Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul was raised in San Fernando Valley. At the age of eight, she began learning dance. She attended Van Nuys High School, where she was senior class head cheerleader and president. Her graduation was in 1980, and began the college process 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. She was enlisted by The Jacksons to choreograph their 1984 "Torture" video, the first of a series of films and videos she choreographed. After her debut album "Forever Your Girl" the singer's career began to take off. However, the song "Straight Up" was a huge success and she has become a popular singer/dancer for years after. It was made easier by her appearance on American Idol (2002-2004). Her father (Harry Abdul) is Sephardic Jewish and hails from Syria. Her mother, also