In the early 1980s, a few of the Jacksons attended a Lakers game and were impressed by what they saw when they watched the Laker Girls cheer.  One cheerleader, in particular, Paula Abdul, caught their eye.  Ultimately, she ended up under contract to choreograph their video, Torture.

Paula Abdul

America fell in love with the innocence of a kid who just was honest, saying, I did the best I could, and I had no formal training.

Dance and Song

In the early 1980s, a few of the Jacksons attended a Lakers game and were impressed by what they saw when they watched the Laker Girls cheer.  One cheerleader, in particular, Paula Abdul, caught their eye.  Ultimately, she ended up under contract to choreograph their video, Torture.  A bit daunted at the thought of telling the Jacksons how to dance, she took on the assignment and achieved excellent results.  She went on to choreograph music videos for multiple artists, including multiple videos for Janet Jackson.

In 1987, Paula Abdul released a demo, which succeeded more by virtue of her dance than her voice, which was more than acceptable in the era of music videos.  In 1988, she released her debut album, Forever Your Girl, which spent 10 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, after 62 weeks of working its way up the chart.  The album turned multi-platinum in mid-1989.  Four singles, Straight Up, Forever Your Girl, Opposites Attract, and Cold Hearted became #1 hits.

A Household Name

Her follow-up album, Spellbound, sold 13 million copies worldwide.  The album produced two #1 hits, Rush, Rush and The Promise of a New Day, as well as two singles that reached the Top 10.  She launched a year-long concert tour to promote the album.  In 1995, after battling an eating disorder, Paula Abdul returned to release her third studio album, Head Over Heels.  The album received mixed reviews and only sold 3 million copies, a number paled by her former successes.

In addition to her recording career, Abdul continued to choreograph for movies, television, and videos.  In 1989, she received an Emmy award for Outstanding  Achievement in Choreography, and in 1990 she received the same award for her work on the 17^th Annual  American Music Awards.  Additionally, she contributed her choreography expertise to such films as The Doors, Big, American Beauty, and The Master of Disguise.

What's Next

Of course, a large part of Paula Abdul's career during the 2000s was her work as a judge on American Idol.  Her stint with the show began in 2002, and ended with the announcement in September, 2009, that her replacement would be Ellen Degeneres.  She left on her own volition, choosing not to renew her contract.  

Paula Abdul has been working to stage a comeback with her musical career since 2007, having mentioned her frustration in past interviews, that  American Idol was preventing her from recording or choreographing.  She released Greatest Hits: Straight Up and Virgin Records made the music videos from her six #1 hits available for download at iTunes.  Abdul has released the single, I'm Just Here for the Music, which she debuted on Ryan Secrest's radio show, and which she sang live at the American Idol awards episode.  

Did you know . . .

1. Paula Abdul hosted a reality show on MTV in 2009,called Rah!, centering around a cheerleader competition.

2. Prince's song, U, was written by Abdul.

3. Paula Abdul has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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