on March 22, 2007 |
Birth name | Paula Julie Abdul |
Birth date | June 19, 1962 |
Origin | San Fernando, California, United States |
Occupation | Singer, songwriter, choreographer, dancer, television personality, actress |
Years active | 1978–present |
Genre | Pop, R&B; |
Label | Virgin (1987–1996) Mercury (1997) Concord (2008) Filament (2009–present) |
Website |
In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B; hits in the late-1980s and early-1990s. Her six number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 tie her for fifth among the female solo performers who have reached #1 there. She won a Grammy for "Best Music Video - Short Form" for "Opposites Attract" and twice won the "Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography".
After her initial period of success, she suffered a series of setbacks in her professional and personal life, until she found renewed fame and success in the 2000s as a judge on the television series, American Idol, for eight years, before departing from the show. Abdul had moved on to another television series, CBS's Live to Dance, which debuted in January 2011. The series has since been canceled. Following her judging role in Live to Dance, Abdul moved to the American version of The X Factor with her former American Idol co-judge Simon Cowell which will premiere in September 2011.
An avid dancer, Abdul was inspired towards a show business career by Gene Kelly in the classic film Singin' in the Rain as well as Debbie Allen, Fred Astaire, and Bob Fosse.
Abdul began taking dance lessons at an early age in ballet, Jazz, and Tap. She attended Van Nuys High School, where she was a cheerleader and an honor student. At 15, she received a scholarship to a dance camp near Palm Springs, and in 1978 appeared in a low-budget Independent musical film, Junior High School.
Abdul studied broadcasting at the California State University at Northridge. During her freshman year, she was selected from a pool of 700 candidates for the cheerleading squad of the Los Angeles Lakers NBA basketball team—the famed Laker Girls. Within three months, she became head choreographer. Six months later, she left the university to focus on her choreography and dancing career.
Abdul choreographed videos for several singers throughout the 1980s, including many videos for Janet Jackson during her Control era. In 1995, 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. In 1998, she released a second video called Cardio Dance (re-released on DVD in 2000). In December 2005, 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, 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. 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.
In 1988, Abdul released her pop debut album, Forever Your Girl. The album took 62 weeks to hit #1 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart—the longest an album has been on the market before hitting #1—and spent 10 weeks there. The album eventually became multi-platinum in the spring and summer of 1989, and it spawned five American Top Three singles, four of them #1s (three in 1989 and one in 1990): "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl", "Cold Hearted", and "Opposites Attract". A remix album, Shut Up and Dance, was also released and reached #7 on Billboard's album chart, becoming one of the most successful remix albums to date. The Grammy award-winning video for "Opposites Attract" featured an animated cat named MC Skat Kat.
At the 33rd Grammy Awards, Abdul won her first Grammy for Best Music Video for "Opposites Attract", She was also nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her song "Straight Up" but it lost to Bonnie Raitt's "Nick of Time".
In the early 1990s, Yvette Marine, backing vocalist on Forever Your Girl, claimed that she sang "co-lead vocals" on the album and sued Paula and Virgin Records for compensation. After one month of court proceedings, Abdul and Virgin won the case.
Abdul's follow-up album, 1991's Spellbound, contained another string of hits, and sold 7 million copies worldwide. 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?". The album, Spellbound, retained much of the dance-oriented formula heard on her debut album. The track "U" was written for Paula by Prince.
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. The tour began on schedule and ran from October 1991 to the summer of 1992. In 1991, Abdul embraced advertising and starred in a popular Diet Coke commercial in which she danced with a digital image of her idol, a young Gene Kelly.
Abdul was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December of 1991.
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, Abdul starred in the ABC television movie Touched by Evil, playing a businesswoman who discovers that her boyfriend is a serial rapist. Also that year, 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 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 Abdul took a break from the music industry, she remained busy behind the scenes. 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 (she had previously also choreographed the 1991 film The Doors). 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; Abdul was also set to appear as the head coach. The pilot never aired.
In 2000, Abdul’s Paula Abdul: Greatest Hits CD was released by Virgin Records (with whom Abdul was already no longer affiliated). It included all her hit singles and other noteworthy tracks. The song "Bend Time Back 'Round" had previously been heard only on the 1992 soundtrack for the hit television series Beverly Hills, 90210.
While serving as a judge on "American Idol," Abdul accepted a second assignment as reporter for Entertainment Tonight.
In March 2006, Fox announced that 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. Abdul was present at the initial audition of the eventual winner, Leona Lewis.
The week of May 14 to May 18, 2007 (the week before the season 6 finale), Abdul broke her nose when she tried to "avoid tripping over her pet chihuahua." She was present at the May 22 performance and the May 23 finale.
In 2008, it was reported she was to be working on a new album.
