Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul was born in San Fernando Valley, California. When she was eight years of age, she began dance lessons. Van Nuys High School was her high school. She was also the school's head cheerleader and senior class president. Following her graduation in 1980 she enrolled in college at Cal State-Northridge, majoring in TV and radio. 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 hired her to choreograph their 1984 film "Torture" it was the first in a long sequence of videos and movies she would choreograph. With her first CD "Forever Your Girl" and her first solo album, her singing career began to take off. But the hit single "Straight Up" was a major hit and she's been a wildly successful performer/singer ever after. It was made easier by her time on American Idol (2002-2004). Her father (Harry Abdul) is from a Sephardic Jewish background from Syria. Her mother is also Jewish and was born in Canada. Her parents are from Canada, Brazil, Syria and Brazil. The diverse background has led to various stories being told in the news about her nationality or religion. The daughter of Harry Abdul (once a livestock trader in Brazil) and Lorainne Abdul (former assistant to director Billy Wilder), grew in Hollywood, California. She has been dancing and singing since she was 7 years old. older, when she was on the road in America. She also took tap dancing lessons that earned her a scholarship to a tap dancing school. Later in her life she went to Cal State Northridge College where she was an Broadcast radio specialist. She applied to become a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers NBA Basketball Cheerleading team.