The fame, name, and glamor of American Idols are no less than famous celebrities in different walks of life. Since the inception of the show ‘American Idol’, winners have been enjoying huge popularity and have become one of the biggest craze among the young population of the country. Thousands of people are attracted to this fame and glamor every year, and want to try out their luck in making their dreams of becoming American Idols. Many people keep wondering about how to crack the auditions and get an entry to the big stage of American Idol. Just as all other competitions, there are certain things to keep in mind while preparing for the audition and get selected and go ahead in the show.

All the past American Idols have been good singers and performers. Therefore, it is mandatory that you have the talent to sing and perform in front of a live audience. Along with that you must have a unique style of your own to impress the judges as well as the American audience to vote on your favor. You must display a creative and innovative style to get through the series of auditions. Remember, you are one among the thousands of people who have come to get selected and fulfill their big dream, and thus, it is important that you have something that others do not to make it big in the show!

Even before qualifying for the episodes telecast on television, you need to qualify the off-air auditions. While preparing for the auditions, you must remember that you will have less than a minute to impress the judges and make it to the next round. Thus, you can have an idea how crucial it is to have the right song and tight style to make your mark. Remember, these few seconds will decide whether you are in or out of American Idol and make or break your dream of becoming the next youth icon!

Choosing the right song for the auditions is the key to make your way through the screening rounds. Instead of trying out a song that is very famous but you are not comfortable, it is better to choose something that you are comfortable with and sing well. While selecting such a song, choose one in which you can exhibit all your singing talent in this short time. A song matching your personality can make a lot of difference while presentation.  Also, it is better to choose a song that is known widely. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the judges to evaluate you appropriately, and this might be a disadvantage for you.  Remember, American Idols are human beings just as you are and they have achieved their target through smart singing, hard work, perseverance and thus, you can also achieve your dream if you have the right attitude.

To maximize your chances of including your name in the list of American Idols, you can refer to the guides available on cracking American Idol auditions. Watching how the past winners have prepared themselves can also help you a lot. Above all, it will be your unique talent combined with hard work, determination, sincerity, and the passion to win will help you turn your dream into a reality.

By now, the name ‘American Idol’ has gained worldwide popularity. People all across the world stay glued to their television sets to view this popular reality show. The current trend of reality shows have taken over like a storm in the television industry. American Idol is one of the most popular reality shows on television that telecasts a competition among several contestants to win the title of this show. The aim of this program is to find new and emerging solo singer. The show eventually turned out to be one of the most popular shows in the history of television industry in America, securing the number one ranking for six consecutive years as per the Nielsen ratings.

American Idol is supposed to be influenced by a British television show ‘Pop Idol’, and is a creation of Simon Fuller. In order to participate in American Idol, you need to go through a nationwide audition. To participate in American idol you must be within the age range of 16 to 28. The final verdict comes in the form of viewers’ voting who decide the winner of the show. Votes are given through telephone or SMS. Apart from the viewers, there is also a panel of judges who evaluate the performance of the participants through their comments. Personalities such as randy Jackson, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Kara DeGeneres, and Ellen DeGeneres have been the judges of American Idol.

While Americans and Canadians view the show on every Tuesday and Wednesday nights, the audiences in Australia, United Kingdom, parts of Asia view it on Wednesday and Thursday nights. However, the show is telecast on Saturday and Sunday nights in Latin America and on Friday and Saturday nights in Ireland.

The huge number of participants reflects the emotional attachment that is associated with American Idol. The show is a dream come true for several aspiring singers and promises to turn their dream of becoming a celebrity into reality. However, among the thousands of contestants who come to fulfill their dreams of earning fame and glamor, only a few get to live this dream, and only one final contestant is chosen to be the idol of young Americans all through the country. The final performance has a live studio audience and is broadcast live in Los Angeles. It takes multiple weeks to complete the finals with each contestant choosing a theme for the song of each week.

The songs chosen in American Idol are from different musical genre, sung by famous artists. Some of the common themes of these songs include disco, band music, Motown, etc. Also, some of the common artists whose songs are sung by the contestants include Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Mariah Carey, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, to name a few.

American Idol, although influenced by another show, has made an impact of its own in the American television industry. In every season, it has presented the country with some of the finest new singing talent, and kept its promise of delivering quality. Some of the names that have made history on the stage of American Idol are Fantasia Barrino, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard, etc. The show is marked for its popularity and fame, in terms of inspiring the upcoming talent of America.

