1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: Cast play around. I'm buzz night and welcome to this 2 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: Bonus Friday edition of the Taking a Walk podcast Music 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 1: History on foot. If you like this podcast, we would 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: appreciate it If you follow us at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 5 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:27,479 Speaker 1: tune In, iHeart Podcast, Republic, cast Box, or wherever you 6 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: get your podcasts. Now By following you're a guaranteed to 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 1: never miss an episode. You can also go to Taking 8 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 1: a Walk dot com to follow us. There you can 9 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 1: leave us comments. You could leave us guest suggestions as well. 10 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: Maybe you even want to be a guest. Today we 11 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: talked to someone we feel like we all know pretty 12 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: well who has been spending many nights in our living 13 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: room over the years, certainly the days of American idol 14 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: She was part of that and such an influence. Paula musician, 15 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 1: TV personality dancer. She's our guest on this episode of 16 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk. She talks about her prowess for finding talent. 17 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: We caught up with her at the Consumer Electronics Show 18 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: as she was promoting Idolize, her new fashion audio glasses, 19 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 1: and we can't wait for you to catch up on 20 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: this Bonus Friday with Paula Abdul on Taking a Walk. Paula, 21 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: it's so nice to meet you and to have you 22 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,759 Speaker 1: on the Taken a Walk podcast as we talk about 23 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,479 Speaker 1: music and music history. When did you know you were 24 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 1: first connected to music? Well, I was fortunate. I have 25 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: a sister who, fortunate for me, she's seven years older, 26 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: not fortunate for her. I was the brat, she always 27 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: had a babysit. But I was very heavily influenced by 28 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: her musical taste. So when I was four five years old, 29 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: I was memorizing every song to Stevie Wonder, Carol king Uh, 30 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: the Tapestry Album, the Songs in the Key of Life, 31 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 1: the Jackson's I I fell in love with music and 32 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 1: we sh that was where we share shared our common ground. 33 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: I had challenges. I had had attention deficit disorder and 34 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 1: a bit of dyslexia. For me to study and memorize 35 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: in order to get good grades, I would hum songs 36 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: of nursery rhymes, and that's how I would memorize the 37 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: important facts that I needed to remember in order to 38 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: score well on my tests. In addition to that, and 39 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 1: I always say that a world without music would be 40 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 1: completely unfair and for me, a world without music and 41 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:50,839 Speaker 1: dance would be absolutely diabolical. You know, I was born 42 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: three months premature. I had terrible hip dysplasia, and for 43 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: a dance you have to have turned out hips. But 44 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: as a singer too, I had collapse lung was in 45 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: a broken wind pipe. So the first three years of 46 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,079 Speaker 1: my life were a a complete challenge of having enough 47 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: breath control to have enough oxygen. I spent most of 48 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: the time fainted. But what music and dance did for 49 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: me was give me that undying love that I had 50 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: a heart place that I connected to at a very 51 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: very very young age. And if I didn't have that, 52 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 1: I don't think I would at all be where I 53 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: am today. And what I love about music is that 54 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter if you have arrested development in socializing skills, 55 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: doesn't matter what kind of mental distress or mental illness 56 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: that you're going through. It's a place that you can 57 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: escape and find love, find safety, find comfort, and uh 58 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: the ability to communicate with people and the It's so 59 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: fortunate and such a blessing to be able to find 60 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: your life true calling at such an early age. And 61 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,040 Speaker 1: I did. Some people search a lifetime to find and 62 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: that k that outside heart and place, and I I 63 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: knew as a young girl that that's my passion at Goosebumps. 64 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: It's awesome. Now, what are some of those many highlight 65 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,479 Speaker 1: moments from American Idol in terms of certain artists that 66 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: you knew right away that bingo that got it. Well, 67 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: that's a beautiful thing about being able to be a mentor. 