Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962)[2] is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographer for the Laker Girls, where she was discovered by the Jacksons.[3] After choreographing music videos for Janet Jackson, Abdul became a choreographer at the height of the music video era and soon thereafter she was signed to Virgin Records. Her debut studio album Forever Your Girl (1988) became one of the most successful debut albums at that time, selling seven million copies in the United States and setting a record for the most number-one singles from a debut album on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl", "Cold Hearted", and "Opposites Attract". Her second album Spellbound (1991) scored her two more chart-toppers – "Rush Rush" and "The Promise of a New Day". With six number-one singles on Hot 100, Abdul tied Diana Ross for the third-most chart-toppers among female solo artists at the time.[4]
Abdul was discovered by the Jacksons, after a few of the band members had watched her while attending a Los Angeles Lakers game.[15] She was signed to do the choreography for the video to their single "Torture".[16][14] Abdul recalled feeling intimidated by having to tell the Jacksons how to dance, stating that she was "not quite sure how [she] got through that."[17] The success of the choreography in the video led to Abdul's career as choreographer of music videos, notably Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done for Me Lately", "Nasty", "When I Think of You" and "Control" videos.[18] It was also due to the success of the video that Abdul was chosen to be the choreographer for the Jacksons' Victory tour.[11][18] Abdul also choreographed sequences for the giant keyboard scene involving Tom Hanks's character in Big (1988).[19][20]
1987–1999: Forever Your Girl, Spellbound and Head over Heels
Abdul at the 42nd Primetime Emmy Awards, 1990
In 1987, Abdul used her savings to make a singing demo.[21] Soon thereafter, she was signed to the newly formed Virgin Records America by Jeff Ayeroff, who had worked in marketing at A&M Records with Janet Jackson. Although she was a skilled dancer and choreographer, Abdul was a relatively untrained singer, and worked with various coaches and record producers to develop her vocal ability. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range.[22][23] Ayeroff recalled signing Abdul to a recording contract years later, stating: "She said, 'I can sing, you know. I want to do an album.' Paula's in our industry. Here's someone with a personality and she's gorgeous, and she can dance. If she can sing, she could be a star. So she went into the studio and cut a demo record and she could sing."[24]
Abdul's debut studio album, Forever Your Girl (1988), would become the most successful debut album in history at that time, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart after 64 weeks (where it would spend 10 weeks at number one), and set a record for the most singles from a debut album to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, with four: "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl", "Cold Hearted", and "Opposites Attract".[25][26] The album was later certified 7× platinum by the RIAA. A remix album, Shut Up and Dance: Mixes, was also released and reached number seven in the United States, becoming one of the most successful remix albums to date.[27] At the 32nd Grammy Awards, Abdul won her first Grammy for Best Music Video for "Opposites Attract".[28][29] She was also nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Straight Up", but lost to Bonnie Raitt's "Nick of Time".[28] In 1991, singer Yvette Marine filed a lawsuit against Abdul and the Virgin label, alleging that it was her vocals that were used on several tracks from Forever Your Girl, most notably "Opposites Attract".[22][30][31] A jury sided with Abdul and the label two years later in 1993, rejecting Marine's claim to credit and copyright compensation.[32][33]