Lets take a page from the movie “Back To The Future.” Climb into your Dolorean, and set the time capsule for June 11, 2002, the day the world was first introduced to what would later become the biggest show over the next 8 years, American Idol. Consequently, that is also the date we were first introduced to the cruel and brutally honest British judge, Mr. Simon Cowell.

Prior to the tremendous success of American Idol, Simon had already established himself in the music industry as a tycoon producer. American Idol had also been adapted from a show that he had already developed in England. Once the show debuted in America, he shocked the nation with his remarks, often degrading the contestant before him. He would later defend his canter by stating that if someone is delusional over their singing abilities, then he would be the one to set them straight. More often then not he would be shattering their dreams, but at the same time he may have been the only one who can truly give them that wake up call so many Idol hopefuls desperately need. Whatever the situation, no one can argue that it was Simon that put Idol on the map. He undeniably has played a crucial role in brining Idol to where it is today. The term “water cooler show,” meaning that people would gather around the water coolers in their offices discussing a show they watched the night before, was practically coined over Simon’s remarks. I truly don’t think the show can survive without him.

Why would Simon choose now to go public with the possibility of his departure. His contract with American Idol finishes at the end of next season, coincidence…I think not. He’s already one of the highest paid TV personalities on the air waves today, I bet he’s holding out to become the highest paid. I wouldn’t be surprised if Fox gave him what he wants, after all American Idol does generate revenue in the billions. Simon claims he’s too busy doing his other two shows in Britain, but there is no question that the bulk of his income and fame stems from American Idol. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of Simon Cowell, and if we don’t, then that will mark the beginning of the end of American Idol.

As one of the most successful shows in television history narrows down to its final weeks, I must admit that I have some mixed emotions about the season thus far.

I fully understand the need to retool a show that has been around for close to a decade, throw a few curve balls our way, shake things up a little, and even add a new face to the panel. However, I must ask the producers why they felt the need make so many abrupt changes to a format that has already proven more then successful, both on an entertainment level as well as financial. The multi billion dollar show may have showed a slight slip in ratings last season, down from an average of about 28 million viewers to approximately 26 million, still easily blowing any competition from other networks right out of the water.

So does this slight drop in ratings justify the changes, or were the powers that be simply trying to keep the show fresh, and perhaps try to generate new viewers. After so many seasons, I think the show basically has its foundation of loyal die hard fans followed by a group that catches it when they can. Then their would be those that are just opposed to everything the show stands for, this demographic is never going to come around no matter what changes are made. That being said, are the producers desperate to ensure their loyal fans do not stray from them and cheat by tuning into Dancing With The Stars on a religious basis instead of American Idol. Or are they trying to assimilate the group of in betweens to full all out American Idol Fans?

The most notable change would have to be the new addition of a fourth judge, producer and song writer Kara DioGuardi. I personally am not a fan of hers. I find her snobbish, stand offish, and in desperate need of acceptance from her peers. With her being added to the show rumors spread like wild fire that she was being groomed to replace Paula, I hope these are just that, rumors. Other changes were in the shows format. As Idol hopefuls tried to make the cut into the top 26 the judges actually pinned some of them up against each other in a “sing off,” where they would basically be singing for their lives. I found this to be cruel. Another big surprise was making the show into a top 13 contest instead of the usual top 12. A move obviously put fourth by the shows producers, not judges, to inspire shock value and conversation amongst its viewers…I suppose it worked as I’m writing about it now.

Finally, theirs the save. The only change that I agree with. The judges have the right to save one contestant form elimination if they feel America got it wrong while voting. As I’ve seen many talented singers leave the show prematurely I have to agree with this new rule. It is suppose to be a singing competition, not just a popularity contest based on voting for the one you find the sexiest.

Despite its changes, the show is still as strong as ever and shows no signs of slowing down. I’m certain it will continue to entertain and change lives for many more seasons, unless of course Simon Cowell decides to disburse from the show. I think he helped build it into what it is, if he leaves the show it will be like putting it on life support, it will cling to survival until eventually someone pulls the plug and puts it out of its misery.

