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MEMORIES:
Sugar_coma82 remembers...Oh man I used to love Paula Abdul. Rush, Rush is still one of my favorite songs. I remember I ... More »
Posted on 02/24/09
PHOTOS:
CATCH PHRASE:
Release History:
1990 - Shut Up And Dance: Dance Mixes
1991 - Spellbound
1995 - Head Over Heels
2000 - Greatest Hits
Members:
The 80s and 90s were filled with singing and dancing divas after the mega-successes of Madonna and Janet Jackson, but few lasted as long and shared as much talent with her fellow artist and the world as Paula Abdul. Born in San Fernando, CA in 1962, this former Laker Girl and choreographer took her ambition to singing and performing in the late 80s, creating a string of #1 dance-pop singles.
Before starting her own singing career, Paula Abdul was a sought-after choreographer for music videos, working with artists like Janet Jackson, Duran Duran and Debbie Gibson. In 1987, she made the leap, and with her own funding, produced a demo recording and landed herself a recording contract with Virgin Records. In the summer of 1988, she released her debut album, Forever Your Girl.
Forever Your Girl became a big hit early on with the successes of tracks like the bouncy dance track “Straight Up” (Now tell me is it gonna be you and me forever? Oh Oh Oh!), the melodic and catchy “Forever Your Girl”, and “Cold Hearted” (…. Snake!). All three catchy and dance-worthy songs were accompanied by lush dance videos where Paula’s talents as a dancer and a choreographer really got to shine. The video for “Straight Up” was popular enough to win her four “Moonmen” at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards.
Another song off the album, “Opposites Attract” featuring guest rapper Derrick Delite, went to #1 after being released in early 1990, and made Paula Abdul the first female artist to have four #1 hits from her debut album. The memorable video from “Opposites Attract” featured Paula dancing alongside an animated rapper… cat… named “MC Skat Kat.”
After her debut released, she continued working as a choreographer – notably as the choreographer for the dance numbers at the 1990 Academy Awards Ceremony. She also released a remixes album titled Shut Up and Dance which went Top-10.
In 1991, she released her second album, Spellbound. It quickly climbed the charts to #1, making Paula the first artist of the 90s to produce two chart-topping albums. The singles from the album found much success in the Top-10: "Rush, Rush" and "The Promise of a New Day" both became #1 hit songs. She also went to #6 with the soulful ballad "Blowing Kisses in the Wind." The album continued to have hit singles, such as “Vibeology” and “Will You Marry Me?” which featured Stevie Wonder on harmonica.
It was around this time, when music started taking a minor role, and her private life took center stage. In 1992, we saw Paula marry Emilio Estevez, as well as checking herself into a clinic, confessing that she suffered from the eating disorder, bulimia. In 1994, she divorced Estevez, citing irreconcilable differences. In 1995, she released another album, Head Over Heels, and though it had a Top-40 single with “My Love Is For Real”, it never could match the success of her first two albums. She then married once again, from 1996 to 1998 to clothing manufacturer, Brad Beckerman.
While her music career never really re-launched, Paula has continued to work as an actress, choreographer, and more recently, as a judge on the popular show American Idol. Paula continues to have her personal life scrutinized by the public and the press, but her career has been exemplified by multi-million record sales, six #1 singles, and award after award, including a Grammy, two Emmys, two People’s Choice Awards, and seven MTV Video Music Awards and Two Kid’s Choice Awards.
