Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul grew up in the San Fernando Valley, California. When she was 8 years old, young, she started dancing lessons. Van Nuys High School was where she was the class president and chief cheerleader. She graduated in 1980 and entered college at Cal State Northridge to major in radio and television. After joining the L.A. Lakers cheerleaders, she became head cheerleader/choreographer after only a few months, eventually dropping out of college to dance and choreograph full-time. The Jacksons recruited her to choreograph their 1984 film "Torture" video, which was the first of many films and videos she choreographed. After her debut CD "Forever Your Girl", she began singing and soon became a well-known dancer and singer. The stint she held as an American Idol judge (2002) has made her a popular performer/dancer. Her father, Harry Abdul, is Sephardic Jewish from Syria. Her mother, who was also Jewish was born in Canada. Her parents were residents of Canada, Syria, Brazil and Syria. This has led to many different stories about her religion and nationality in the media. The daughter of Harry Abdul (once a livestock trader in Brazil) and Lorainne Abdul (former assistant to director Billy Wilder), grew up in Hollywood, California. At the age of seven, she danced and sang in musical theatre ensembles that toured throughout America. She also learned tap dancing that earned her the opportunity to attend a tap dancing school. Later in life she attended Cal State Northridge College where she earned a degree in Broadcast radio. She was a candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers NBA cheerleading team. This resulted in her earning $50 per game during her freshman year.