The ratings powerhouse that is American Idols Live is readily approaching as its season premiere is now set for January, 2009. America Idols Live is fueled by none other than Judges Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and of course Simon Cowell. Add to these three the hosting talents of Ryan Seacrest and you have all of the ingredients needed for success. The man that truly is behind the award winning mega show is the executive producer of American Idols Live Simon Fuller. Though he may not be in the spotlight as much as the visible talents on the show he certainly deserves the credit and recognition for building American Idols Live into the phenomenon it has become.
As we anxiously wait for season 8 of American Idols Live we wonder what, or who the show may bring into the spotlight this year. Past successes include season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson, who has become a multiple Grammy winner. In the country music department we have the incredible singing voice of Carrie Underwood. Rock favorite Chris Daughtery has become a multi platinum recording artist without even being crowned winner of American Idols Live. The show has even unleashed an academy award winning singer and actress, Jenifer Hudson, who our hearts go out to at this difficult time for her. We also await the album release of last year’s winner David Cook who certainly has a bright future ahead of him. With such success stories, I’m sure Simon, Paula, and Randy, with the help of the American viewing audience will no doubt find another sensational artist to emerge as winner.

In the search for this sensation American Idols Live visited Louisville, Kentucky; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Arizona; San Francisco, California; Jacksonville, Florida; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Kansas City, Missouri, and East Rutherford, New Jersey. Thousands of contestant hopefuls auditioned, but only a handful will ever be seen on international television. In order to be featured on American Idols Live it seems you have to be extremely talented, comically horrible, or very original. Perhaps the show will take a more sensitive approach to its cutting floor in light of the tragic suicide from a Paula crazed fan that brought so much unwanted negative publicity to the show.

On a more positive note, American Idols Live has in recent seasons become a great cause for charity as it features its Idols Gives Back show every year. Last year they raised over 70 million dollars in one night of entertainment filled with great performances and celebrity endorsements. The money is used to fight hunger and poverty in Africa and in the United States. Last year they won the respect of the Television Academy as they were honored with the very covenant Governor’s Award.
With ratings soaring each year, and as more and more celebrities jump on the Idols bandwagon to showcase their own careers, American Idols Live shows no signs of slowing down. Short of losing Cowell or Seacrest, I see no reason the show won’t continue to strive for many more seasons. I look forward to what the future of American Idols Live has to sweep us off our feet and into the spotlight.

As the eighth season of the mega hit show American Idols Live quickly approaches, the fans of American Idols Live all have the same question on their mind, how will a new judge blend in with the show? Adding another judge to the already overwhelmingly successful formula mixture of Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul is a very bold move on behalf of the producers of American Idols Live. Will this new judge become a key ingredient in the mix, or will this cause an explosion on the American Idols Live stage with a negative impact on the show. I ask this mainly because the new judge happens to be a very successful, beautiful, and talented woman, a few years younger than Paula.

I suspect there may very well be some tension on the judging block between Paula and the new talent in question, Kara DioGuardi. Perhaps this is what the producers of American Idols Live had in mind when they made this decision, to add a little more drama to the already soap operaish prime time talent show. This new addition has also raised questions of Paula’s future on American Idols Live, is she perhaps being weeded out. It is possible that Paula’s odd behavior in recent seasons, combined with the constant drama that follows her, and her diva attitude have become too much for them to handle. Another interesting point is the fact that Simon is newly single, will there be a cat fight on stage in a war for his attention. All of these questions are up in the air at the moment, however one thing is for certain, Kara DioGuardi is certainly qualified.

Her full name is Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi, born December 9, 1970. She is an American songwriter, record producer, and singer who have played a very influential role in dozens of famed songs. She has already worked with several alumni of American Idols Live which include season one winner Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and the newly famed David Archuleta. Add to that already impressive list Celine Dion and you can see she knows talent.

Kara won a BMI Cable Award for co-writing and performing Somethin’ To Say in 2003. It was the theme to the Lifetime Television series For the People, which starred Lea Thompson. She was named BMI’s Pop Songwriter of the Year in 2007. Between 2003 and 2007 she had received 10 BMI awards. At that time she had written the most performed songs on the radio. As of today, Kara DioGuardi has had over 46 albums in the Top 10 on Billboard magazine’s 200 album chart. Combined, her songs have sold over 100 million copies.

As for previous judging experience, she was a judge on the 2006 Idol type show called The One: Making a Music Star. Unfortunately, the show debuted with the second lowest ratings ever for the premiere of a prime time network show.

I suppose the producers thought that it was time for some big changes on the set of American Idols Live, but I just don’t know if adding a new female judge was the way to go. She isn’t well known enough to attract a new audience to the show, but if the diehard fans turn against her, or feel she’s taking away from Paula whom they’ve grown to love, her presence may very well hurt the show. I suppose only time will tell.

