Katy Perry
Katy was incorporated to her parents' ministry, and she started singing in their church from the age of nine; she continued singing in the church until she was 17. She grew up listening to gospel music and was not allowed to listen to what her mother called secular music. Katy attended Christian schools and camps. As a child, she learned how to dance in a rec hall in Santa Barbara. She was taught by seasoned dancers and began with swing, Lindy Hop, and jitterbug. She took her GED after her freshman year of high school and decided to leave school to pursue a career in music. Katy initially started singing "because I was at that point in my childhood where I was copycatting my sister and everything she did". Her sister practiced with cassette tapes, and Katy took the tapes herself when her sister was not around. She rehearsed the songs and performed it to her parents, who suggested she should take voice lessons. She grabbed the opportunity and began taking lessons at age nine to 16. She enrolled in at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and studied Italian opera for a short time.
At the age of 15, Katy's singing in church attracted the attention of rock veterans from Nashville, Tennessee, who brought her there to polish her writing skills. In Nashville, Katy started recording demos and was taught by country music veterans on how to craft songs and play guitar. She signed to the Christian music label Red Hill, under which she recorded her first album at the age of 15. Performing as Katy Hudson, she released the self-titled Gospel-rock album in 2001. The album was unsuccessful, however, after the label ceased. She later changed her surname to Katy, her mother's maiden name, because "Katy Hudson" was too close to film actress Kate Hudson. At the age of 17, Katy left her home for Los Angeles where she worked with Glen Ballard on an album for record label Island. The album was due for release in 2005, but Billboard reported it also went nowhere.
Her songs eventually captured the attention of Virgin Records CEO Jason Flom, then head of Capitol Music Group, who signed her to Capitol Music in early 2007.
After signing to Capitol Records, Katy began recording tracks for her official mainstream debut album, One of the Boys, and establishing her image was one of the immediate concerns of her management. A campaign was started in November 2007 with the release of the video to "Ur So Gay", aimed at introducing her to the music market. A digital EP led by "Ur So Gay" was later released to create online buzz. This was a successful move that resulted in bringing Katy to the attention of Madonna, who mentioned her on KISS FM and KRQ's JohnJay & Rich morning show in Arizona. On March 10, 2008, she appeared as herself on the ABC Family television series, Wildfire, on the episode "Life's Too Short".
While the buzz over Katy was building, she went on the next step of promoting the album, undertaking a two-month tour of radio stations. The album's official lead single, "I Kissed a Girl", was released on May 6, 2008. With the song climbing atop the charts, Katy embarked on the annual Warped Tour music festival, which her management used to "establish her as a credible performer and make sure she wasn't seen as just a one-hit wonder." The single was a commercial success, peaking at number one for seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. It has since become a major worldwide hit, topping charts in 30 countries, including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. On June 12, 2008, Katy appeared as herself on the daytime soap opera, The Young and the Restless, and poses for the cover to the June 2008 issue of the fictional magazine Restless Style. She also has lent her voice for the upcoming film The Smurfs which is set to release in 2011.
Katy released her sophomore album Teenage Dream in August 2010.
In October 2010, Katy married British comedian Russell Brand.
Please pray that our Father will draw Katy closer towards His Son, Jesus Christ.
--Heidi