Abdul saw continued success with her second studio album Spellbound (1991), which saw two additional number-one singles: "Rush Rush" and "The Promise of a New Day". A third single "Blowing Kisses in the Wind" reached number six for three consecutive weeks. Spellbound retained the dance-pop sound from Forever Your Girl and introduced elements of R&B, and sold 7 million copies worldwide.[22][34] The music video for "Rush Rush" featured a Rebel Without a Causemotif, starring Keanu Reeves in the James Dean role.[citation needed] The album's other singles, "Vibeology" and "Will You Marry Me?", saw moderate success on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching the top 20.[35][36] In 1991, Abdul starred in a popular Diet Coke commercial in which she danced with a digital image of her idol, a young Gene Kelly.[37] Abdul was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 1991.[38] Abdul promoted Spellbound through the Under My Spell Tour, which was named by an MTV contest for fans.[39][40] The tour was nearly cancelled due to an accident during rehearsals, but began on schedule in October 1991 and concluded in August 1992.[40]
After her initial period of professional success, Abdul's career entered a brief hiatus while she sought treatment for personal and physical issues.[22][41] Her third studio album, Head over Heels (1995), retained both pop and R&B elements and saw moderate commercial success, peaking at number 18 on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and later becoming her lowest-selling release.[22] The lead single from Head over Heels, "My Love Is for Real", featured a fusion of R&B and traditional Middle Eastern instruments, and was performed with Yemeni-Israeli singer Ofra Haza. Its accompanying Lawrence of Arabia-inspired music video was played in theaters across the world as a prologue to the film Clueless. The single performed well on the BillboardHot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where it reached number one, and peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Crazy Cool" and "Ain't Never Gonna Give You Up" served as the album's second and third singles. To date, Head over Heels has sold over 500,000 copies in the United States.[42] In 1995, Abdul released a dance workout video entitled Paula Abdul's Get Up and Dance! (re-released on DVD in 2003), a fast-paced, hip-hop style workout.[43] In 1997, Abdul co-wrote a song called "Spinning Around" with record producer and composer Kara DioGuardi, which was intended to be her comeback single from a new album, but the plan never materialized and the song was later given to Kylie Minogue.[22][44] That year, Abdul appeared in the ABC television film Touched By Evil, playing a businesswoman who discovers that her boyfriend is a serial rapist.[45][46] In 1998, she released a second workout video called Cardio Dance (re-released on DVD in 2000).[47] Thereafter, Abdul served as the choreographer for several film and theater productions, including the 1998 musical Reefer Madness and the cheerleading scenes in American Beauty (1999).
2000–2009: American Idol, Hey Paula and return to music
In 2000, Virgin Records, with whom Abdul was already no longer affiliated,[48] released the first of two compilation albums by Abdul, Paula Abdul: Greatest Hits. Abdul co-produced the 2001 pilot for Skirts, an MTV television series about a high school cheerleading squad; Abdul was also set to appear as the head coach. The pilot never aired.[49] In 2002, she began appearing as one of three judges on the Fox reality competition series American Idol, where she won praise as a sympathetic and compassionate judge and mentor. She seemed especially kind compared to fellow judge Simon Cowell, who was often blunt in his appraisals of the contestants' performances. When she realized that Cowell's over-the-top judging style was heartbreaking for many young contestants, Abdul was horrified and she considered leaving the series. Although their differences often resulted in heated on-air exchanges and confrontations, Cowell says he played a major role in convincing Abdul not to leave the series.[50] While serving as a judge on American Idol, Abdul accepted a second assignment as reporter for Entertainment Tonight.[51] In December 2005, Abdul launched a cheerleading/fitness/dance DVD series called Cardio Cheer, which is marketed to children and teenage girls involved with cheerleading and dance.[52] Abdul also choreographed The King's touchdown celebration, as seen in a string of Burger King television commercials that aired during the 2005–06 NFL season.[20] In 2006, Abdul appeared on the third series of The X Factor UK as a guest judge during the auditions, sitting alongside judges Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh.
