Icon Paula Abdul is coming to the Sands Bethlehem Event Center on October 23, 2018
If you grew up in the eighties and the nineties. Guaranteed the ICONIC Paula Abdul was a part of your life. The legendary choreography, music and all around amazing entertainer. Paula Abdul’s “career began at a young age when she joined the Laker Girls as cheerleader and choreographer.” Paula Abdul’s career continued with everything from film, TV, music and she has won several awards. Paula Abdul also has done so much incredible work with various charities. She appeared on “American Idol,” “X-Factor” and so many more television shows and her work in film and music has led her to work with everyone from Janet Jackson, Duran Duran, Eddie Murphy, Prince and more.
Paula’s music is still so fun and part of music history. She shared with me today for THE VALLEY LEDGER, that yes she will be making some new music. Her first album Forever Your Girl gave us so many great songs including Opposites Attract (The song that you and all your friends would do the entire dance routine. Someone would be MC Skat Kat and someone else would be Paula. The nostalgia), Forever Your Girl, Next To You, Cold Hearted, Straight Up and more. Paula would win a Grammy Award, an American Music Award, People’s Choice Awards, Soul Train Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.
Her innovative style also gave the world fun dance mixes and Paula was one of the multi-talented entertainers who could wear every hat. Today, Paula Abdul took time to speak with THE VALLEY LEDGER as she prepares for her North American tour, Straight Up Paula!
The tour is scheduled to start on October 3rd in New Jersey. Paula Abdul will be heading our way to Bethlehem, PA to the Sands Bethlehem Event Center on October 23, 2018.
Paula Abdul is an icon, a legend so let’s see what Paula Abdul had to say about her upcoming tour and making new music.
(It was an honor to talk with Paula Abdul. For so many of us that grew up with the music, the dancing and to speak with her. She is a gentle, kind soul and she truly gives off a positive light when you talk to her.)
Paula– Hi Janel.
Hi Paula, How are you?
Paula– Good. How are you?
I am doing good. It is an absolute honor to speak with you today. I grew up with you. The music, dancing and everything imaginable.
Paula– Thank you so much.
We are so excited that you are coming to the Bethlehem Sands Event Center.
Paula– Me too!
Could you please tell us a little about what you will be doing for the Straight Up Paula! Tour?
Paula– It’s going be nostalgic. Everyone will be able to sing and dance along to the hits. There’s also going to be elements of story-telling from my childhood and throughout my career. Hopefully it will be leaving everyone with a lot of fun and smiles in their hearts.
So many people grew up with you and follow you now and me included. What would you like to say to the fans and the audiences that will be attending the show at the Bethlehem Sands Event Center and all of the shows on the tour because you are a LEGEND?
Paula– Oh gosh. Thank you. Honestly I am just so grateful that I’ve had my fans carry me through the ups and the downs and for them to just be there for me through my entire career. If it weren’t for my fans I wouldn’t be here at all. I am just extremely blessed, humbled and grateful that I am able to be performing. You know there was a long period of time that I wasn’t able to even move let alone think about getting on the stage again. So to be able to actually perform again after multiple spinal cord injuries and taking a good seven year hiatus from the business before I appeared on “American Idol.” I went through unimaginable pain. I suffered a spinal cord injury because I was in crash landing in a seven seater plane when I was on my SPELLBOUND tour. I didn’t think I was going to be able to ever perform again. So the fact that I got a chance to try it out last summer with New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men was the biggest blessing because it reignited my passion to do this. I am just thrilled I am able to and I am thrilled that I still have fans that are coming out to see me and to get reacquainted with me.
That tour was incredible. I cannot say I completely relate but I was in a wheelchair for about ten years and now I need new surgery. (Laughter from both of us.)
Paula– It never gets easy. I am telling you. It never gets easy. It’s very hard.
No, No it doesn’t. There are things in life that keeps you going and sort of saves you. Family, music and important things in life. Do you think that there are things in your life that kept you going and helped you in your life?
Paula– I think that the love and the passion that I had as a performer and especially with my years dancing definitely kept me in the game so to speak in the sense that I didn’t give up. I knew that it wasn’t natural to be in the state of horrific pain. And I believed that if I hang in there long enough I will find something that will alleviate it or I will be able to find the right doctor, the right type of protocol that will help get me through it and I did. Not wanting to give up because as you know when you are in pain like you’ve gone through and like I’ve gone through there are times when you just want to give up. It’s too daunting, it’s exhausting, and it’s emotionally and physically exhausting. You just want it to stop. But you know it’s like I knew that there was something to hang on to. I think my love for movement and for performing kind of helped in the sense that I knew what it felt like to be free in my body. It helped very much.