Aside from the three judges of American Idols Live, there is one other star that brings American Idols Live to realize its full potential. Aside from Simon Cowell, he is arguably the only other irreplaceable talent of the show. I am speaking of course of the host of American Idols Live, Ryan Seacrest. He certainly has a following when it comes to American Idols Live, and I’m not too sure if another host would be well received by the diehard fans of American Idol. No one else could ever offer the entertainment given from his on air banter with Simon Cowell. Although I doubt we will ever see him depart from the show that gave him stardom, considering all of his other projects, it would not surprise me if he did none day decide to leave the show.

Ryan Seacrest is considered to be one of the hardest working men in show business. His work is show business goes far beyond his duties as host of American Idols Live.

Long before America Idols Live, Seacrest began his career in 1990 at age 15 with Atlanta radio station “Star 94″ (WSTR-FM) while still in high school by interning with nighttime personality Tom Sullivan. Sullivan trained Seacrest in all aspects of broadcasting and put him on the air for the first radio broadcast of his career. He made his first television appearance in 1993, hosting the Radical Outdoor Challenge.
In 1995, Seacrest became the afternoon drive DJ at “Star 98.7″ (KYSR-FM), an adult contemporary radio station in Los Angeles, California. Despite all of his other projects, he remained committed to that DJ role until 2003. Also during his early twenties, Seacrest hosted a few short-lived game shows. His first TV gig was Gladiators 2000 for syndication and Wild Animal Games for Fox Family (now ABC Family). In 1997, Seacrest hosted the weekly syndicated internet game Click, which lasted only two seasons. Also from time to time he became a substitute host for Talk Soup.
Sea crest’s first major television job was as the host of “The New Edge”, a weekend morning show created by CNET showcasing new technology. Seacrest accepted the position as co-host of the hit reality TV series American Idols Live in 2002 with comedian Brian Dunkleman.
American Idols Live went on to become a success when the ratings went through the roof. This put Seacrest in the national spotlight. The following year, he became the sole host when Dunkleman left the show. (In a 2005 interview on the syndicated Howard Stern Show, Dunkleman insisted that it was his idea to leave “Idol”, to pursue his career as an actor, but he was bitter at Seacrest’s occasional put-downs after Dunkleman’s departure.) In 2003, Seacrest hosted the spin-off show, “American Juniors”.
In January 2003, Seacrest launched a daily entertainment/variety/talk syndicated television program, “On Air with Ryan Seacrest”. Due to low ratings, the show was cancelled and aired its last episode on September 17, 2004. In January of 2004, Seacrest became the new host of the legendary radio program “American Top 40″, created and formerly hosted by Casey Kasem. The show was syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. Before he took over as host on AT40, he was a substitute host four times in 2003. In February 2004, Seacrest became host of popular Los Angeles radio station KIIS’s morning show, replacing long-time host Rick Dees. This show, also known as On Air with Ryan Seacrest, remains on the air. “Every day I’ve showed up at a radio station, and every day I’ve essentially talked on the radio. I mean every day of my life — Monday through Friday — since I was 15. So for me, I’m so used to walking into a studio and having interesting conversations people can relate to. It’s my job.
In August 2005, it was announced that Seacrest would become executive producer and co-host of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, and that he would be the legendary producer-host’s eventual successor. On December 31, 2005 Seacrest performed much of the show’s hosting duties. Dick Clark’s role was limited by speech and mobility issues due to his recovery from a stroke. Seacrest also occasionally serves as a substitute host on the CNN television program Larry King Live.
With all of these projects in the works, one wonders how much longer Seacrest will remain with American Idols Live. In 2007 he reportedly made $32 million dollars, and I’m sure the bulk of that income was not from American Idols Live. If he did leave American Idols Live I think it would hurt the ratings, but I doubt it would even leave a dent in his career. Until then, Seacrest out.