A second compilation album, Greatest Hits: Straight Up!, was released in 2007 by the Virgin label, who also made all of Abdul's releases under their label available for digital download on iTunes. That year, Bravo began airing a reality television series centered around Abdul, Hey Paula, which followed her through her day-to-day life.[22][44][53] Abdul's behavior as depicted on the series was described as "erratic" by comedian Rosie O'Donnell and was criticized by audiences and critics, and Hey Paula was cancelled after a single season.[54]
In 2007, Paula Abdul Jewelry launched its nationwide consumer debut on QVC, with the tagline "fashion jewelry designed with heart and soul."[55] Abdul's first QVC appearance resulted in 15 sellouts of her first jewelry collection involving more than 34,000 pieces.[56] In 2008, Abdul returned to music charts for the first time in nearly thirteen years with the single "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow", the first track on the album Randy Jackson's Music Club Vol. 1.[57] The song debuted on On Air with Ryan Seacrest,[58] and Abdul performed it during the pre-game show for Super Bowl XLII.[59] "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" was a modest comeback hit for Abdul, peaking at number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the BillboardHot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The moderate success led to reports of Abdul beginning work on a new album, but this never materialized.[60][61] Abdul also made a brief guest appearance on an episode of the British television series Hotel Babylon, which aired in the United Kingdom in February 2008.[62]
In January 2009, Abdul hosted "RAH!," a cheerleading competition on MTV.[63] "RAH!" featured five collegiate squads competing in a series of challenges with Abdul crowning one the winner.[64] In May 2009, Abdul debuted her latest original song to date, "I'm Just Here for the Music" (originally an unreleased song from Kylie Minogue's ninth album Body Language) on the Ryan Seacrest Radio KIIS-FM show and performed the single on the American Idol. "I'm Just Here for the Music" reached number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Abdul's fifteenth song to appear on the chart.[65][66]
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in July 2009, Abdul's manager David Sonenberg told the newspaper that, "Very sadly, it does not appear that she's going to be back on Idol."[67] This came about as a result of stalled negotiations between Abdul and the series. In August, after numerous contract negotiations, Abdul confirmed that she would not return to Idol for its ninth season.[68]The Times cited reports Abdul had been earning as much as $5 million per season and that she was reportedly seeking as much as $20 million to return.[69] Abdul was replaced by Ellen DeGeneres. Abdul claimed her departure from Idol was not about money, but that she had to stand on principle.[70][71][72]
2010–2015: Live to Dance, The X Factor and So You Think You Can Dance
In January 2010, Abdul presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to choreographer Julie McDonald at the 11th Anniversary show of The Carnival: Choreographer's Ball.[73] In November, Abdul launched and co-founded AuditionBooth.com, a website that allows aspiring talents to connect with casting directors, producers, and managers.[74]
In January 2011, Abdul began appearing on the short-lived CBS reality competition series Live to Dance, where she was also an executive producer.[75] Abdul said that unlike American Idol, Live to Dance is less about "competition" and more about "celebration".[76] After its first season of seven episodes, it was cancelled by CBS.[77] In May 2011, it was announced that Abdul would rejoin Cowell on the first season of the American edition of The X Factor.[78] In January 2012, Abdul announced that she would not return as a judge for the series' second season.[79][80] Abdul was replaced by Britney Spears. In October 2012, Abdul served as a guest judge during week four of the All-Stars version of Dancing with the Stars.[81] In April 2013, Abdul appeared on the Top 5 results show of season 12 of American Idol to compliment contestant Candice Glover on her performance of "Straight Up".[82]
On July 9, 2013, Abdul was a guest judge on So You Think You Can Dance (season ten).[83] In October 2013, Abdul was named as a judge on the revamped So You Think You Can Dance Australia, which aired on Australia's Network Ten from February 9 through May 1, 2014. Abdul was present as a permanent member of the judge's panel for all episodes of this season. She later became a permanent judge of the American version starting with its twelfth season.[84] In January 2017, Abdul announced that she would not be returning as a judge for its fourteenth season because of her tour schedule.[85]
In April 2014, Abdul was a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race (episode "Queens of Talk"), which reunited her with previous Idol contestant Adore Delano. In June 2014, Abdul made a cameo appearance on the Australian soap opera Neighbours and shared scenes with established character Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher).[86] In 2015, Abdul made a guest appearance on the comedy sitcom Real Husbands of Hollywood on its season 4 premiere. She was shown in a comedic scene with Arsenio Hall where she was trying to kick Hall out of her pool house. On November 16, 2015, Abdul along with Charles "Chucky" Klapow, Renee Richie, and Nakul Dev Mahajan won the World Choreography Award for Outstanding Choreography Digital Format for the video 'Check Yourself'. On November 22, 2015, Abdul and Donnie Wahlberg presented Favorite Female Artist – Pop/Rock at the 43rd American Music Awards; the award Abdul won at the 1990 AMAs, presented to her by Wahlberg.
