Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American dancer, choreographer, singer, songwriter, 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 . 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 7 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 six number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 tie her with Diana Ross for seventh among the female solo performers who have topped the chart.