Abdul's American Idol wardrobe often includes a number of necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings that she designs, and she often gives show contestants custom-designed jewelry. In 2007, Paula Abdul Jewelry launched its nationwide consumer debut on QVC, with the tagline "fashion jewelry designed with heart and soul." Paula's first QVC appearance resulted in 15 sellouts of her first jewelry collection involving more than 34,000 pieces. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times on July 18, 2009, Paula's manager David Sonenberg told the newspaper that, "Very sadly, it does not appear that she’s going to be back on ‘Idol’." This came about as a result of stalled negotiations between Paula and the show. On August 4, 2009, after numerous contract negotiations, Abdul confirmed that she would not be returning to Idol for its ninth season. The Times cited reports Abdul had been earning as much as $5 million per season and that she was reportedly seeking as much as $20 million to return.
On August 18, 2009, it was reported that Abdul was negotiating to return to Idol after not taking part in season nine of Dancing with the Stars. Two days later, Abdul's manager said that there were not any talks with Fox, but they were not ruling anything out.
Abdul claimed her departure from Idol was not about money, but that she had to stand on principle.
On September 9, 2009 Ellen DeGeneres was confirmed as Abdul's successor for Idol.
In January 2008, Abdul returned to the music charts for the first time in nearly 13 years with the single "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow," the first track on the album Randy Jackson's Music Club Vol 1. The song debuted on On Air with Ryan Seacrest., and Abdul performed it during the pre-game show for Super Bowl XLII. "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" was a modest comeback hit for Abdul, peaking at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100, #11 on iTunes and #2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. She also made a brief guest appearance in season 3 episode 1 of the British television Comedy-Drama Hotel Babylon, which aired in the United Kingdom on February 19, 2008.
In January 2009, Abdul hosted "RAH!," a 90-minute cheerleading competition on MTV. "RAH!" featured five collegiate squads competing in a series of challenges with Abdul crowning one the winner. In May 2009, Abdul debuted her latest song "I'm Just Here for the Music" (originally an unreleased song from Kylie Minogue's ninth album Body Language) on the Ryan Seacrest Radio KIIS-FM show and performed the single on the American Idol results show. "I'm Just Here for the Music" reached #87 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Abdul's 15th song to appear on the chart.
Paula Abdul has remained busy since leaving American Idol. She hosted "VH1 Divas Live" in September 2009, and opened the show by performing a medley of #1 hits, including "Straight Up", "Cold Hearted", "Opposites Attract", and "Forever Your Girl." Also on the program, Paula poked fun at her American Idol replacement Ellen DeGeneres.
In 2009 and 2010, Abdul appeared in several episodes of Lifetime Television's hit series Drop Dead Diva, a comedy about a shallow model whose soul resurfaces in the body of a brilliant, plus-size and recently deceased attorney, Jane. On the show, Abdul played herself as "Judge Paula," a figment of Jane’s subconscious.
In November 2010, Abdul launched and co-founded AuditionBooth.com, a website that allows aspiring talents to connect with casting directors, producers, and managers.
Abdul kicked off 2011 by serving as lead judge, executive producer, creative partner, mentor and coach on CBS' new dancing competition, Live to Dance (formerly Got to Dance) Abdul said that unlike American Idol, her new show is less about "competition" and more about "celebration." After its first season of seven weekly shows, it was cancelled by CBS.
On Valentine's Day 2006, Abdul appeared on Dr. Phil as part of a prime time special on love and relationships. She was set up on two dates and Phil McGraw gave her advice.
In mid July 2007, Abdul announced that she had begun dating J.T. Torregiani, a restaurant owner 12 years her junior. She told Access Hollywood: "He is a good guy. Things are looking upwards. It's looking good right now. I wasn't even looking for someone and that's what usually happens." Paula and JT broke up in June 2008, citing their hectic work schedules.
On April 4, 2006, Abdul filed a report at a Hollywood police station claiming she 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 Abdul, the man at the party argued with her, grabbed her by the arm and threw her against a wall," Vernon said. "She said she had sustained a concussion and spinal injuries."
Allegations arose again in January 2007 when videos circulated on the Internet of Abdul appearing to sway in her chair and slur her speech during a set of interviews. Abdul's publicist attributed this to fatigue and technical difficulties during the recording of the interviews. It was revealed on the Bravo show Hey Paula, which had followed Abdul with a video camera prior to the interviews, that Abdul had not been sleeping, perhaps suffering from some mild form of insomnia.
In February 2007, Abdul told Us Weekly that she had never been drunk or used illegal drugs and called the allegations "lies."
In a March 2007 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Abdul joked that her scrutinized behavior was caused by her being "abducted by aliens."
In several interviews given in the late 2000s, Paula claimed to have been left in debilitating pain after a 1992 car accident and a 1993 plane crash that required 15 spinal surgeries and which left her dependent on pain medication for years.