2016–present: Return to performing, Las Vegas residency
On August 6, 2016, Abdul performed a full headline set for the first time in 26 years at the Mixtape Festival in Hershey, Pennsylvania.[87] In November 2016, New Kids on the Block announced that Abdul would be touring with them and Boyz II Men on their Total Package Tour in 2017; her first tour in 25 years.[88] The tour began on May 12 in Columbus, Ohio, and concluded on July 16, 2017, in Hollywood, Florida, for a total of 47 shows.[89][90] In an interview with Elle magazine, Abdul stated there were "many reasons" she decided to return to the stage after over two decades, saying: "I took a long break and had sustained some injuries in the past. Then I returned to television with American Idol and that took up a good decade of my life. Then I went out to do some more television, as well. I always wanted to get back on stage, because I missed it. I wanted to get back in close contact with the people who have supported me all throughout my career and be able to see them again. Plus, I was getting asked all the time if I would ever do it again! I finally said, You know what, I want to and I'm going to make it a priority. I'm really passionate about it and it's fun, and I want to connect with my fans around the country."[91]
In July 2018, Abdul announced that she would embark on a solo headlining tour across North America that fall, entitled Straight Up Paula!, as part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of her debut studio album Forever Your Girl.[92][93] The tour began in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on October 18 and concluded in Los Angeles, California, on June 7, 2019, for a total of 25 shows.[92]
Abdul also performed at the fourteenth series finale of America's Got Talent with Light Balance Kids, Brian King Joseph, and Tyler Butler-Figueroa to surprise Cowell. In October 2020, it was announced that Abdul would serve as a panelist for Fox's reality competition, The Masked Dancer.[97] In April 2021, ABC announced that Abdul would return to American Idol as a guest-judge while Luke Bryan was out sick after being diagnosed with COVID-19.[98] She returned as a guest judge on Dancing with the Stars for Music Video Night in its 32nd season.[99] In 2023, Abdul joined the producing team of the Broadway musical How to Dance in Ohio.[100] She also appeared as a contestant on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.[101]
Personal life
Relationships
Abdul married actor Emilio Estevez in 1992, and divorced him in 1994.[102][103] In 1995, Abdul stated that the reason for their divorce was that she wanted children and Estevez, who had two children from a previous relationship, did not.[104] Abdul married clothing designer Brad Beckerman in 1996, at the New England Carousel Museum in Bristol, Connecticut. They filed for divorce in 1998, after 17 months of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.[105]
Beliefs
Abdul is observant in her Jewish faith,[106] and is proud of her heritage. She once stated, "My father is a Syrian Jew whose family immigrated to Brazil. My mother is Canadian with Jewish roots. My dream is to go to Israel for a real holiday." In November 2006, when Israeli Tourism Minister Isaac Herzog invited her to Israel, Abdul responded with a hug, adding, "I will come; you have helped me make a dream come true."[107] In 2013, at the age of 51, Abdul had her bat mitzvah in Safed, Israel, at the International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah,[108] a museum and spiritual retreat for the study of Kabbalah – Jewish mysticism. In 2003, Abdul was reported as a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation.[109]
Abdul is a dog lover who raised awareness about National Guide Dog Month in May 2009, and she teamed up with Dick Van Patten to help people with blindness to have more independence through the help of guide dogs.[110] She does not wear real fur.[111]
Health
Abdul has said that she was injured in a plane crash in 1992 during her Under My Spell Tour, necessitating 15 cervical surgeries. When, in 2020, some gossip sites, including Jezebel, questioned the veracity of this, Abdul responded during an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, stating "You know what? It's like, there are seven other people that were on the plane, who were in that plane accident with me. So, I really don't care what people have to say. I don't."[112][importance?]
