katy perry biography facts

American pop singer Katy Perry is known for hits like 'I Kissed a Girl,' 'Teenage Dream,' 'Firework' and 'Dark Horse.'

Who Is Katy Perry?

American pop singer Katy Perry initially attempted to break into the music business with a gospel album. Her image radically changed by the time of her 2008 smash single "I Kissed a Girl," from One of the Boys , and she went on to top the charts with the follow-up albums Teenage Dream , Prism and Witness . Perry is also known for her performance during the 2015 Super Bowl halftime show, her marriage to comedian Russell Brand and her selection as a judge for American Idol .

Early Life and Musical Aspirations

Katy Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson was born on October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, California. Fans might be surprised to learn that the singer who writes about sexual exploration in "I Kissed a Girl" grew up in a very conservative family. Both of her parents are pastors, and they refused to let her listen to any rock or popular music. "The only things I was allowed to listen to were the Sister Act 1 and 2 soundtracks," Perry told Entertainment Weekly . She and her two siblings were also not permitted to watch such cable channels as MTV and VH1.

Perry started taking singing lessons around the age of 9 and learned to play guitar when she was 13. Around this time, she began rebelling against her strict upbringing by piercing her own nose. She soon became interested in pursuing a career in music.

With her mother, Perry made several trips to Nashville to record a gospel album, Katy Hudson , which was released in 2001. "It reached literally maybe 100 people, and then the label went bankrupt," Perry explained to Entertainment Weekly .

In high school, she strove to be her own person, choosing not to limit herself to one social group. "I was a hop-around. I hung out with the rockabilly crew, the guys who were trying to be rappers, the funny kids," she told Seventeen magazine.

Focused on her music, Perry got her GED and moved to Los Angeles to work with producer and songwriter Glen Ballard, who had collaborated with such artists as Christina Aguilera and Alanis Morissette. She was only 17 years old at the time, and being on her own proved tough. "It was five years of living in L.A. with no money, writing bad checks, selling my clothes to make rent, [and] borrowing money," she told Seventeen .

Perry also experienced a string of disappointments before getting her big break. She and Ballard were unable to find a record company willing to take them on, and her 2004 collaboration with music producers-turned-performers The Matrix was scrapped shortly before the project was to be released. After having three record deals fall apart, Perry finally signed with Capitol Records in 2007.

Albums and Songs

'one of the boys'.

Following the November 2007 release of the single "Ur So Gay," which caught the attention of Madonna , Perry saw her career take off with her next effort, "I Kissed a Girl." The song hit the top of the charts in the summer of 2008, propelling Perry's album, One of the Boys , into the Billboard Top 10. A follow-up single, "Hot n Cold," also charted highly.

Along with earning a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy nomination, Perry became famous for her theatricality. On the Warped Tour, she performed "I Kissed a Girl" with a giant tube of lip balm, referencing a line in the song. Perry has also jumped into a larger-than-life cake and appeared in a number of wild outfits while onstage. Describing her style as " Lucille Ball meets Bob Mackie," she told Esquire , "It's about innuendo. I want everybody to get the joke, but I want them to think about it for a minute."

In 2009, Perry appeared in her own acoustic special on MTV. The soundtrack from the show, Katy Perry: MTV Unplugged , was released around the same time.

'Teenage Dream'

Picking up where she left off, Perry released a new single with Snoop Dogg , "California Gurls," in May 2010. The single shot to the top of the charts, paving the way for its accompanying studio album, Teenage Dream , to do the same.

Perry's follow-up singles, "Teenage Dream," "Firework," "E.T." and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" all followed the path of "California Gurls," making Perry just the second artist, after Michael Jackson , to have five No. 1 hits from a single album.

In 2012, she released a new edition of her hit album, called Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection . The record had several new tracks, including the successful singles "Part of Me" and "Wide Awake."

Perry continued to dominate the music charts with 2013's Prism . The album's lead single, "Roar," climbed to No. 1, and "Dark Horse," her collaboration with Juicy J, also spent several weeks in the top spot, pushing Perry past Mariah Carey for most total weeks with a No. 1 hit (46). The album's fifth and final single, "This Is How We Do," featuring Riff Raff, also performed well.

A few months after the release of "Chained to the Rhythm," with Skip Marley, Perry dropped her latest studio effort, Witness , in June 2017. Witness debuted in the top spot, giving the artist her third straight No. 1 album.

Despite the announcement of the supporting Witness: The Tour, scheduled to run from September 2017 to August 2018, the album's sales dropped in the following weeks; after her previous three albums racked up a combined 17 million in sales, Witness was at a relatively modest total of 840,000 as of January 2018.

The artist was back with new music by 2019, beginning with her collaboration with Zedd on "365." She then teamed with Daddy Yankee and Snow for a remix of "Con Calma," before unveiling her new solo single, "Never Really Over," in May.

'American Idol' Judge

In May 2017, Perry was announced as the first judge selected for the reboot of American Idol . She was later joined by country star Luke Bryan and R&B and pop singer Lionel Richie , with Ryan Seacrest also agreeing to return as host.

Perry had previously served as a guest judge on Idol in 2009, temporarily replacing Paula Abdul. Since then, she had turned down offers to appear on other singing competition shows, like The X Factor .

The pop star immediately made waves for her behavior during the two-part premiere of season 16 in March 2018: At one point she fell while dancing on stage in high heels, and at another moment she smooched a shy contestant who said he was saving his first kiss for someone special, drawing the ire of many on social media.

Perry later returned with Bryan, Richie and Seacrest for seasons 17 and 18.

Super Bowl Halftime Show

On February 1, 2015, Perry was the featured performer during the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show. Along with appearances by guest artists Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott , the show was remembered for the seeming mismatched choreography of two dancers in shark costumes while Perry belted out "Teenage Dream." Overall, the performance drew a reported 118.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show to date.

'Dark Horse' Copyright Infringement

In 2014, songwriters Marcus Gray, Emanuel Lambert and Chike Ojukwu filed a lawsuit alleging that Perry's hit "Dark Horse" copied the trio's Christian rap song "Joyful Noise," released in 2009 under Gray's stage name, Flame.

In July 2019, a federal jury in a Los Angeles ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, with Perry, her five credited co-writers and the four corporations that released and distributed "Dark Horse" all found liable for copyright infringement. The following month, Perry and her collaborators were ordered to pay $2.78 million in compensation.

However, the verdict was overturned upon appeal in March 2020, with a federal judge determining that the disputed portion of "Dark Horse" — an eight-note ostinato that runs through much of the song — was not distinctive enough to be protected by copyright laws.

Movies and Other Endeavors

The artist was the subject of the autobiographical documentary Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012), which featured behind-the-scenes footage and clips of young Perry along with her dazzling concert performances. She also voiced the character of Smurfette for The Smurfs (2011) and The Smurfs 2 (2013) and made a cameo as herself in Zoolander 2 (2016).

In 2014, Perry also launched her own music label, Metamorphosis Music, as a subsidiary of Capitol. The label changed its name to Unsub Records in 2016.

After visiting Madagascar on behalf of UNICEF in April 2013, Perry became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador late in the year. In February 2020, she was named an ambassador of the British Asian Trust by Britain's Prince Charles .

Personal Life

In 2009, Perry made tabloid headlines for her relationship with British comedian Russell Brand. They were engaged over the New Year's holiday while on a trip to India, and on October 23, 2010, the couple married in India in a traditional Hindu ceremony. According to The Times of India , the wedding featured a procession of camels, elephants and horses, plus fire jugglers, snake charmers, dancers and musicians. Their union, however, did not last long, as Brand filed for divorce in December 2011.

Perry has also been romantically linked to musicians John Mayer and Diplo, as well as actor Orlando Bloom . On February 15, 2019, she announced her engagement to Bloom with an Instagram photo that showed her flower-shaped ring. Just after midnight on March 5, Perry delivered another surprise announcement by revealing a baby bump at the end of her new video for "Never Worn White."