What goes through your mind when you go onstage? How do you feel when you are onstage?
Paula– Well, before I go onstage it never ends. I always get those nerves. Those nerves that rush through my body and I always have that nervous excitement. I always have to go to the bathroom no matter how many times I’ve gone right beforehand. (Laughter) But, once I step onstage I feel free, I feel excited. Our bodies can go through so much but the biggest muscle in the whole body is our brain and even though I am in pain or I have ailments. Any dancer for that matter if they are going through any injuries everything falls by the waist side once you step onstage and then you deal with it afterwards. Then the pain just goes, “yeah, I’m right here. I let you be free for an hour.” But, when I am onstage it’s a joy, it’s a passion and I am at one with the audience. It’s exciting.
Yes. You have done so many dance routines and choreography over the years. Do you have a favorite of all-time so far or one that stands out automatically?
Paula– Oh god. There are so many. The running joke for me is as we get older too, our brain as far as memory. I’ve choreographed Academy Awards, I’ve won numerous awards for my choreography and yet the routines that I always remember are my damn Laker Girl routines (Lots of Laughter from both of us) I can’t get those out of my head. I try but I can remember practically every Laker Girl routine I’ve ever choreographed but things that are really important like the Academy Awards or my award winning videos. Those take time to reimagine in my brain. But, I have so many favorites just for different reasons. I love working with comedians. I had a great time working with Tracey Ullman, Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks. Working on “Coming to America” was extremely exciting. The Academy Awards, working with Gene Kelly was my all-time. It was precious.
When I was kid, my friends and I would dance to the “Opposites Attract” video. We always had so much just dancing to your music.
Paula- Awww. That is nice to hear.
Is there any chance at all you will be making some new music? We would love to have some new music to add on.
Paula– Yes there is. There’s been enough people asking me and I am looking forward to it. This show is like greatest hits and then some. The next leg of my tour I am going to incorporate more new material that I’ve been working on.
Now, do you think by any chance you would consider turning Straight Up Paula! tour into a special for those who cannot attend the tour?
Paula– I would love nothing more. I would love that. That would be amazing.
You have been in this industry forever and you are just such an amazing person. What advice would you offer to someone who wants to be in this industry but they may be afraid to take the jump?
Paula– You know there are so many beautiful opportunities with the internet now to be known and to be seen. If you have the talent believe in yourself, stick to it and don’t give up. Exhaust every single opportunity possible that can further your chance of getting your career going. But also set a time limit, a realistic one. I always tell people put five strong years into the dream that you have and go for it and exhaust all possibilities. If it is not happening after that you want to have something else that you are passionate about that keeps you going as well because this business is very… it’s a difficult business. It’s not for the weak and you have to have a tenacious spirit and you have to have that stick to it-ness quality about you. You also have to be realistic and as long as you are passionate in what you do. You always have a different outlook in the way you work and it doesn’t feel like work if you love what you are doing. Give it your all, give it your all and don’t give up just because others say you should. Give it you’re all but set a time limit.
Did you always know that you were going to do this? Did you ever have anyone try to tell you that you would not make it in this industry?
Paula– I knew I was going to do this when I was a little girl. At four years old I knew that this was what I wanted to do. That didn’t stop naysayers all along the way. There are always going to be naysayers but that should just drive you and fuel you to work harder.
I agree. Amen. It was beyond an honor to talk to you. I grew up with you and the music and still love the music, the dancing. I loved you since I was a kid. You are a legend.
Paula– Oh gosh, thank you so much. That is so kind and so sweet. You just set my whole day.
You have a bright spirit and you make the world a little better. So thank you for taking the time to speak with me for THE VALLEY LEDGER. We are so excited and look forward to seeing you at the Bethlehem Sands Event Center.
Paula– Thank you so very much. That is so lovely of you. Me too, I hope I get a chance to meet you backstage.
Thank you.
Get Tickets to PAULA ABDUL- STRAIGHT UP PAULA https://www.sandseventcenter.com/events/paula-abdul/
Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/PaulaAbdul/
FOLLOW PAULA ON TWITTER @PAULAABDUL
PAULAABDULVEVO ON YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozNbuFWwnJY2TagjDKTFIQ
For more articles by Janel on The Valley Ledger Click Here
Interviews & Articles By: Janel Spiegel
“May your nightmares inspire you.” JMS