In 1994, Abdul sought treatment for bulimia nervosa, which she revealed years later she first developed as a teenager and only intensified after she became a pop star. She said: "I learned at a very early age I didn't fit in physically. I learned through years of rejections from auditions. I would ask myself, 'Why can't I be tall and skinny like the other dancers?' I felt nervous and out of control, and all I could think about was food. Food numbed the fear and anxiety. I'd eat and then run to the bathroom."[41]
In 2005, Abdul said she had been diagnosed in November 2004 with a neurological disorder causing chronic pain, reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), following a "cheerleading accident" at age 17.[113] She discussed the diagnosis in response to allegations of drug use.[113]
In April 2006, Abdul filed a report at a Hollywood police station stating she had been a victim of battery at a private party at about 1 am on April 2, according to LAPD spokesman Lt. Paul Vernon.[114] "According to Abdul, the man at the party argued with her, grabbed her by the arm and threw her against a wall," Vernon said. "She said she had sustained a concussion and spinal injuries."[115]
Allegations of drug use
Substance abuse allegations arose as the result of what some described as "erratic behavior"[113] by Abdul during episodes of American Idol. After reading these allegations on message boards, Abdul told People in April 2005 about her RSD diagnosis; she added that she was pain-free following treatment with anti-inflammatory medication.[113] Allegations arose again in January 2007 when videos circulated on the Internet of Abdul appearing to sway in her chair and slur her speech during a set of interviews.[116] Abdul's publicist attributed this to fatigue and technical difficulties during the recording of the interviews.[116] It was revealed on the Bravo show Hey Paula, which had followed Abdul with a video camera prior to the interviews, that Abdul had not been sleeping, perhaps suffering from some mild form of insomnia.[117] In February 2007, Abdul told Us Weekly that she had never been drunk or used illegal drugs, and called the allegations "lies".[118]
In May 2009, Ladies' Home Journal posted an article on its website that said that Abdul told them she stayed at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California, for three days the previous year to recover from physical dependence on prescription pain medications.[119][120] The medications, prescribed due to injuries and her RSD diagnosis, included a pain patch, nerve medication, and a muscle relaxant. According to the article, Abdul said the medications made her "get weird" at times and that she suffered from physical withdrawal symptoms during her recovery.[120] Later that same week, in an interview with Detroit radio station WKQI, Abdul rejected the article's accuracy. She told the radio station she never checked into a rehab clinic and never had a drug abuse problem.[121]
2004 car crash
In December 2004, Abdul was driving her Mercedes-Benz on a Los Angeles-area freeway when she changed lanes and hit another vehicle, but did not stop or render assistance.[122] The driver and passenger took a photograph with a cell phone camera and wrote down the license plate number of the car, which was traced to Abdul. In March 2005, Abdul was fined US$900 and given 24 months of informal probation after pleading nolo contendere (no contest) to misdemeanorhit-and-run driving. She was ordered to pay US$775 for damage to the other car.[123]
2005 accusations by Corey Clark
In May 2005, ABC's Primetime Live reported claims by season 2 American Idol contestant Corey Clark that he and Abdul had had an affair during that season, and that she had coached him on how to succeed in the competition.[124] Some considered Clark's timing suspicious as he was marketing a CD and trying to get a book deal, but Clark said that his career was being prejudiced because of his relationship with Abdul, and that is why he came forward with the information to clear his name.[124]
For the most part, Abdul refused to comment on Clark's allegations. Simon Cowell came to Abdul's defense,[125] stating, "It was just somebody using her to get a lot of publicity for an appalling record, full stop."[126][127] Abdul appeared in a Saturday Night Live skit, making light of the situation.[128] While Fox launched an investigation, Abdul received numerous calls of support from celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Kelly Ripa; Barbara Walters addressed the camera during an episode of ABC's The View to say she was sad to be part of an operation that would report Clark's flimsy tabloid claims under the guise of a news story.[citation needed] In August 2005, the Fox network confirmed that Abdul would be returning to the show, as the investigation had found "insufficient evidence that the communications between Mr. Clark and Ms. Abdul in any way aided his performance".[129]
2008 stalking incident
On November 11, 2008, a 30-year-old woman named Paula Goodspeed was found dead in her car outside of Abdul's Los Angeles home in Sherman Oaks, California.[130] The death was ruled a suicide by drug overdose, and she was found surrounded by prescription pills, along with photos and CDs of Abdul. Goodspeed was an obsessive fan of Abdul, having legally changed her name to Paula, drawn many pictures of her, sent her flowers and auditioned for Abdul on season 5 of American Idol in 2005 at a stop in Austin, Texas, before being dismissed from the show.[131] Goodspeed had been accused in the press of being a celebrity stalker but her relatives disputed the claim.[132][133][134]
2023 sexual assault allegations
On December 29, 2023, Abdul filed a lawsuit accusing producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault when they worked together on American Idol in the 2000s.[135]
American Idol is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to April 7, 2016, for 15 seasons. It was on hiatus for two years until March 11, 2018, when a revival of the series began airing on ABC.