Feud With Taylor Swift

Perry and Taylor Swift , who both dated John Mayer, ended their friendship after Perry allegedly tried to poach some of Swift's tour dancers. Perry's song "Swish Swish" is apparently about the feud. “I think it's a great anthem for people to use when someone's trying to hold you down, or bully you,” Perry said. "I think ‘Swish’ is a liberation from all the negative that doesn't serve you.”

On May 8, 2018, Perry put an end to their feud by extending an olive branch — literally, she sent Swift an actual olive branch — with a note that said, "I’ve been doing some reflecting on past miscommunication and hurt feelings between us."

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Katy Perry
• Birth Year: 1984
• Birth date: October 25, 1984
• Birth State: California
• Birth City: Santa Barbara
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: American pop singer Katy Perry is known for hits like 'I Kissed a Girl,' 'Teenage Dream,' 'Firework' and 'Dark Horse.'
• Astrological Sign: Scorpio
• Dos Pueblos High School

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us !

• The only things I was allowed to listen to were the 'Sister Act' 1 and 2 soundtracks.
• Ultimately I want Katy Perry to be as much of a household name as Madonna.

Famous Musicians

Mick Jagger

Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn’s Private Relationship

Taylor Swift

How Dickey Betts Wrote “Ramblin’ Man“

How Did Bob Marley Die?

No Doubt Surprises Fans With Olivia Rodrigo

Lana Del Rey

Gwen Stefani

Turn Your Curiosity Into Discovery

Latest facts.

9 Facts About No Meat May May

12 Facts About Pet Owners Independence Day April 18th

38 facts about katy perry.

Written by Annnora Iqbal

Modified & Updated: 02 Mar 2024

Reviewed by Sherman Smith

Katy Perry is an iconic American singer, songwriter, and television personality who has captured the hearts of fans worldwide with her catchy pop tunes and captivating performances. With her distinctive voice and incredible stage presence, Perry has established herself as one of the most successful and influential artists of our time. From her breakthrough hit “I Kissed a Girl” to anthems like “Firework” and “Roar,” Perry has consistently delivered chart-topping hits that resonate with audiences of all ages.

But there’s more to Katy Perry than just her music. In this article, we will dive into 38 fascinating facts about this talented artist, exploring her rise to fame, personal life, philanthropic endeavors, and more. Get ready to discover some surprising and intriguing details about Katy Perry that will make you appreciate her even more.

Key Takeaways:

• Katy Perry, originally Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, is a multi-talented singer, songwriter, and TV judge known for her hit songs, colorful stage outfits, and love for cats.
• With over 100 million records sold worldwide, Katy Perry’s career has been marked by chart-topping hits, philanthropy, and a strong advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.

Katy Perry’s real name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson.

Before adopting the stage name “Katy Perry,” she used her birth name Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson. She later changed it to avoid confusion with actress Kate Hudson.

Katy Perry was born on October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, California.

She celebrated her birthday on October 25th and was born in the beautiful coastal city of Santa Barbara, California.

Katy Perry is a singer, songwriter, and television judge.

She is known for her powerful vocals, catchy pop songs, and unique fashion sense. Perry has also served as a judge on the reality TV show “American Idol.”

Katy Perry began her music career as a gospel singer.

Before venturing into pop music , Katy Perry started her music career as a gospel singer. She released a gospel album titled “Katy Hudson” in 2001.

Katy Perry’s breakthrough came with the hit single “I Kissed a Girl.”

In 2008, Perry rose to fame with her provocative and catchy song “I Kissed a Girl,” which sparked controversy and became an international hit.

Katy Perry has sold over 100 million records worldwide.

With her chart-topping hits and captivating performances, Katy Perry has achieved immense commercial success, selling over 100 million records across the globe.

Katy Perry is known for her extravagant and colorful stage outfits.

From candy-themed costumes to retro-inspired ensembles, Katy Perry’s stage outfits have become a signature part of her persona and performances.

Katy Perry has won numerous awards, including five American Music Awards.

Her talent and popularity have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including five American Music Awards.

Katy Perry has a cat named Kitty Purry.

The singer has a deep love for cats and owns a furry friend named Kitty Purry, who often makes appearances on Perry’s social media.

Katy Perry has her own line of fragrances.

Katy Perry launched her fragrance line, including popular scents such as “Purr,” “Meow,” and “Killer Queen.”

Katy Perry has a close friendship with fellow singer Taylor Swift.

After years of feuding, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift reconciled and became good friends. They even appeared together in Perry’s music video for “You Need to Calm Down.”

Katy Perry has starred in several films, including “The Smurfs” and “Katy Perry: Part of Me.”

Aside from her music career, Katy Perry has ventured into acting and appeared in movies such as “The Smurfs” and her own documentary film, “Katy Perry: Part of Me.”

Katy Perry is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

She has been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and uses her platform to promote equality and acceptance.

Katy Perry was named Billboard’s Woman of the Year in 2012.

Billboard recognized her success and influence by honoring her as Woman of the Year in 2012.

Katy Perry holds the record for the most Twitter followers.

With millions of dedicated fans, Katy Perry became the first person to reach 100 million followers on Twitter.

Katy Perry’s halftime performance at Super Bowl XLIX was the most-watched in history.

In 2015, Katy Perry’s energetic and visually stunning halftime show at Super Bowl XLIX garnered the highest number of viewers in Super Bowl halftime history.

Katy Perry has collaborated with various artists, including Snoop Dogg, Migos, and Kanye West.

She has created hit songs through collaborations with other notable musicians, showcasing her versatility as an artist.

Katy Perry is a philanthropist and has supported numerous charitable causes.

She is involved in various philanthropic endeavors, including UNICEF and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Katy Perry’s music video for “Dark Horse” caused controversy due to its portrayal of Egyptian culture.

The music video received backlash for its cultural appropriation and led to petitions calling for its removal.

Katy Perry’s perfume “Killer Queen” was inspired by the song of the same name by Freddie Mercury.

Perry’s perfume encompasses her empowering persona and pays tribute to the legendary Queen frontman.

Katy Perry has a passion for cooking and often shares recipes on social media.

She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen and frequently treats her followers to delicious recipes and cooking tips.

Katy Perry has performed at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

Her captivating performances have graced the Victoria’s Secret runway, entertaining both models and audiences alike.

Katy Perry was once married to British comedian Russell Brand.

The couple tied the knot in 2010 but later divorced in 2012.

Katy Perry has a shoe collection in collaboration with footwear brand, Katy Perry Collections.

Her unique sense of style extends to footwear, and she has created her line of shoes that reflects her eclectic fashion taste.

Katy Perry has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2018, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, solidifying her status as one of the industry’s most influential figures.

Katy Perry has voiced a character in the animated film “The Smurfs.”

She lent her voice to the character Smurfette , further showcasing her versatility in the entertainment industry.

Katy Perry has a strong social media presence with millions of followers on Instagram.

She actively engages with her fans through her Instagram account, sharing insights into her life and career.

Katy Perry’s single “Roar” became an anthem for empowerment.

The song’s empowering lyrics and catchy melody resonated with audiences worldwide, making it a symbol of strength and resilience.

Katy Perry has appeared as a guest judge on the reality TV show “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

Her appearance on the popular show brought her closer to the drag community and showcased her support for LGBTQ+ performers.

Katy Perry’s album “Teenage Dream” produced five number-one singles.

Her album “Teenage Dream” achieved incredible success, spawning hit singles such as “California Gurls,” “Firework,” and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).”

Katy Perry has a fascination with unicorns.

Unicorns are often referenced in her music, music videos, and stage performances, reflecting her love for all things magical and whimsical.

Katy Perry has voiced the character of Smurfette in multiple films.

She provided her voice for Smurfette in “The Smurfs 2” and “Smurfs: The Lost Village,” bringing the iconic character to life with her charm and charisma.

Katy Perry experienced a strict religious upbringing.

