Born on June 19th, 1962, Paula Abdul grew up in the San Fernando Valley area of California, where she joined her first dance class at the age of eight years old. Her love of the arts was instant and her dance teacher soon saw a raw talent with her capabilities in choreography, often allowing Paula’s insight on the companies dance routines.
Then, in the early eighty’s, soon after Paula graduated from high school, she made the journey to Los Angeles and auditioned for a place on the cheer and dance squad for the LA Lakers as a Laker Girl. The judges noticed Abdul’s skill and she was one of the very lucky few selected from 700 girls for a spot on the team. With in the first year with the Laker Girls, Paula Abdul became the captain of the team as well as the choreographer of all of the half time show routines.
By the late 1980′s, Paula had become a well known and sought after choreographer and back up dancer for the pop industry, handing out fast-paced dance moves and routines to such artists as Janet Jackson and Debbie Gibson, even appearing in Jackson’s “Nasty Boys” video. But According to Paula Abdul, she felt as if something was missing and decided to try her hand at becoming a recording artist herself.
With $30,000 of her savings, Paula stepped into the recording studio and in 1989, he first album “Forever Your Girl” was released and sky rocketed to the top of pop charts. By 1990, the album had gone multi-platinum selling over 10 million copies.
However, in 1992 after a lack-luster sophomoric album, Paula admitted to suffering from the eating disorder bulimia and promptly check herself into rehab. After getting a handle on her illness, she married Brat Pack actor Emilio Estevez, but the marriage was short-lived and Paula Abdul filed for divorce in May of 1994.
It was almost as if Paula had faded from the spotlight for good until she was offered the position as the third judge on a talent show titled American Idol in 2002. She seemed to be the soft-centered judge that offered sympathy and optimism to the many young hopefuls that came before the judges.
Amidst the rumors of Paula’s pain killer and possible alcohol addictions, on August 4th, 2009, FOX Television annonced that Paul Abdul would be leaving the American Idol Judges scene after seven years due to “a breakdown in contract negotiations.”
Paula Abdul has kept herself busy with a successful line of jewelry that she designed for HSN.Com. Her line has become one of the most popular lines the company has ever sold.