Paula Abdul was born on 19 June 1962 in San Fernando, California.
After joining the L.A. Lakers cheerleaders, Paula Abdul was hired by The Jacksons as assistant dance director and choreographer on a range of Jackson videos and tours.
Her first album was “Forever Your Girl” in 1998, which featured the single “Straight Up” which dramatically increased her popularity.
“Straight Up” was the first of six number one singles.
Paula Abdul has had a couple of short-lived marriages - including one to actor Emilio Estevez.
Paula founded her own dance company and in 2005 she was made a ‘correspondent’ on the TV show, So You Think You Can Dance, hosted by Lauren Sanchez.
She has also released an aerobics video, Cardio Dance (1998), and has written songs for Kylie Minogue amongst others.
Her father is of Syrian Jewish descent and Abdul featured in a poster for The Forgotten Exodus, a campaign that highlights the plight of Jews who have had to flee from persecution in Arab countries.
Paula Abdul has been a regular expert judge on American Idol. In her years on the show she has become more opinionated and feisty.
In response to the controversy generated by her behaviour, Paula Abdul told the media that she has been fighting chronic pain after a cheerleading accident that left her with an injured disc in her neck when she was 17. After a couple of car crashes and a plane crash in 1992 the pain worsened and led to seizures, bulimia and depression. Abdul explained that she has had 12 operations.
Paula Abdul said that in November she was diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.
American Idol has provided an impetus to Paula Abdul’s career in other areas leading to her recording a follow-up to 1995’s “Head Over Heels", and making jewelry.
In March 2005 Paula Abdul was fined and placed on probation after a hit-and-run incident in California, that took place in December 2004.
Spring 2005 also featured rumours of an affair between Paula Abdul and an American Idol contestant, which Abdul has denied.