As the daughter of two Christian pastors, Katy Perry grew up immersed in a religious environment, which later influenced her music and personal beliefs.

Katy Perry has a fashion line in collaboration with H&M.

Her fashion line embraces her quirky and eclectic style, offering fans a chance to channel their inner Katy Perry.

Katy Perry’s halftime show at Super Bowl XLIX featured a memorable guest performance by Lenny Kravitz.

The iconic rocker joined Katy Perry on stage, adding an extra layer of excitement to her already epic halftime performance.

Katy Perry is an active supporter of organizations fighting against poverty and homelessness.

Her philanthropic efforts extend to organizations dedicated to providing aid and support to those in need.

Katy Perry served as a judge on the singing competition show “The Voice” in Australia.

She shared her expertise and mentored aspiring singers on the Australian version of the hit show “The Voice.”

Katy Perry has a tattoo of a strawberry on her ankle.

The strawberry tattoo represents a period of personal growth and serves as a reminder of her journey and resilience.

In conclusion, Katy Perry is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and influential figures in the music industry. With her captivating voice, energetic performances, and relatable lyrics, she has won the hearts of millions of fans across the globe. From her humble beginnings to becoming a record-breaking superstar, Katy Perry’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary.Through this article, we have explored 38 fascinating facts about Katy Perry. From her real name, favorite food, and hidden talents, to her philanthropic work and record-breaking achievements, there is no denying the impact she has made on pop culture. Katy Perry’s unique blend of talent, charisma, and down-to-earth personality has made her a beloved celebrity for people of all ages.Whether you are a die-hard Katy Perry fan or just curious about her life and career, these facts offer a deeper understanding of the woman behind the music. Katy Perry has proven time and time again that she is not just an entertainer but also a force to be reckoned with in the world of music.

1. What is Katy Perry’s real name?

2. How many albums has Katy Perry released?

Katy Perry has released five studio albums: “Katy Hudson” (2001), “One of the Boys” (2008), “Teenage Dream” (2010), “Prism” (2013), and “Witness” (2017).

3. Has Katy Perry won any awards?

Yes, Katy Perry has won numerous awards throughout her career, including five American Music Awards, four Guinness World Records, and a Billboard Woman of the Year award.

4. Has Katy Perry ventured into acting?

Yes, Katy Perry has dabbled in acting, appearing in films such as “The Smurfs” (2011) and “Katy Perry: Part of Me” (2012) – a documentary about her life and career.

5. Is Katy Perry involved in any philanthropic work?

Yes, Katy Perry is actively involved in various charitable initiatives. She has supported organizations such as UNICEF, the Red Cross, and the Children’s Health Fund.

6. Has Katy Perry broken any records?

Yes, Katy Perry has set multiple records over the years. Her album “Teenage Dream” became the first by a female artist to produce five number-one Billboard Hot 100 singles.

7. Does Katy Perry write her own songs?

Katy Perry is involved in the songwriting process for many of her songs. She co-writes and collaborates with talented songwriters and producers.

8. What are some of Katy Perry’s biggest hits?

Some of Katy Perry’s biggest hits include “I Kissed a Girl,” “Firework,” “Roar,” “Teenage Dream,” and “Dark Horse.”

9. Does Katy Perry have any hidden talents?

Katy Perry is skilled at playing the guitar, piano, and flute. She also trained as an opera singer during her teenage years.

10. What is Katy Perry’s favorite food?

Katy Perry has mentioned that her favorite food is Mexican cuisine, particularly tacos and enchiladas.

Was this page helpful?

Our commitment to delivering trustworthy and engaging content is at the heart of what we do. Each fact on our site is contributed by real users like you, bringing a wealth of diverse insights and information. To ensure the highest standards of accuracy and reliability, our dedicated editors meticulously review each submission. This process guarantees that the facts we share are not only fascinating but also credible. Trust in our commitment to quality and authenticity as you explore and learn with us.

Share this Fact:

21 Fun Facts About Katy Perry

Did you know that Katy Perry left home when she was only 17 to pursue her music career?

Katy Perry, one of the biggest names in the world; singer, songwriter, and musician!

Proud owner of songs like the infamous “I Kissed a Girl” and “Hot & Cold”.

Here are the juiciest facts covering Katy’s life from relationships to her pets!

Her full name is Katy Hudson.

She is 39  years old and was born on October 25 , 1984.

Katy first met Russel Brand by throwing a bottle at him – awkward.

Travis McCoy dated Katy on and off for years, they split up permanently in 2006.

Fans of Katy began throwing chapsticks at her when she was performing “I kissed a girl” on stage because of the lyrics “tastes of her cherry chapstick”.

She is a natural blonde.

Katy voiced the character Smurfette in Smurfs: The Movie (2011).

Her parents are Keith Hudson and Mary Perry.

Katy’s favorite number is 9!

Her cat’s name is Kitty Purry – how creative!

Katy Perry recorded her first album at the age of 15.

In 2006 Katy stared in Gym Class Heroes’ single ‘ Cupids Chokehold ‘.

Katy is releasing a perfume brand named ‘Purr’.

Katy was named “The Next Best Thing” by Early converts Blender Magazine – what a title!

She left home when she was only 17 to pursue her music career.

When Katy left home she was signed by Island Def Jam Music Group and she traveled to Los Angles to work on a new album, unfortunately that new album was never heard of again.

Katy nearly caused a ‘glitter war’ when she posted; using blasphemy is “cheap” on Twitter referring to Lady GaGa’s video ‘Alejendro’.

Katy’s original name was Katy Hudson; named after her father but Katy wasn’t happy that Katy Hudson sounded a bit to close to Kate Hudson (actress). She then went on to use her mother’s surname – Perry.

She is a singer, songwriter and a musician – how talented.

Katy made it big in the world by using over-the-top fashion and catchy songs.

She is 1 of 3 siblings; an older sister and a younger brother.

Fact Lists , Female Celebs , Singers

Related Posts

50 Facts About Ariana Grande

40 Fun Facts About Alicia Keys

30 Fun Facts About Beyoncé

45 Fabulous Facts About Rihanna

About the author.

Luke Ward is the owner of The Fact Site. He has over 14 years of experience in researching, informative writing, fact-checking, SEO & web design. In his spare time, he loves to explore the world, drink coffee & attend trivia nights.

Popular Today

April 28: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

20 Facts About Daisies & Sweet Peas, April’s Birth Flowers

30 Fun Facts About Jorge Garcia

15 Mind-Blowing Facts About Maryland

We have a thorough fact-checking process and a dedicated team verifying our content for accuracy. But occasionally, we may get things wrong, or information becomes outdated. If you believe something to be incorrect, please leave us a message below.

Leave a Comment

Latest facts.

Is Recycling a Scam?

15 Wild Facts About Wartortle | Pokémon

20 Facts About the Beatles That Won’t Let You Down

15 Enchanting Facts About Estonia

The Fact Site is the number one source for the most interesting & random facts about animals, celebrities, food, films, games & so much more. You will learn something about everything!

Popular Facts Lists

1000 Interesting Facts

100 Random Fun Facts

100 Mind Blowing Facts

100 Strange But True Facts

100 Interesting Space Facts

Popular Pages

2024 Events & Facts

Big Questions

Today In History

World Records

Information

Privacy Policy

The Fact Shop

Smooth Breakfast with Eamonn Kelly 6am - 10am

Now Playing

Rolling In The Deep Adele Download 'Rolling In The Deep' on iTunes

Katy Perry facts: Singer's age, real name, husband, children, net worth, and career revealed

5 May 2023, 14:45

Katy Perry covers The Beatles in Gap holiday promo

By Mayer Nissim

From Kissing a Girl (and liking it) to the Super Bowl and beyond.

Listen to this article

Katy Perry is one of the biggest stars of the last 15 years.

She's also been an ever-present in the showbiz columns, as well as juggling her day job with duties as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and LGBT activist.

• Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom welcome first baby with super cute name
• Watch Katy Perry's stunning performance of The Beatles classic track 'All You Need is Love'
• Listen to Smooth's Leading Ladies Live Playlist on Global Player

But how much do you know about Katy Perry and her stunning career to date?

Do you know her real name, where she was born, or which character she played in The Smurfs movies?

Read on for all the fast facts.

How old is Katy Perry and where is she from?

Katy Perry was born on October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, California, to Pentecostal pastors Mary Christine (née Perry) and Maurice Keith Hudson. She celebrated her 38th birthday in 2022.

Her parents moved across the country when she was a pre-teen, eventually returning to Santa Barbara where she attended Santa Barbara Christian School.

She would eventually move to Los Angeles just before her career took off.

What is Katy Perry's real name?

Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl (Official)

Katy Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson and actually released her debut album under the name Katy Hudson (more on that later).

She borrowed her mum's maiden name for her stage name when she jumpstarted her life in the music business.

How many times has Katy Perry been married, and how many children does she have?

In one of the quirkiest celebrity relationships we an remember, Katy Perry married comedian-turned-actor/turned-activist/turned-conspiracy-theorist Russell Brand in 2010 in a Hindu ceremony near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan They divorced in 2012.

She has been dating actor Orlando Bloom since 2016, and they've been engaged since February 2019.

In August 2020, Perry and Bloom announced the birth of their first child - a daughter named Daisy Dove Bloom.

What is Katy Perry's net worth?

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream (Official Music Video)

With over a decade at the top of the pop world and five top ten albums under her belt, Katy Perry has shifted a lot of records.

She also followed up a run of major international arena tours with her absolutely massive Las Vegas Play Residency.

That two-year run is estimated to have raked in over $40 million alone, and that will have contributed to her estimated net worth of $330 million.

How did Katy Perry get into music?

When 'I Kissed A Girl' shot to number one in the UK and US in 2008 soon after the quirky and controversial Ur So Gay EP, it seemed as though Katy Perry was an instant hit.

But as is so often in the pop world, her apparent overnight success was a long time coming.

She followed in her sister Angela's footsteps and had singing lessons when she was nine years old, and sang in her parents' church until she was 17.

Katy also started playing guitar and publicly performing her own songs when she was 13, and after picking up some early qualifications left Dos Pueblos High School to have a career in music.

After training in Nashville, she released the Christian rock album Katy Hudson in 2001 when she was just 16. It wasn't a hit.

Katy Perry - E.T. ft. Kanye West (Official Music Video)

The following year she moved to LA and shifted from gospel to secular pop, bouncing around record labels. A planned album for Island Def Jam affiliate Java was shelved in 2005. The following year a Columbia records album Fingerprints was also dropped.

Perry kept some of those songs, while 'I Do Not Hook Up' and 'Long Shot' ended up with Kelly Clarkson and 'Rock God' went to Selena Gomez & the Scene.

Around the same time, she recorded a bunch of songs with The Matrix production team, which also disappeared for a few years before eventually being released in 2009.

By that point, Katy Perry had signed to Capitol Records in 2007, and soon released the Ur So Gay EP, the 'I Kissed A Girl Single' and One of the Boys album, and finally, was a superstar.

What are Katy Perry's biggest songs?

Katy Perry - Firework (Official Music Video)

After her flop album Katy Hudson in 2001, Katy Perry broke through with her One of the Boys album in 2008, following it up with the US NINE TIMES platinum Teenage Dream in 2019 and five-times platinum Prism in 2013.

Katy Perry's biggest songs include:

• I Kissed A Girl
• California Gurls (featuring Snoop Dogg)
• Teenage Dream
• ET (featuring Kanye West)
• Last Friday Night (TGIF)
• The One That Got Away
• Dark Horse (featuring Juicy J)
• Chained to the Rhythm (featuring Skip Marley)
• Never Really Over

What films has Katy Perry been in?

Katy Perry - Roar

As well as appearing as herself in various concert movies and documentaries, including of course Katy Perry: Making of the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2015, Katy Perry has also appeared in proper films.

She had a cameo as herself in comedy sequel Zoolander 2 in 2016, having previously voiced Smurfette in 2011's The Smurfs and 2013 follow-up The Smurfs 2 .

Latest Music News

See more Latest Music News

Richie Sambora "disagrees" over his portrayal in the new Bon Jovi docu-series

Neil tennant facts: pet shop boys singer's age, partner, family and career explained, pet shop boys' 10 greatest songs, ranked, the story of... 'fix you' by coldplay, country star dasha reveals how 'austin' has changed her life - and what inspired it, smooth playlists, smooth's all time top 500, smooth soul, smooth country hot hits, smooth chill concentration, smooth podcast picks, they don't teach this at school with myleene klass, take that: this life, runpod with jenni falconer, the news agents, latest features.

See more Latest Features

Grease: How John Travolta's "unfocused" audition initially got him cast as another character

TV & Film

What happened to Florida Georgia Line? Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard's split and feud explained

Duran duran's simon le bon stands up at restaurant to duet 'hungry like the wolf' with stunned guitarist.

Duran Duran

When George Michael paid tribute to Linda McCartney and his late mum with beautiful Beatles cover

George Michael

When George Michael opened the new Wembley Stadium with incredible setlist

The voices that influenced amy winehouse.

Amy Winehouse

• Born October 25 , 1984 · Santa Barbara, California, USA
• Birth name Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
• Height 5′ 7½″ (1.71 m)
• Katy Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson on October 25, 1984 in Santa Barbara, California to Mary Christine Hudson (née Perry) & Maurice Keith Hudson. She has a big sister named Angela & a little brother named David, and has English, Portuguese, German, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. Her mother's half-brother was director Frank Perry . Raised in a deeply religious family, Perry's first experience of performing was singing in church. A passion for music grew and at the age of 15, Perry began visiting Nashville, gaining experience of song writing and recording demos. She signed to a Christian record label, Red Hill, and recorded an album, under her birth name of Katy Hudson. The album was not a success. At age 17 she moved to Los Angeles and collaborated with producer Glen Ballard , but was not able to secure a lasting record deal. Perry did sign to Columbia Records in 2004, but again this did not prove a success, and she was dropped. An executive at Columbia recommended Perry to the chairman of Virgin Records, Jason Flom , which resulted in her signing for Capitol Music Group. She recorded her second album, "One of the Boys" and in the Spring of 2008 released the lead single, the controversial "I Kissed a Girl". The song proved a smash, hitting the number one slot in several countries. Other hit singles followed and the album was a commercial success. Perry was now established as a pop superstar and cemented her position with the release of her next album "Teenage Dreams", which spawned more huge hits including "California Gurls" and "Firework". Many awards and music industry records followed. In 2012 Perry made the move into movies, releasing the documentary feature film Part of Me (2012) . Katy has started her own record label called "Metamorphosis Music" and has signed her very first artist Ferras, who was signed to Capitol Records back in 2007 with Katy Perry. He had released an EP the same day that the record label news was released to the public. There is also a duet with Katy on his new EP; they are expected to be on tour together in North America June 22 in Raleigh, North Carolina-October 11 in Houston, Texas. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
• Spouse Russell Brand (October 23, 2010 - July 16, 2012) (divorced)
• Children Daisy Bloom
• Parents Mary Hudson Keith Hudson
• Relatives Angela Hudson (Sibling) David Daniel Hudson (Sibling) Ann Hudson (Grandparent) Robert C. Hudson (Grandparent) Frank Perry (Aunt or Uncle)
• Colorful outfits and wigs
• Often makes references to food in songs and/or music videos
• Love ballads
• Powerful contralto vocal range
• Katy once described herself as "a fatter version of Amy Winehouse and a skinnier version of Lily Allen ". Later, Allen took offense to the statement and threatened to release Perry's personal phone number.
• When her single "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" from her hit album "Teenage Dream" went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 2011, the album became only the second album after Michael Jackson 's "Bad" to generate five #1 singles. Perry became the first female artist to achieve this feat.
• Wrote and sold songs to Kelly Clarkson and Jessie James Decker .
• Before Katy's mother Mary Hudson became an evangelical Christian preacher with husband Keith Hudson , she once dated rock icon Jimi Hendrix .
• Her hit song "I Kissed a Girl" was partially inspired by actress Scarlett Johansson .
• If people want a role model, they can have Miley Cyrus .
• [on who she wants to kiss] Scarlett Johansson before she gets married to Ryan Reynolds . She is a classic beauty. I love that 1940s pin-up look.
• Have I ever kissed a girl? Of course I have. I can't sing a song and not have done it. That'd be complete hypocrisy. I fancy Scarlett Johansson , Natalie Portman and Angelina Jolie - I'd definitely kiss them.
• [on Rihanna ] We're friends and we're both kind of on this crazy roller coaster, and ... it's nice to have good girlfriends. I pride myself on having cool chicks in my life, and she's a cool chick.
• [on future husband Russell Brand ] He's a genius and geniuses are both wonderful and delicate in the greatest way.
• American Idol (2002) - $25,000,000 per season

