Harry Abdul (father). Paula Abdul parents. He divorced Lorraine when Paula was only seven but they both raised their children observing the Jewish High Holidays. He bought and sold livestock for a living but is known basically as the father of the Forever Your Girl singer. She attended Van Nuys High School, where she was senior class president and head cheerleader. 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. She began taking dance lessons when she was eight. After graduating in 1980, she started college at Cal State-Northridge, majoring in TV and radio. All four of Paula’s maternal great-grandparents were born in Eastern Europe, Russia and Ukraine. Paula Abdul mourned the loss of her father this week with an emotional tribute.. One year after the death of her mother, Lorraine, the former American Idol judge confirmed on Wednesday (April 17) that her father, Harry, has also passed away. Paula Abdul grew up in the San Fernando Valley, California. Year of Birth: 1933 Date of Death: April, 2019 (aged 85) Harry was the owner of a sand and gravel business. “My Father was, and always will be, my superhero,” the singer shared on Twitter with a set of heartwarming pictures of her with her father. Paula’s father, Harry Abdul, was a Syrian Jew from Aleppo who immigrated to Brazil, and then to the U.S. Paula’s mother, Lorraine (Rykiss), is Ashkenazi Jewish, and is originally from Saint Boniface, Winnipeg, Canada. Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. Paula Abdul is mourning the death of her father, Harry Abdul, following his battle with Alzheimer's disease.