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English television personality, entrepreneur, and record executive. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows Pop Idol (2001–2003), The X Factor UK and Britain's Got Talent (2007–present), and the American television talent competition shows American Idol (2002–2010), The X Factor US (2011–2013) and America's Got Talent (2016–present). Cowell founded the British entertainment company Syco in 2005, as well as its now-defunct predecessor, Syco Music in 2002.
William Hing Cheung Hung is a Hong Kong motivational speaker and former singer who gained fame in 2004 as a result of his unsuccessful audition singing Ricky Martin's hit song "She Bangs" on the third season of the television series American Idol.
Corey Delaney Clark is an American singer. He is known for his highly publicized disqualification from the second season of American Idol and later allegations of a sexual relationship with then-Idol judge Paula Abdul. He is the older brother of WNBA player Alysha Clark.
Carmen Rasmusen Herbert is a Canadian-American country music artist who ranked sixth on the second season of American Idol in 2003. Rasmusen also plays piano and guitar.
Forever Your Girl is the debut studio album by American singer Paula Abdul. It was released on June 21, 1988, through Virgin Records. The album was Abdul's breakthrough into the music industry after being a choreographer for high-profile clients including Kate Bush, The California Raisins, George Michael, ZZ Top, Duran Duran and most notably Janet Jackson. At the time of the album's release it was the most successful debut album of all time and was the first time an artist scored four US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles from a debut album. It is currently certified 7× platinum by the RIAA.
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, and singer. She primarily writes music in the pop rock genre. She has worked with many popular artists; sales of albums on which her songs appear exceed 160 million worldwide. DioGuardi is a 2011 NAMM Music for Life Award winner, 2009 NMPA Songwriter Icon Award winner, 2007 BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year, and has received 20 BMI Awards for co-writing songs.
"Straight Up" is a song by American recording artist Paula Abdul from her debut studio album, Forever Your Girl (1988). The song is a mid-tempo dance-pop song with influence from new jack swing. Written and produced entirely by Elliot Wolff, the song was released as the album's third single on November 22, 1988, by Virgin Records.
"Forever Your Girl" is a song by American singer Paula Abdul from her debut studio album, Forever Your Girl (1988). The song was written and produced by Oliver Leiber, with additional production by Keith "K.C." Cohen. Virgin Records released it as the album's fourth single on February 20, 1989.
Nigel Lythgoe OBE is an English television and film director and producer, television dance competition judge, former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer.
Efraym Elliott Yamin is an American singer known for his hit single "Wait for You" and for placing third on the fifth season of American Idol.
Mandisa Lynn Hundley, known mononymously as Mandisa, was an American gospel and contemporary Christian recording artist. She began her career as a contestant in the fifth season of American Idol finishing in ninth place. She is the fifth American Idol alumna to have won a Grammy Award, for her album Overcomer in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album category.
"Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" is a song by American singer Paula Abdul and American musician Randy Jackson. It was Abdul's first single release in nearly twelve years. The song was produced by DEEKAY and Randy Jackson and appears on Jackson's album Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1.
Allison Iraheta is an American singer who was the fourth place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, Iraheta won the Telemundo competition Quinceañera: Mamá Quiero Ser Artista. Following the conclusion of Idol, Iraheta was signed to a record deal with 19 Entertainment and Jive Records. Her debut album Just like You was released on December 1, 2009. She was also the lead singer of the band Halo Circus.