Contribute to this page

• Learn more about contributing

More from this person

• View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro

More to explore

Recently viewed

• Manage Account

Chart History

Billboard hot 100™, teenage dream, latest videos.

*NSYNC Reunited, Dua Lipa Announces New Album, Cardi B Loses A Tooth & More | Billboard News

Katy perry opens up about her upcoming rock in rio performance, love for dance music & more | billboard women in music 2024, billboard’s women in music 2024, katy perry presents michelle jubelirer with executive of the year | billboard women in music 2024, looking back at past woman of the year honorees: billie eilish, katy perry, lady gaga & more | billboard news, katy perry talks leaving ‘american idol,’ loving karol g & more | billboard women in music 2024, taylor swift in sydney, new music from selena gomez, twice, jennifer lopez & more | billboard news, taylor swift parties with her parents, lisa joins ‘white lotus’ season 3 & more | billboard news, bonnie mckee talks writing “teenage dream” with katy perry, upcoming album “hot city” & more | billboard’s no. 1 grammys party 2024, pop culture rewind: ‘left shark’ from katy perry’s 2015 super bowl performance goes viral | billboard news, latest news, katy perry teases upcoming single, which she predicts will be one of her ‘biggest songs’ ever.

• By Gil Kaufman
• Apr 24, 2024 8:14 am

Katy Perry Shows Off All Her Roles While Lip Syncing to Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Espresso’

• By Rania Aniftos
• Apr 23, 2024 8:54 pm

What American Idol ’s Rock Hall-Themed Episode Says About the Current State of Music on TV: Critic’s Take

• By Paul Grein
• Apr 22, 2024 1:12 pm

Here’s Who Katy Perry Would Pick as Her ‘American Idol’ Replacement: ‘I Want a Truth Teller’

• By Hannah Dailey
• Apr 16, 2024 12:30 pm

Katy Perry Excited About Next Album: ‘It’s Very Bright and Joyful and Fun’

• Apr 16, 2024 10:34 am

Katy Perry’s Metallic Bra Nearly Falls Off During ‘American Idol’ Top 14 Episode: ‘I Need My Top to Stay On!’

• Apr 16, 2024 7:54 am

Katy Perry Looks Stunned as TikToker Serenades Her With ‘Prism’ Deep Cut at Coachella

• Apr 15, 2024 6:14 pm

Here Are All the Hits That Have Debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100

• By Billboard Staff
• Apr 11, 2024 10:35 am

Peppa Pig Earns Her Stripes in Adorable New Cover of Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’: Watch

• Apr 11, 2024 8:00 am

‘American Idol’ Hits Hawaii: Behind the Scenes With the Judges, Jelly Roll, Iam Tongi & Tori Kelly

• By Fred Bronson
• Apr 5, 2024 11:49 am

Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

optional screen reader

Charts expand charts menu.

• Billboard Hot 100™
• Billboard 200™
• Hits Of The World™
• TikTok Billboard Top 50
• Song Breaker
• Year-End Charts
• Decade-End Charts

Music Expand music menu

• R&B/Hip-Hop

Culture Expand culture menu

Media expand media menu, business expand business menu.

• Business News
• Record Labels
• View All Pro

Pro Tools Expand pro-tools menu

• Songwriters & Producers
• Artist Index
• Royalty Calculator
• Market Watch
• Industry Events Calendar

Billboard Español Expand billboard-espanol menu

• Cultura y Entretenimiento

Honda Music Expand honda-music menu

Katy Perry Through The Years

See the pop star's incredible career evolution

Katy Perry has come a long way since coming onto the music scene with a gospel album. Since then she’s become a pop sensation selling out arenas, starring in TV shows and movies, and even performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. And all before the age of 35!?

One of the Boys , Perry’s second studio album was released. Her single "I Kissed a Girl" became a huge hit and arguably the song of the summer that year. It also became her first single to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The singer began her first tour, the Hello Katy Tour, which supported her One of the Boys album. She also started dating comedian/actor Russell Brand. Brand proposed a few months later in India on New Year's Eve.

Perry debuted her single "California Gurlz" ( featuring Snoop Dogg) in 2010. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and her Teenage Dream album brought other hits such as "Firework", "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)", and the title track, "Teenage Dream" . She and Brand also tied the knot in India in October.

It was a whirlwind year for Perry’s professional and personal life. She was on her second tour, was named MTV’s Artist of the Year, won the Video of the Year VMA, and lent her voice to the Smurfs movie as Smurfette. The singer was basking in the success of her sophomore album, but was also battling pregnancy and breakup rumors. Brand filed for divorce in December just before the year came to a close.

Fans got a deeper glimpse of Perry’s life when her documentary, Katy Perry: Part of Me came out in theaters. She also started dating fellow musician John Mayer who she went on to date on and off for years.

Perry released her fourth studio album, Prism, which featured the hit sing "Dark Horse". The song would become her ninth No. 1 single. Her and then-boyfriend John Mayer also released a duet entitled, "Who You Love", which was featured on Mayer’s album Paradise Valley .

The bad blood between Perry and Taylor Swift started in 2014 reportedly over a tour backup dancer. Swift released her infamous song "Bad Blood" and it’s rumored to be about Perry. The "Dark Horse" singer didn't stand down, though. She famously tweeted out, “Watch out for the Regina George in sheep clothing….”

The star performed at the Super Bowl XLIX Halftime show and an iconic viral moment was born. Left Shark became a world-wide moment when one of Katy’s costumed dancers didn't exactly have the choreography down. Katy prevailed and delivered a show-stopping performance alongside Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliot. It garnered 118.5 million viewers...becoming the most watched and highest rated show in Super Bowl history.

2016 was a good year for Katy's love life when a romance blossoms between her and Orlando Bloom. They bonded at the 2016 Golden Globes and were later seen at the Met Gala wearing matching Tamagotchis.

Perry and Bloom split in February 2017 but eventually reunited. She hosted the VMAs where she delivered laughs and a memorable performance of "Swish Swish" with Nicki Minaj. The singer also signed on as a judge for ABC’s American Idol reboot.

Forbes named Perry one of the top-earning women in music, thanks to her Witness: The Tour concert, endorsements, and American Idol salary. She reunited with Orlando Bloom and this wasn’t the only relationship on the mend that year. Perry sent a literal olive branch to Taylor Swift, finally ending their feud.

Perry's 2019 got off to a romantic start when she got engaged to Orlando Bloom on Valentine's Day. She also started promoting a new album cycle with singles including "Never Really Over" and "Small Talk".

Perry began her first concert residency, titled Play , at The Theatre of Resorts World Las Vegas. The acclaimed show had a psychedelic theme with sets inspired by Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Pee Wee's Playhouse . Several shows were added since its inception due to increased demand, and its final leg is on November 4, 2023.

