Search - Paula Abdul :: Spellbound

US born pop singer-songwriter and dancer Paula Abdul, best known for her the slick videos for her series of 80s synth/funk hits, the best known of which was "Opposites Attract", in which she dances with a cartoon cat.

Abdul went to California State University to study broadcasting, but when she secured a position as an LA Lakers cheerleader, and then choreographer, that put paid to her academic career. She danced on the Jackson's Victory tour in 1984, which lead to work for Janet Jackson on the "Control" video. It turned out to be a good shop window for her talents and was followed by offers from a number of bands, including ZZ Top and Duran Duran, and later film work, including The Running Man and American Beauty.

She had her greatest success from her first two albums, although it took a year for her debut Forever Your Girl to get to No.1. The single "Straight Up" broke her, and commenced a run of chart topping releases including "Rush Rush" and "Opposites Attract". All the singles were backed by slick videos featuring dance routines choreographed by Abdul, the video for "Opposites Attract", with MC Skat Kat, won her a Grammy.

After her third album she took a break, although she did find time to write "Spinning Around", which became a career-launching No.1 for Kylie Minogue. Abdul came back in 2002, as a judge on the American Idol TV series and then later as a reporter for Entertainment Tonight. The Biography series covered her life story in 2005.