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on Fox on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, and concluded on Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi, and Randy Jackson returned as judges and were joined by Ellen DeGeneres, who was brought on as a replacement for Paula Abdul after a series of guest judges filled in during the auditions. Idol Gives Back also returned on April 21, 2010. The top 24 semifinal format used in the fourth through seventh seasons also returned this season. Cowell, DioGuardi, and DeGeneres all left the show after this season, although only Cowell's departure was announced in advance.
The discography of American singer and dancer Paula Abdul consists of three studio albums, one remix album, five compilation albums, eight video albums, eighteen singles, and seven other appearances. Having found success as a choreographer for artists such as Janet Jackson, Abdul launched her own music career with the release of her debut studio album Forever Your Girl (1988). The album topped the Billboard 200 chart, and to date holds the record for the longest climb to number one for an album. The project spawned a number of successful singles, and is one of only nine albums to have four singles top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It went on to earn a seven-times platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Andrew Adrian Garcia is an American singer-songwriter who was the ninth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol. Garcia has released two EPs and numerous standalone singles. He has also collaborated with several artists.
The X Factor is an American reality television music competition show created by Simon Cowell and produced by FremantleMedia North America and SYCOtv, a partnership between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, which aired on Fox. Based on the original UK show, and an addition to The X Factor franchise, the series found new singing talent, drawn from public auditions, and they competed against each other for votes. The winner is determined by the show's viewers via telephone, the Internet, and SMS text voting, and is awarded a recording contract with Cowell's record label Syco Music, worth $5 million in seasons one and two, and $1 million in season three. America voted for the following winners: Melanie Amaro, Tate Stevens, and Alex & Sierra, respectively.
Dani Noriega, better known under the stage name Adore Delano, is an American drag queen, singer-songwriter, and television personality. She appeared as a contestant on the sixth and seventh season of American Idol in 2008 and later competed as Adore Delano on the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, placing in the final three. She then went on to compete on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, placing ninth after voluntarily leaving the competition. She has recorded and released three studio albums: Till Death Do Us Party (2014), After Party (2016), Whatever (2017), and one EP Dirty Laundry (2021).
Paula Abdul: Forever Your Girl was a concert residency by American entertainer Paula Abdul at Flamingo Las Vegas in Las Vegas. It began on August 13, 2019, with shows continuing through 2020. In addition to singing and dancing to her greatest hits, Abdul told various stories of her career, including her role as a judge on American Idol. The residency marks the 30th anniversary of "Straight Up".
↑ "Paula Abdul". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
↑ Itamar Eichner (November 17, 2006). "i minister, American Idol". YNetNews.com. Archived from the original on November 19, 2006. Retrieved November 17, 2006.
↑ Schneider, Karen; Gold, Todd (June 19, 1995). "A Brave New Song". People Magazine. Vol.43, no.24. p.88. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
↑ Alex Chapman; Sarah Maloy. "The Longest Music Moments". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 17, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2012. Longest Climb to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 – She probably had no idea how appropriate her 1988 album title would be when she came up with it, but it took Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl" a total of 64 weeks—a year and three months—to go from entering the Billboard 200 to reaching No. 1.
↑ Janet Mock; Julia Wang. "Celebrity Central – Paula Abdul". People. Archived from the original on August 10, 2007. Retrieved March 3, 2012. ...Forever Your Girl stays at No. 1 on the Billboard chart for 10 weeks and sells seven million copies.
↑ Gershon Veroba (2007). Paula Abdul... "a good Jewish girl." (YouTube video). Bel Air, California: Gershon Veroba. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
↑ Cooke de Herrera, Nancy (2003). All You Need Is Love: An Eyewitness Account of When Spirituality Spread from the East to the West. San Diego: Joodere Group. p.438.
↑ Mitchell, E. (May 7, 2009). "Paula Abdul & Guide Dogs". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on August 16, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2009.
↑ "Paula Abdul: Simon Saved Me!". The Extra! TV Web site, Celebrity Highlights section. Time Telepictures Productions, distributed by Warner Bros. January 10, 2007. Archived from the original on October 31, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
↑ "Simon Says Clark's A Creep". Extra! TV. Time Telepictures Productions and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. May 10, 2005. Archived from the original on July 24, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
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