At the 2022 Met Gala, which had the theme "In America: An Anthology of Fashion," Perry certainly made her mark in a timeless Oscar de la Renta gown. On the music front, she stepped into a new journey and released the duet "Where We Started" with the country singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett.

The pop star performed at the coronation of King Charles III in May of 2023, a huge audience even for a singer used to those kinds of massive productions. Along with seeing through her Vegas residency, she has teased plans for new music, but nothing will be coming that soon.

Jacob is a Temporary Partnerships Editor at Hearst based in Queens, New York with his partner and cat Tiger. He loves learning and writing about Film and TV, Video Games, and the weird histories of unexpected subjects.

Underrated Movies & Shows in the Post-Apocalypse

Paul Rudd's 15 Best Movies, Ranked

The 8 Most Iconic Voice Actors of All Time

15 Underrated Movie Musicals You Should Watch

38 Super Fun Things to Do at a Sleepover

The 10 Most Famous Mouseketeers

Best Timothee Chalamet Movies

The 70 Best Reality TV Shows to Watch Right Now

63 Movies Guaranteed to Make You Cry Every Time

The Greatest Music Stars To Ever Play Las Vegas

The Best, Most Thoughtful Earth Day Gifts

5 Must-Know Facts About Katy Perry

In celebration of Katy Perry's 38th birthday, here are several interesting details to know about the singer's life and career. 

Related Articles

Katy Perry's Best Looks

From amazing red carpet appearances to her best social posts, these are Katy Perry's most fashionable moments. 

Pop culture

Katy perry is smelling the daisies.

With a new baby , new music , and new residency in Las Vegas , mega pop- star Katy Perry ’s life has a whole new tempo.

Watch Katy Perry Share Her Favorite Thing About Motherhood

Last year, L'OFFICIEL Summer 2021 coverstar Katy Perry birthed two amazing feats, her first baby and a new album, all within the same week.

Recommended posts for you

The Most Outrageous Met Gala Looks of All Time

From severed heads to chandelier skirts, we round up the most eccentric Met Gala costumes in history. 

Who is Jessica Gunning? Meet The Brilliant Actress Behind Martha From 'Baby Reindeer'

“If I ever tried to play the stalker side of Martha, you’d lose her completely because she isn’t a villain," said Gunning about her leading role in Baby Reindeer. 

Viva Vadim is Hollywood's Newest Nepo Baby: Meet Jane Fonda's Granddaughter

After making a rare red carpet appearance alongside her grandmother, the 21-year-old has captured the attention of the Internet 

Princess Anne's 15 Most Iconic Outfits

The Princess Royal has always been a fashionista, from her youth to today. 

Every Time Taylor Russell and Harry Styles Twinned

Fashion's next power couple. 

Toss Your Cap in Style with These 10 Gold Graduation Dresses

Get yourself diploma-ready with our guide to the most festive gold graduation dresses to shop ahead of your big day.

Film & TV

From french new wave to modern cinema: 25 iconic french actresses to know.

L'OFFICIEL rounds up 25 iconic French actresses, past and present. 

This Spring, the Future and the Past Intersect

Collections dial into a sleek, retro-modernist feel for spring.

• Español NEW

Katy Perry facts for kids

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry , is an American singer, songwriter and television personality. She is known for her influence on modern pop music and her camp style, being dubbed the "Queen of Camp" by Vogue and Rolling Stone . At 16, Perry released a gospel record titled Katy Hudson (2001) under Red Hill Records, which was commercially unsuccessful. She moved to Los Angeles at 17 to venture into secular music, and later adopted the stage name "Katy Perry" from her mother's maiden name. She recorded an album while signed to Columbia Records , but was dropped before signing to Capitol Records .

Perry rose to fame with One of the Boys (2008), a pop rock record containing her debut single "I Kissed a Girl" and follow-up single "Hot n Cold", which reached number one and three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 respectively. The disco -influenced pop album Teenage Dream (2010) spawned five U.S. number one singles—"California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T.", and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"—currently the only album by a female singer to do so. A reissue of the album titled Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection (2012) subsequently produced the U.S. number one single "Part of Me". Her empowerment-themed album Prism (2013) had two U.S. number one singles, "Roar" and "Dark Horse". Both their respective music videos made Perry the first artist to have multiple videos reach one billion views on Vevo and YouTube . The electropop album Witness (2017) featured themes of feminism and a political subtext, while Smile (2020) was influenced by motherhood and her mental health journey. Afterwards, she embarked on her Las Vegas concert residency titled Play (2021–2023), receiving critical acclaim and commercial success.

Perry is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold over 143 million records worldwide. She has the most U.S. diamond certified singles for any female artist (4). All of her studio albums released under Capitol have individually surpassed one billion streams on Spotify . She has nine U.S. number one singles, three U.S. number one albums and has received various accolades, including a Billboard Spotlight Award (currently the only female artist to have one), four Guinness World Records , five Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards , a Brit Award , and a Juno Award . Perry has been included in the annual Forbes lists of highest-earning women in music from 2011 to 2019. Outside of music, she released an autobiographical documentary titled Katy Perry: Part of Me in 2012, voiced Smurfette in The Smurfs film series, and launched her own shoe line Katy Perry Collections in 2017. Perry began serving as a judge on American Idol during its sixteenth season in 2018. She is also the second most-followed woman and the sixth most-followed person on Twitter , with over 107 million followers.

1984–1999: Early life and family

2000–2006: career beginnings, katy hudson , and fingerprints, 2007–2009: breakthrough with one of the boys, 2010–2012: teenage dream and marriage, 2013–2015: prism and super bowl xlix halftime show, 2016–2018: witness and american idol, 2019–2020: smile and motherhood, 2021–present: play concert residency, musical style and themes, philanthropy, achievements, discography, filmography, tours and residency, life and career.

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson was born on October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, California , to Pentecostal pastors Mary Christine (née Perry) and Maurice Keith Hudson. Both of her parents turned to religion after a "wild youth". Perry has English, German, Irish, and Portuguese ancestry. Through her mother, she is a niece of film director Frank Perry . She has a younger brother named David, who is also a singer, and an older sister, Angela.

From ages three to 11, Perry frequently moved across the country as her very strict parents set up churches before settling again in Santa Barbara. Growing up, she attended religious schools and camps, including Paradise Valley Christian School in Arizona and Santa Barbara Christian School in California during her elementary years . The family struggled financially, sometimes using food stamps and eating food from the food bank which also fed the congregation at her parents' church.

Growing up, Perry and her siblings were not allowed to eat the cereal Lucky Charms as the word "luck" reminded their mother of Lucifer , and were also required to call deviled eggs "angeled eggs". Perry primarily listened to gospel music , as non-religious music was generally discouraged in the family's home. She discovered popular music through CDs she sneaked from her friends. Perry later recalled a story about how a friend of hers played "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette , which impacted her songwriting and singing.

While not strictly identifying as religious, she has stated, "I pray all the time – for self-control, for humility." Wanting to be like her sister Angela, Perry began singing by practicing with her sister's cassette tapes. She performed the tracks in front of her parents, who let her take vocal lessons like Angela was doing at the time. She began training at age nine and was incorporated into her parents' ministry, singing in church from ages nine to 17. At 13, Perry was given her first guitar for her birthday, and publicly performed songs she wrote. She tried to "be a bit like the typical Californian girl" while growing up, and started rollerskating, skateboarding, and surfing as a teenager. Her brother David described her as a " tomboy " during her adolescence, which Perry talks about on her song "One of the Boys". She took dancing lessons and learned how to swing, Lindy Hop , and jitterbug . Perry completed her General Educational Development (GED) requirements early at age 15, during her first year of high school, and left Dos Pueblos High School to pursue a music career.

