Anyone who still thinks there are no second acts in American lives should take a closer look at Paula Abdul. Over the course of her career, she's reinvented herself multiple times, going from cheerleader to pop star to reality show judge. And today, she has a brand-new change to cheer about: Turning 50.

Abdul got her start back in the 1980s as a cheerleader and then choreographer for the L.A. Lakers basketball team; she segued into working with musicians like Janet Jackson before scoring her own record deal and landing six No. 1 singles. Meanwhile, she continued to choreograph for films like "Big" (remember Tom Hanks' piano-dancing scene?) "The Running Man," "American Beauty" and "Jerry Maguire." She picked up a Grammy for her "Opposites Attract" video (in which she danced with a cartoon cat) and two Emmys along the way, as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

But the mid-1990s weren't quite so toe-tapping for Abdul, who divorced actor Emilio Estevez in 1994 and publicly discussed her years of battling bulimia. She took a breather from music and stepped back from the spotlight until ....

The call from "American Idol" came, and suddenly Abdul was set to appear as one of three judges in the new, 2002 American version of the reality music series. Simon Cowell played bad cop to Abdul's good cop, and her sunny, positive criticism and encouragement made her both a favorite and a subject of ridicule on the show. While appearing on "Idol" she had side projects too, creating Paula Abdul Jewelry (sold on QVC and given away to "Idol" contestants) and releasing a new single, "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow." She left the series in 2009

Since her "Idol" days, Abdul has kept bopping in and out the public eye. She's appeared in other reality shows -- including her own short-lived "Hey Paula" series -- and re-teamed with Cowell for one season as a judge on "The X Factor."

Undoubtedly, Abdul's fancy footwork will keep her hopping for years, and decades to come. It doesn't matter what age she turns, Paula Abdul will be forever our girl. Straight up!

http://todayentertainment...abdul?lite

Happy birthday Paula!!!

I'm sure I'm in the minority but I miss Paula, the singer/dancer/choreographer/entertainer. Paula, the crazy reality show lady don't do nothin' for me.

The world needs more of this:

Go Paula! Go Paula! Go Go Go Paula!

This is one of the best pop songs and videos of the last decade.

And what ever became of the songs Nile Rodgers said he was working on with her back in the late '90s? Did any of that stuff surface?

Happy Birthday!!!

She's older than I thought she was. Happy B-day Paula! Her first two albums are great

...and I'd still hit.

Pop Icon..

Ok.

She still looks hot. A lot of these over 40 women are slaying the younger broads. I guess 40,50.60 is the new 20.30 now.I saw her years ago @ Prince concert & she was shall we say very "happy".

Terrib3Towel said:

Pop Icon..

Ok.

[img:$uid]http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/205/251/hansenlol.jpg?1322001926[/img:$uid]

Pop icon she is not, but happy birthday to her anyway straight up!

^All kindsa wrong

nursev said:

^All kindsa wrong

She was fine in her younger days.

smoothcriminal12 said:

nursev said:

^All kindsa wrong

She was fine in her younger days.

Since i'm a lady-she aiight

nursev said:

smoothcriminal12 said:

She was fine in her younger days.

Since i'm a lady-she aiight

Though this is still and will always be my girl:

smoothcriminal12 said:

nursev said:

Since i'm a lady-she aiight

Though this is still and will always be my girl:

Dwayne got that on lock

nursev said:

smoothcriminal12 said:

Though this is still and will always be my girl:

Dwayne got that on lock

Once she gets bored with that duck ass negro she gon realize what she's missing out on.

Maybe. Back in the day, there was always some discrepency over whether she was born in 1962 or 1963.

Either way, happy birthday to my first pop true love

She looks great for her age She definitely paved the way for acts like Shitney Spears, though maybe that's not something to be proud of There are a couple Paula songs I do like, and of course I loved her choreography.

.

[Edited 6/20/12 2:46am]

smoothcriminal12 said:

Jesus H. Christ take the wheel

I was just watching a choreography set by her on Cinne Cees facebook page. Then I saw her on the Barbie Dance Club on youtube and I forgot she has done all that.

I can say she is a pop icon! Janets Control videos would not have been half as memorable without her. She did the big dance sequence in Coming To America, the infamous keyboard dance scene in Big. Not to mention her videos and songs still get airplay to this day...mostly Straight Up, Rush Rush and Opposites Attract.

smoothcriminal12 said:

Happy birthday, Paula!

"I'm in a funky way!"

HAPPYPERSON said:

Can she get any finer?

2 sexy!

Happy Birthday Paula!

Didnt she also do the choreography for the Jackson's Victory Tour? Anyways happy birthday Paula! Her b-day is 1 day after mine and Paul McCartney's!

I wouldnt call Paula Abdul a pop Icon, everyone seems to be one these days lol... However I'll give her props for being a GREAT choreographer and dancer. She was discovered by the Jacksons so she obviously had talent and she did a great job with Janet Happy late b-day tho xD

GoldDolphin said:

I wouldnt call Paula Abdul a pop Icon, everyone seems to be one these days lol...

She's very much the female counterpart to Bobby Brown. They were never great singers but, for a fleeting moment, they were phenomenally huge stars standing shoulder to shoulder with anyone. I can see the argument that "icon" suggests a certain long-term popularity... Still, supernova status is impressive in its own right.

As annoying as she is, it's nice to see an arab canadian jew doing it big

Nope, you're not alone! I'm going to check out that mix later, love that song! And she worked with Nile Rogers?????

yanowha said:

Happy birthday Paula!!!

I'm sure I'm in the minority but I miss Paula, the singer/dancer/choreographer/entertainer. Paula, the crazy reality show lady don't do nothin' for me.

The world needs more of this:

Go Paula! Go Paula! Go Go Go Paula!

This is one of the best pop songs and videos of the last decade.

And what ever became of the songs Nile Rodgers said he was working on with her back in the late '90s? Did any of that stuff surface?