In May 2009, Ladies' Home Journal posted an article on its Web site that said Abdul told them she attended the La Costa Resort and Spa the previous year to recover from physical dependence on prescription pain medications. The medications, prescribed due to injuries and her RSD diagnosis, included a pain patch, nerve medication, and a muscle relaxant. According to the article, Abdul said the medications made her "get weird" at times and that she suffered from physical withdrawal symptoms during her recovery.
Later that same week, though, in an interview with Detroit radio station WKQI, Abdul rejected the article's accuracy. She told the radio station she never checked into a rehab clinic and never had a drug abuse problem.
;Studio Albums
Year | !! Role !! Notes | |||
1978 | Junior High School | Sherry | ||
1987 | Can't Buy Me Love (film)Can't Buy Me Love || | Dancer | Uncredited | |
rowspan="2">1997 | Touched By Evil| | Elle Collier | TV Movie | |
Muppets Tonight | Herself | |||
rowspan="2" | 1998 | The Waiting Game| | Amy Fuentes | TV Movie |
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | |
Herself | ||
rowspan="3" | 1999 | The Wayans Bros.| | Sasha | 1 Episode |
Mr. Rock 'n' Roll: The Alan Freed Story | Denise Walton | |||
Family Guy | Herself | |||
2002–2009 | American Idol| | Judge | Guest Appearance Finale 2010 | 2003 Zoe's Dance Moves Herself |
2004 | That's So Raven| | Undercover Judge | 1 Episode | |
rowspan="3" | 2005 | Romy and Michele: In the Beginning| | Herself | TV Movie |
Less Than Perfect | Kathleen | |||
Robots (film)Robots | |
Watch | ||
2006 | The X Factor (UK)| | Guest Judge | 3 Episodes | |
2007 | Hey Paula (TV series)Hey Paula || | Herself | 7 Episodes, also Executive Producer | |
rowspan="2" | 2009 | ''RAHPaula Abdul's Cheerleading Bowl | Herself | |
Brüno (film)Brüno | |
Herself | ||
2008 | Hotel Babylon| | Herself | Guest star | |
2009– present | Drop Dead Diva| | Herself | 4 episodes | |
2011 | Live to Dance| | Judge | ||
2011-present | The X Factor (U.S.)| | Judge |
As choreographer {| border="2" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;" ! Year !! Film !! Notes |- | 1983 || Private School || |- | 1986 || A Smoky Mountain Christmas |- | rowspan="3"|1987 || The Tracey Ullman Show || Won 1989 Emmy Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Choreography" |- |Can't Buy Me Love || |- |The Running Man |- | rowspan="3"|1988 || Action Jackson || |- |Big || |- |Coming To America |- | rowspan="3"|1989 || She's Out of Control || |- |Dance To Win || |- |The Karate Kid, Part III |- | 1990 || 17th American Music Awards || Won 1990 Emmy Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Choreography" |- | 1991 || The Doors || Val Kilmer's choreographer |- | 1996 || Jerry Maguire || |- | 1999 || American Beauty || |- | 2001 || Black Knight || |- | 2002 || The Master of Disguise || |}
Category:1962 births Category:American cheerleaders Category:American choreographers Category:American dance musicians Category:American dancers Category:American film actors Category:American Idol participants Category:American music journalists Category:American musicians of Russian descent Category:American musicians of Ukrainian descent Category:American people of Syrian-Jewish descent Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:Concord Records artists Category:Emmy Award winners Category:English-language singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Idol series judges Category:Living people Category:Musicians from California Category:People from the San Fernando Valley Category:The X Factor judges Category:The X Factor (UK) Category:Van Nuys High School alumni Category:Virgin Records artists Category:Jewish American musicians Category:Jewish singers
ar:باولا عبدول az:Paula Abdul bg:Пола Абдул cs:Paula Abdulová da:Paula Abdul de:Paula Abdul et:Paula Abdul es:Paula Abdul eo:Paula Abdul fa:پائولا عبدل fr:Paula Abdul gl:Paula Abdul ko:폴라 압둘 hr:Paula Abdul id:Paula Abdul it:Paula Abdul he:פאולה עבדול jv:Paula Abdul kn:ಪೌಲಾ ಅಬ್ದುಲ್ sw:Paula Abdul lv:Pola Abdula nl:Paula Abdul ja:ポーラ・アブドゥル no:Paula Abdul pl:Paula Abdul pt:Paula Abdul ro:Paula Abdul ru:Абдул, Пола scn:Paula Abdul simple:Paula Abdul sk:Paula Abdulová fi:Paula Abdul sv:Paula Abdul th:พอลลา อับดุล tr:Paula Abdul uk:Пола Абдул vi:Paula Abdul zh:寶拉·阿巴杜This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
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