Perry briefly had music lessons in facilities rented from the Music Academy of the West. Her singing caught the attention of rock artists Steve Thomas and Jennifer Knapp from Nashville, Tennessee , who brought her there to improve her writing skills. In Nashville, she started recording demos and learned how to write songs and play guitar. Perry signed with Red Hill Records and recorded her debut album, a contemporary Christian record titled Katy Hudson , which was released on March 6, 2001. She also went on tour that year as part of Phil Joel 's Strangely Normal Tour and embarked on other performances of her own in the United States. Katy Hudson received mixed reviews from critics and was commercially unsuccessful, selling an estimated 200 copies before the label ceased operations in December. Transitioning from gospel music to secular music, Perry started working with producer Glen Ballard, and moved to Los Angeles at age 17. She opted to work with Ballard due to his past work with Alanis Morissette, one of her major inspirations. In 2003, she briefly performed as Katheryn Perry, to avoid confusion with actress Kate Hudson , and later adopted the stage name "Katy Perry", using her mother's maiden name. In 2010, she recalled that "Thinking of You" was one of the first songs she wrote after moving to Los Angeles. Perry would also perform at the Hotel Café, performing new music while she was between record labels.

In 2004, she signed to Ballard's label, Java Records, which was then affiliated with The Island Def Jam Music Group . Perry began work on a solo record due for release in March 2005, but the record was shelved after Java was dropped. Ballard then introduced her to Tim Devine, an A&R executive at Columbia Records , and she was signed as a solo artist. By November 2006, Perry had finished writing and recording material for her Columbia debut titled Fingerprints (with some of the material from this time appearing on One of the Boys ) which was planned for release in 2007. Some of the material from Fingerprints that did not make it on One of the Boys was given to other artists, such as "Long Shot" to Kelly Clarkson and "Rock God" to Selena Gomez & the Scene .

Perry worked with songwriters including Desmond Child , Greg Wells , Butch Walker , Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, the Matrix, Kara DioGuardi , Max Martin , and Dr. Luke. In addition, after Devine suggested that songwriting team the Matrix become a "real group", she recorded an album, The Matrix , with them. The Matrix was planned for release in 2004 but was cancelled due to creative differences. It was released in 2009 after the release of One of the Boys. Perry was dropped from Columbia in 2006 as Fingerprints neared completion. After the label dropped her, she worked at an independent A&R company, Taxi Music.

Perry had minor success prior to her breakthrough. One of the songs she had recorded for her album with Ballard, "Simple", was featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . Perry provided backing vocals on Mick Jagger 's song "Old Habits Die Hard", which was included on the soundtrack to the 2004 film Alfie . In September 2004, Blender named her "The Next Big Thing". She recorded background vocals on P.O.D.'s single "Goodbye for Now", was featured at the end of its music video in 2006, and performed it with them on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . That year, Perry also appeared in the music video for "Learn to Fly" by Carbon Leaf, and played the love interest of her then-boyfriend, Gym Class Heroes lead singer Travie McCoy , in the band's music video for "Cupid's Chokehold".

After Columbia dropped Perry, Angelica Cob-Baehler, then a publicity executive at the label, brought Perry's demos to Virgin Records chairman Jason Flom. Flom was convinced that she could be a breakthrough star and she was signed to Capitol Records in April 2007. The label arranged for her to work with Dr. Luke to add an "undeniable smash" to her existing material. Perry and Dr. Luke co-wrote the songs "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold" for her second album One of the Boys . A campaign was started with the November 2007 release of the video to "Ur So Gay", a song aimed at introducing her to the music market. A digital EP of the same name was also released that month. Madonna helped publicize the song by praising it on the JohnJay & Rich radio show in April 2008, stating "Ur So Gay" was her "favorite song" at the time. In March 2008, Perry made a cameo appearance as a club singer in the Wildfire episode "Life's Too Short" and appeared as herself during a photo shoot that June on The Young and the Restless for the show's magazine Restless Style .

Perry released her first single with Capitol, "I Kissed a Girl", on April 28, 2008, as the lead single from One of the Boys . The first station to pick up the song was WRVW in Nashville, who were inundated with enthusiastic calls the first three days they played it. The track reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 . "I Kissed a Girl" created controversy among both religious and LGBT groups. The former criticized its homosexual theme, while the latter accused her of using bi-curiosity to sell records. In response to speculation that her parents opposed her music and career, Perry told MTV that they had no problems with her success. One of the Boys , released on June 17, 2008, garnered mixed critical reviews and reached number nine on the US Billboard 200 . The album went on to sell 7 million copies worldwide. "Hot n Cold" was released the following September and became the album's second successful single, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 while topping charts in Germany, Canada, the Netherlands and Austria. Later singles "Thinking of You" and "Waking Up in Vegas" were released in 2009 and reached the top 30 of the Hot 100. The Matrix's self-titled debut album, which Perry had recorded with the band in 2004, was released onto iTunes on January 27, 2009, as a result of her solo success.

After finishing the 2008 Warped Tour, Perry hosted the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards in November 2008, where she won the award for Best New Act. At the 2009 Brit Awards, she also won the award for International Female Solo Artist. Perry embarked on her first headlining world tour, the Hello Katy Tour, from January to November 2009 to support One of the Boys . On August 4, 2009, she performed as opening act for one date of No Doubt 's 2009 Summer Tour. Perry also hosted the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards in November 2009, becoming the first person to host two consecutive ceremonies of the European awards. On July 22, 2009, Perry recorded a live album titled MTV Unplugged , which featured acoustic performances of five tracks from One of the Boys as well as one new song, "Brick by Brick", and a cover of Fountains of Wayne's "Hackensack". It was released on November 17, 2009. Perry also appeared on two singles with other artists; she was featured on a remix of Colorado -based band 3OH!3 's song "Starstrukk" in September 2009, and on a duet with Timbaland entitled "If We Ever Meet Again", from his album Shock Value II , three months later. The Guinness World Records recognized her in its 2010 edition as the "Best Start on the U.S. Digital Chart by a Female Artist", for digital single sales of over two million copies.

After Perry and Travie McCoy split up in December 2008, they briefly reconciled before she ended their relationship in 2009. Perry met her future husband Russell Brand in the summer of 2009 while filming a cameo appearance for his film Get Him to the Greek . Her scene, in which the two kiss, does not appear in the film. She began dating Brand after meeting him again that September at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. The couple became engaged on December 31, 2009, while vacationing in Rajasthan , India.

After serving as a guest judge on American Idol , Perry released "California Gurls" featuring Snoop Dogg on May 7, 2010. The song was the lead single from her third studio album, Teenage Dream , and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in June. She also served as a guest judge on British The X Factor later that month before releasing the album's second single, "Teenage Dream", in July. "Teenage Dream" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in September. Released on August 24, 2010, Teenage Dream debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and received mixed reviews from music critics. It has since sold 6 million copies worldwide. Teenage Dream would go on to win the 2011 Juno Award for International Album of the Year. In October, "Firework" was released as the album's third single. It became the album's third consecutive number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on December 8, 2010.

"E.T." featuring Kanye West was released as the fourth single from Teenage Dream on February 16, 2011. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five non-consecutive weeks, making Teenage Dream the ninth album in history to produce four number one singles on the chart. "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" followed as the fifth single in June, and Perry became the first female artist to achieve five number-one Billboard Hot 100 songs from one album when the single topped that chart on August 17, and the second artist after Michael Jackson with his album Bad . For this record, she received an honorary American Music Award in November 2011 and a 2013 Guinness World Record. On September 7, she set a new record by becoming the first artist to spend 69 consecutive weeks in the top ten of the Hot 100. After "The One That Got Away" was released as the album's sixth single in October, Teenage Dream became the third album to spawn six top-five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 after Rhythm Nation 1814 by Janet Jackson and Faith by George Michael . The song peaked at number three in the US and number two in Canada.