68 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: And I've been a mentor pretty much my whole young 69 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: adult life all the way through. I've always been able 70 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: to spot uncanny, raw, untap talent and I have a 71 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: knack for that. It was a job that fit like 72 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:42,479 Speaker 1: a hand to glove for me to be able to be. 73 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: I'm I I don't like calling myself a judge. I'm 74 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: I'm a curator of talent and I'm a mentor. But man, 75 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: every season I would self address, stamp and get notarized 76 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: on an envelope my predictions when it was the top 77 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: twe even even before when it was like we were 78 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: at the p S, you know, Pasadena and we were 79 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 1: doing Hollywood. We I would start making my early predictions 80 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: and when it would get down to the top twenty, 81 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 1: I would I would list my top three finals that are, 82 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:15,479 Speaker 1: and then I'd do a separate one who I thought 83 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 1: was the winner, and it would be notarized and sealed 84 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: and every season on Entertainment Tonight at the end when 85 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: got down to the finals, so they'd open up the envelope. 86 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: And I was right every single time, except for Chris Doctries, 87 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 1: cause I really believe Chris was gonna win. But I 88 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:35,480 Speaker 1: feel part parcelal to the fact that he may not 89 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: have won. But I always say that those who need 90 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 1: to win win, those who don't need to win really 91 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: do extremely well. Every it's a win win situation. But 92 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: I was gunning and championing, championing Elliott Young mean so 93 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: hard because I knew for a fact in my mind 94 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: Chris is gonna win, Chris Doctor's gonna win. But I 95 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: got people to rally behind, and then all of a sudden, 96 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: when there were four contestants left, Chris was knocked out 97 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:05,039 Speaker 1: and which shocking, shocking, and Elliott was in. But yeah, 98 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: I I'd l I love being around talent my whole life. 99 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 1: I've been a teacher and a mentor to young young talent, 100 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: and I would know immediately who was going to stand 101 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,799 Speaker 1: and last throughout the competition. And what I loved about 102 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: the show, which a lot of people forget is the 103 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: fact that we would bring in pioneers in the business. 104 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: We would h celebrate you know, Holland Dozer, We'd celebrate 105 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: uh L Liburn Solar, We'd have Neil Sedaka, come on. 106 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: We'd have incredible songwriters and incredible performers to help give 107 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 1: history to these young kids who had no idea about 108 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: this music but got a real amazing, like college level 109 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: uh lesson in in who these great people were that 110 00:06:54,360 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: inspired songwriters and the art artists. So you're combining music 111 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: now with technology with an exciting new project. Tell us 112 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:07,600 Speaker 1: about the project. I'm so thrilled because I want I've 113 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: wanted to enter into the tech arena for quite some time, 114 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: but I needed to have something that would combine my 115 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: my career history with music and sound. Outside of the 116 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: the EarPods, that people were to have something fashionable, and 117 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: I think that when fashion meets technology you have a 118 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: win win situation. And the fact that I found the 119 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: right partners with one of One and their their immense 120 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: success that they've had, this allowed me to get into 121 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: an arena where I was able to take my fashion 122 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: sensibility and marry in the world of technology and created Idolized. 123 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: Now Idolized, what a great name, but it's perfect for 124 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 1: the through line of my life. And these glasses are incredible. 125 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: They are universal. They look great on everybody. This is 126 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: not catered to get genre specific. These look great on everybody. 127 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: And I spend a lot of time working on the styles, 128 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: the colors, and and just the sensibility that weight, the 129 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 1: ability to wear these all day, had it last five 130 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: hour UH battery life, and the fact, like I said, 131 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: I could teach and move around and dance and not 132 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: have to worry about them falling off. That they're comfortable 133 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: and they do so many incredible things, especially the quality 134 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 1: of a of audio is incredible. The fact that you 135 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 1: can easily connect it to Bluetooth. You can put your 136 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: own prescription added to these lenses, and they come with 137 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:41,199 Speaker 1: an extra set of lenses that you could pop out 138 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: the poppy and it's protecting the the blue light. And 139 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 1: the fact that the colors and the styles of the 140 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 1: frames they rival any other fashion like high end fashion sunglasses. 141 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: They're beautiful. You're beautiful. Thank you, Thank you for the 142 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: joy that UH you continue to give us, and thanks 143 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: for being on the taking a walk podcast, of course, 144 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: Thank You, thank you, thank you, Happy Here, thank you. 145 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk with Buzznight is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, 146 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:18,679 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.