Paula Abdul

Biography
* Birthplace: San Fernando, California
* Birthday: June 19, 1963

Though primarily known as a choreographer and top-selling recording artist, Paula Abdul had a resurgence later in her career as the host of the pop culture phenomenon, “American Idol” (Fox, 2002- ). One of three panelists—which included Simon Cowell and famed music producer Randy Jackson—Abdul added a nurturing presence in contrast to Cowell’s harsh persona and Jackson’s bland assurance while a steady stream of horrid singers vied for their shot to become a star. Throughout her career, Abdul had been the subject of severe criticism herself: wearisome comparisons to Madonna and Janet Jackson, ridicule about her weight and sharp jabs at her lack of vocal range. But once on “American Idol,” she seemed to revive her image as the sweet girl next door—until controversy dogged her once again, shedding light on the dark underbelly of her nice girl veneer.


Born in San Fernando, California to a Syrian-Brazilian father and French-Canadian mother—a unique blend that gave her a distinctive look often confused as being part African-American—Abdul was drawn to entertainment after watching “Singing in the Rain” (1952) as a child. At 6, she began ballet and tap lessons, then did summer stock from ages 7 to 15, performing excerpts from musicals like “Hello Dolly” (1969) and “Gypsy” (1962). A near-obsessive overachiever, she was class president, head cheerleader, member of the science and debate teams and flautist in the orchestra at Van Nuys High School. Meanwhile, her mother—a retired classical pianist and former assistant to Billy Wilder—warned Abdul about the perils of the entertainment industry. So instead of following her dream, Abdul attended California State University at Northridge to pursue a degree in film and television. She wanted to become a sportscaster in the Jayne Kennedy vein, but the entertainment bug continued to bite.

During her freshman year at CSUN, Abdul auditioned for a spot on the cheerleading squad for the Los Angeles Lakers. She was quickly dismayed, however, upon seeing hundreds of other girls vying for the same opportunity. But her years of tap, jazz and ballet paid off and she became one of twelve girls selected in 1981. Soon after her arrival, the choreographer left to get married and suggested Abdul take over. The chance allowed her to infuse jazz and street steps with standard cheerleading moves, which captured the attention of Janet and Michael Jackson—both used her talents for their videos “What Have You Done for Me Lately?” and “Torture.” Soon other artists demanded her services—she choreographed videos for Duran Duran, George Michael and ZZ Top. Music videos quickly led to feature films—she did the choreography for “Private School” (1983), “The Running Man” (1987) and “Coming to America” (1988).

It was her work on ZZ Top’s “Velcro Fly” video that attracted the attention of Jeff Ayeroff, executive at Virgin America Records. He spoke with Abdul in 1986 about turning her into a vocalist despite her lack of experience or talent as a singer. Instead, he was impressed with her work ethic and flair for showbiz. He later signed Abdul to a contract and put her into the studio to record her first album, Forever Your Girl. Before it was released, Virgin put the single “Knocked Out” onto a mixed sampler CD and KMEL in San Francisco put the song in its rotation. The response was positive and Virgin moved up its release of Forever Your Girl to June of 1988. The first two singles—“Knocked Out” and “The Way That You Love Me”—faired well, but the third, “Straight Up,” went to No.1. Meanwhile, the album topped the Billboard 100 at number one and eventually sold over 10 million copies internationally.

Despite the multi-platinum album and hit singles, critics blasted her tinny octave-and-a-half voice that was doubled, tripled and heavily-synthesized to make it palpable to the ear. By her own admittance she wasn’t a good singer, but felt she had more to offer—looks, charm, dance moves, acting flair; in other words: image. As part of the Club MTV tour, she performed with Tone-Loc, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, but the tour suddenly turned sour when it was revealed that fellow act Milli Vanilli were frauds. The experience weighed heavily upon the other artists, but Abdul slipped away unscathed. Meantime, her next album, Spellbound, though not as big a seller as Forever Your Girl, managed to sell 3 million copies and boasted two No.1 singles, “Rush, Rush” and “The Promise of a New Day.”

For Spellbound, she tried hard to improve her voice, working with coach Gary Catona, who put her through the ringer with exercises that stripped down her throat muscles. But Abdul had a hard time shaking off her rap as a bad singer. To make matters worse, Yvette Marine, a backup singer on Forever Your Girl, filed a lawsuit against Virgin Records claiming that she sang co-lead on two tracks and did not receive proper credit for her work. A jury ruled against Marine, but the public damage to Abdul was done. Meanwhile, she embarked on her first solo tour, performing around the country in large 20,000 seat arenas—an experience Abdul admitted she was ill prepared for. The tour, however, was successful and left her perched atop the pop world.

The pressures of the lawsuit, world tour and swift marriage to actor Emilio Estevez forced Abdul to retreat from the spotlight. During this time, she came to grips with a problem that plagued her for 17 years: bulimia. In a 1995 episode of “PrimeTime Live” (1989- ), she confessed to ABC’s Nancy Collins that she finally conquered the punishing eating disorder despite public ridicule about her weight and her divorce from Estevez. Meanwhile, she released a third album, Head Over Heels, which failed to crack the Top Ten and caused some critics to lament its weak hooks, bland lyrics and reedy vocals. By 1995, her overproduced dance pop seemed out of step with the Grunge and Hip-Hop saturating the airwaves and MTV. As of 2005, Head Over Heels was her last recorded album.

Abdul spent the remainder of the 1990s appearing in guest spots on television, mainly as herself: episodes of “Cybill” (CBS, 1994-1998), “Spin City” (ABC, 1996-2002), “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” (ABC-WB, 1996-2003) and “The Bernie Mac Show” (Fox, 2001- ) padded her resume. She also continued choreographing films, working on “The Doors” (1991), “American Beauty” (1999) and “Black Knight” (2001). Then in 2002, Abdul returned to the spotlight as a judge on “American Idol,” where her pleasant critiques of even the worst singers endeared her to millions. Rumors swirled that she and Simon Cowell were having an affair off-screen because of their flirtatious banter. But the rumors remained unconfirmed and even prompted occasional spoofs on the show.

Though “American Idol” had its share of controversy—previous contestants had been kicked off for hiding unflattering pasts—she remained above the fray until 2005, when Abdul faced hit-and-run charges following a traffic accident the previous year, followed by a public admission that a personal health issue had caused various instances of erratic behavior in public. Then failed "Idol" hopeful Corey Clark claimed he and Abdul had an affair during his 2003 run. Clark further alleged that she gave him wardrobe advice, song tips and money—a no-no for judges. First reported in the tabloids, word spread across the media landscape and became a full-blown scandal. Abdul called Clark a “liar” and an “opportunist,” and highlighted his criminal past. Though Abdul poked fun of herself on “Saturday Night Live,” Clark continued his allegations, claiming proof in the form of answering machine messages and phone bills. Clark later said he would reveal more explicit evidence if there was a federal investigation. After Fox's own internal investigation, the network found no substantial evidence to back up the claims of an actual affair, and Abdul was allowed to continue with "American Idol."