As they do every year, American Idols Live kicked off their latest tour on July 1st, 2008 in Glendale, Arizona. The finalists of American Idols Live lived up to the hype of the concert with amazing performances from the top 10 finalists of the highly successful show. Performing in front of a sold out audience, the crowd, filled with many young fans, screamed to the likes of winner David Cook and runner up David Archuleta. David Cook performed Hello by Lionel Richie, The Time of My Life which was the winning song of the 2008 season, I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith, My Hero by the Foo Fighters, and the Chris Cornell version of Billie Jean. Respectively, David Archuelta sang his heart out to Angels by Robbie Williams, Apologize by One Republic, Stand by Me by Ben E. King, Beautiful Girls by Sean Kingston, and When You Say You Love Me by Josh Groban. The two undoubtedly stole the show of the American Idols Live Tour, as most critics and spectators alike knew they would. The crowd favorite of the American Idols Live tour seemed to be Apologize by little David Archuleta, instead of a song by the winner of the 2008 season. However, taking into consideration the timing of the release of the hit single by One Republic with that of the kick off of the American Idols Live Tour, it certainly makes sense that the crowd would react with huge applause to a song they’ve heard over a dozen times a day on the radio.
Other notable performances of the 2008 American Idols Live Tour included Michael Johns Queen melody of We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions, Let It Be by Brooke White, Crazy On You by Carty Smithson, and Kristy Lee Cook’s version of God Bless the USA. The other performers in the American Idols Live Tour were Chikezie, Ramiele Malubay, Jason Castro, and the young man whose talents were doubted by many, Syesha Mercado.
These 10 talented young performers continued to awe the herds of fans form the American Idols Live Tour with over 40 more shows throughout the summer. They performed in over 20 states, from Los Angeles to New York, and all of Middle America between the two. The American Idols Live tour even made a special stop in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 26th at the Air Canada Center, a venue shared with the biggest rock stars who visit the city. They ended each and every performance with a group collaboration of Don’t Stop the Music by Rihanna, which never failed to bring the crowd to their feet and craving for more from their American Idols Live Icons. As you gazed through each crowd of each venue, flocks of signs form their fans would be held up high as they cheered for their favorites. But all good things must come to an end, and on September 13th, 2008 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the 2008 American Idols Live Summer Tour came to an end. For some involved in the American Idols Live tour, this would mark the end of the biggest success they will ever come to know, for others it will only be the beginning. I suppose only time will tell what fate has in store for these top 10 contestants who unified for their fans during the American Idols Live 2008 Summer Tour.
As for the success of the tour, it surpassed that of the 2007 American Idols Live Tour. The sales were up 38% over 2007. The average percentage of seats filled was 85.4% compared to season six’s 68.4%. The tour’s total revenues totaled $29.3 million while the previous tour had made significantly less with $20.9 million. As for the future of the American Idols Live tours one can only assume that with numbers like this, the 2009 American Idols Live Tour will certainly be coming to a venue near you.

American Idols Live has given us the notion that Randy Jackson can be summed up in just one word, “dog.” Although the correct spelling of the word in this context is most likely “dawg.” That one word has basically become Randy Jackson’s catch phrase on American Idols Live, referring to every audition, act, and performance on American Idols Live as simply, “dawg.” That catch phrase went on to become the basis for the “Dog Pound” on American Idols Live, where the other contestants sit as their colleagues perform. American Idols Live has certainly paved the way to fame for Randy Jackson, who as far as celebrities goes, was relatively unknown prior to accepting a position as a judge on what would be the enormously successful American Idols Live. As a judge on American Idols Live he seems to be the most fair. He’s not as vicious as Simon Cowell or as “dumb-founded” as Paula Abdul, he genuinely seems to give good advice without being too critical. That being said, in the later seasons of American Idols Live Randy Jackson certainly seems to have become a little meaner in his response to contestants. This new found behavior can probably be attributed to the huge success that Simon Cowell has found for being the “mean one” on the judging panel of American Idols Live.
Although it appears as though Randy Jackson had been a relative unknown prior to American Idols Live, he does indeed have many pre American Idols Live accomplishments. In the early 1980′s, Jackson had played in bands with Carlos Santana and Jerry Garcia. From 1986 to 1987 he was a member of the rock group Journey. He had joined Journey for their 1986 album Raised on Radio and subsequent tour. He moved to Italy in the late 1980s and played on a record by Italian pop star Zucchero. The record, Zucchero and the Randy Jackson Band, was produced by Corrado Rustici who played guitar with Randy on many albums in the early 80′s and who became Zucchero’s producer for 15 years creating Zucchero’s biggest albums of his career.
Prior to his success on American Idols Live, Jackson was also the bass guitarist for Tracy Chapman and is featured on several tracks of her 1992 release, Matters of the Heart. He performed on the singles “Bang Bang Bang “, “Open Arms”, and “Dreaming on a World”. That same year, Jackson also played bass on Bruce Springsteen’s hit “Human Touch”.
As a running joke on American Idols Live, Randy Jackson often refers to the many rock stars he has worked with over the years. On the set of American Idols Live, Simon Cowell is often seen rolling his eyes whenever Randy refers to an act he has worked with. However, those references do not go without merit. Randy Jackson has recorded, produced, or toured with many well-known artists and bands, ranging from Mariah Carey (he has been her musical director for a number of her tours; he was in her band at Live 8 in London in 2005) to *NSYNC, Whitney Houston, (produced) Dionne Farris’ (critically acclaimed debut CD, Wild-Seed Wild-Flower), Céline Dion, Fergie (dating back to her days in Wild Orchid), Stryper[3], and Madonna (he played bass on her number-one hit “Like a Prayer”).
Jackson played numerous times in Jean-Luc Ponty’s backing band. His credits as a session musician range from playing with Aretha Franklin, Roger Waters, Bruce Springsteen, Journey, George Michael, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Billy Cobham, Blue Öyster Cult, Herbie Hancock, Richard Marx, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, Michael Bolton, and Bob Dylan to playing at the Grand Ole Opry with The Charlie Daniels Band. His production/songwriting work in the San Francisco Bay Area with Narada Michael Walden and Walter Afanasieff led Jackson to be in demand as a producer as well.
Although American Idols Live has certainly shot Randy Jackson to international stardom, his credits in the music business prior to the success of American Idols Live certainly should not go without notice. Let Simon Cowell roll his eyes all he wants, Randy Jackson should stand proud of his many accomplishments.

