Before she was an idol-picker, Paula Abdul was a performer herself. The former L.A. Lakers cheerleader and choreographer caught a break while working on videos with Janet Jackson. After working out moves for bands such as Duran Duran and ZZ Top, Abdul released her own album.
Straight Up, the third single from her debut album, Forever Your Girl, hit number one. Abdul followed through with three more smashes, taking the album for a ten-week ride in the top slot, appearing in a pas de deux with a cartoon cat in the clever video for Opposites Attract, and becoming a role model for young singer-dancer wannabes everywhere.
After two more chart-topping albums, Abdul’s career hit a legal snag when she was sued by a former backup singer. Head Over Heels, released in 1995, was Abdul’s last studio release (although she did try her hand at songwriting, writing Spinning Around for Kylie Minogue in 2000).
Abdul is probably best known now as the flighty judge on the television smash American Idol. Despite a career with multiple hit albums and singles, Abdul’s advice is often criticized for being shallow.
Paula Abdul Reviews on Pop Rock Nation
Forever Your Girl – “…a charming slice of dance/pop“