The generation that tunes in each week to watch American Idols Live seem to know very little of the success that Paula Abdul had before becoming the nicest of three judges on American Idols Live. I don’t doubt that her public celebrity has reached its highest by judging American Idols Live. But professionally, I feel as though she has accomplished a lot more that just being continuously insulted and criticized by Simon Cowell as a member of the panel of American Idols Live. Most contestants that audition for American Idols Live are between the ages of 16 and 26, and they would know very little of what Paula had accomplished long before the producers of American Idols Live ever approached her to become a judge on American Idols Live. There are some obvious notable exceptions to that rule. We have seen several people audition for American Idols Live who seem to be incredibly star struck by Paula Abdul’s singing and dancing career. The saddest of whom, Paula Goodspeed, who had recently committed suicide in front of Paula’s home in Los Angeles.
Paula Goodspeed was a contestant on American Idols Live in 2006. She went into the audition room of American Idols Live as the self proclaimed biggest fan of Paula Abdul. Sadly, her audition was horrendous and Simon Cowell tore into her, making very insulting remarks about her braces. She left American Idols Live feeling devastated. This devastation stuck with her until she finally took her own life on Nov. 13th, 2008 by overdosing in front of her own idols home, sitting in her car with a license plate that read ABDL LV.
Prior to her success on American Idols Live, Paula enjoyed many successes in the music world. In the 1980s, Abdul rose from being a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers NBA basketball team to being a sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era. She was a Pop-R&B singer with a string of hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s. According to Abdul, she has sold over 53 million records to date. She has scored six number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, placing her in a tie for fifth among the female solo performers who have reached number one. After her initial period of success, she suffered a series of setbacks in her professional and personal life, until she found renewed fame and success in the 2000s as a judge on the television series, American Idols Live.
With her newly found success have come many criticisms of the star. Substance abuse allegations arose as the result of what some described as “erratic behavior” by Abdul during episodes of American Idols Live. After reading these allegations on message boards, Abdul told People magazine in April 2005 during an article about American Idols Live that she suffered from chronic pain for years following a “cheerleading accident” at age 17 and was diagnosed with reflex sympathetic dystrophy in November 2004. Abdul says she is now pain-free following treatment, including the anti-inflammatory medication Ember.
Allegations arose again in January 2007 when videos circulated on the Internet of Abdul appearing to sway in her chair and slur her speech during a set of interviews for American Idols Live. Abdul’s publicist attributed this to fatigue and technical difficulties during the recording of the interviews. It was revealed on the Bravo show Hey Paula, which had followed Abdul with a video camera prior to the interviews that Abdul had not been sleeping, perhaps suffering from some mild form of insomnia.
In February 2007, Abdul told Us Weekly that she had never been drunk or used illegal drugs while filming American Idols Live and called the allegations “lies”. In a March 2007 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Abdul joked that her scrutinized behavior was caused by her being “abducted by aliens”. Abdul appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show to “clear the air” on that situation.
I just hope that Paula is remembered for her many accomplishments and not for her questionable behavior on the set of American Idols Live.