On January 5, 2012, Perry was named the sixth best-selling digital artist in the United States, with sales of 37.6 million units according to Nielsen SoundScan. That month, she became the first artist to have four songs sell over 5 million digital units when "E.T." reached that mark along with "Firework", "California Gurls", and "Hot N Cold". On February 13, Capitol released the lead single from Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection , "Part of Me", which debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Perry's seventh single overall to top the chart. Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection was released on March 23, and serves as a reissue of Teenage Dream . "Wide Awake" was released on May 22 as the re-release's second single, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one in Canada and New Zealand.

Perry embarked on her second tour, the California Dreams Tour, in support of Teenage Dream from February 2011 to January 2012. The tour grossed $59.5 million globally and won her the award for Best Live Act at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards. On September 23, 2011, she performed on the opening day of the 2011 Rock in Rio festival along with Elton John and Rihanna . In September 2010, Perry was scheduled to appear on the 41st-season premiere of Sesame Street . Four days before the scheduled airing, Sesame Workshop announced that the segment would not air on television, but would still be available to watch online.

In December 2010, Perry played Moe Szyslak's girlfriend in the live-action segment from a Christmas episode of The Simpsons titled "The Fight Before Christmas". In February 2011, she made a guest appearance on the How I Met Your Mother episode "Oh Honey", playing a woman known as Honey. The role won her the People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Guest Star in January 2012. She made her film debut in the 3D family motion picture The Smurfs as Smurfette on July 29, 2011. The film was a financial success worldwide, while critics gave mostly negative reviews. She hosted Saturday Night Live on December 10, 2011, with Robyn as the episode's musical guest. Perry's work on the episode received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised her performance in the episode's digital short featuring her and Andy Samberg . In March 2012, she guest starred as a prison security guard named Rikki on the Raising Hope episode "Single White Female Role Model". On July 5, 2012, Perry's autobiographical documentary Katy Perry: Part of Me was released to theaters through Paramount Pictures . The film received positive reviews and grossed $32.7 million worldwide at the box office.

Perry began to venture into business when she endorsed her first fragrance, Purr, in November 2010. Her second fragrance, Meow!, was released in December 2011. Both perfumes were released through Nordstrom department stores. Electronic Arts recruited her to promote their new expansion pack for The Sims 3: Showtime , before releasing a separate stuff pack featuring Perry-inspired furniture, outfits, and hairstyles, titled The Sims 3: Katy Perry's Sweet Treats , in June 2012. The following month, she became the spokesperson and ambassador for Popchips and made an investment in the company. Billboard dubbed her as their "Woman of the Year" for 2012.

She married Russell Brand on October 23, 2010, in a traditional Hindu ceremony near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, India. On December 30, 2011, Brand announced that they were divorcing after 14 months of marriage. Perry later stated that conflicting career schedules and his desire to have children before she was ready led to the end of their marriage and that he never spoke to her again after sending a text message that he was divorcing her, while Brand asserted that he divorced her due to her commercial success and reluctance to engage in activism. She was initially distraught over their divorce. After the marriage ended in 2012, Perry began a relationship with singer John Mayer that August.

In November 2012, Perry began work on her fourth album, Prism . She told Billboard , "I know exactly the record I want to make next. I know the artwork, the coloring and the tone" and "I even know what type of tour I'm doing next. I'll be very pleased if the vision I have in my head becomes a reality." After initially telling L'Uomo Vogue in June 2012 that she planned to have "darker elements" in Prism following the end of her marriage, the singer revealed to MTV during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards that she changed the album's direction after periods of self-reflection. Perry commented "I felt very prismatic", which inspired the album's name. "Roar" was released as the lead single from Prism on August 10, 2013. It was promoted at the MTV Video Music Awards and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. "Unconditionally" followed as the second single from Prism on October 16, 2013, and peaked at number 14 in the United States.

Prism was released on October 18, 2013, and has sold 4 million copies as of August 2015. It received favorable reviews from critics and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Four days later, Perry performed the songs from the album at the iHeartRadio Theater in Los Angeles. "Dark Horse" with Juicy J was released as the album's third single in December, and became her ninth U.S. number-one single the following month. In 2014, "Birthday" and "This Is How We Do" respectively followed as the album's fourth and fifth singles, and reached the top 25 on the Hot 100. Prior to ending her relationship with Mayer in February 2014, she recorded and co-wrote a duet with him titled "Who You Love" for his album Paradise Valley . The song was released on August 12, 2013. Perry's third headlining tour, the Prismatic World Tour, began in May 2014 and concluded in October 2015. It sold almost 2 million tickets and grossed $204.3 million worldwide and won Perry the award for "Top Package" at the 2014 Billboard Touring Awards. She also performed at the 2015 Rock in Rio festival on September 27, 2015.

On November 23, 2014, the NFL announced that Perry would perform at the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show on February 1, 2015. Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott served as special guests for the show. Her performance was critically acclaimed, and the Guinness World Records announced two days after the singer's halftime show that it garnered 118.5 million viewers in the United States, becoming the most watched and highest rated show in Super Bowl history. The viewership was higher than the game itself, which was viewed by an audience of 114.4 million.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) ranked her fifth on the list of Top Global Recording Artists of 2013. On June 26, 2014, she was declared the Top Certified Digital Artist Ever by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for certified sales of 72 million digital singles in the United States. In May 2014, a portrait of Perry by painter Mark Ryden was featured in his exhibition "The Gay 90s", and shown at the Kohn Gallery in Los Angeles. Along with several other artists, she also recorded a cover version of the song " Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two) " on a limited-edition concept album titled The Gay Nineties Old Tyme Music: Daisy Bell to accompany the exhibition. That month, a portrait of Perry by artist Will Cotton was included in the United States National Portrait Gallery . On November 23, 2015, Perry starred in H&M 's holiday advertising campaign, for which she wrote and recorded a song titled "Every Day Is a Holiday". On June 17, 2014, Perry announced that she had founded her own record label under Capitol Records, titled Metamorphosis Music. Ferras was the first artist to get signed to her label, and Perry served as an executive producer on his self-titled EP. She also recorded a duet with him on the EP, titled "Legends Never Die". The label was later renamed Unsub Records.

Outside of her music career, Perry reprised her role as Smurfette in The Smurfs 2 , which was released in theaters on July 31, 2013. Like its predecessor, The Smurfs 2 was a financial success but was panned by critics. In March 2014, she made a guest appearance playing herself in the episode "Blisteritos Presents Dad Academy Graduation Congraduritos Red Carpet Viewing Party" of the Kroll Show . Killer Queen was released as her third fragrance in August 2013 through Coty In January 2014, she became a guest curator of Madonna's Art for Freedom initiative. In March 2015, she appeared in Brand: A Second Coming , a documentary following her ex-husband Russell Brand's transition from comedy work to activism, and released a concert film titled Katy Perry: The Prismatic World Tour through Epix, which took place during her tour of the same name. Perry also made a cameo appearance in the music video for Madonna's song "... I'm Madonna" in June 2015. The following month, she released another fragrance with Coty, entitled Mad Potion. In September 2015, she appeared in the documentaries Katy Perry: Making of the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show , which followed Perry's preparation for her Super Bowl performance, and Jeremy Scott: The People's Designer , which followed the life and career of designer Jeremy Scott . Perry released a mobile app titled Katy Perry Pop in December 2015 through Glu Mobile where her character helps players become famous musicians. She described it as "the most fun, colorful world that helps guide your musical dreams".

Perry started writing songs for her new album in June 2016, and recorded an anthem for NBC Sports's coverage of the 2016 Summer Olympics titled "Rise", which was released the following month. Perry chose to release it as a standalone track rather than save it for her album "because now more than ever, there is a need for our world to unite". NBC also felt its message spoke "directly to the spirit of the Olympics and its athletes" for its inspirational themes. The song reached number one in Australia and number eleven in the United States.

In August 2016, Perry stated that she aspired to create material "that connects and relates and inspires" and told Ryan Seacrest that she was "not rushing" her fifth album, adding "I'm just having a lot of fun, but experimenting and trying different producers, and different collaborators, and different styles". On February 10, 2017, Perry released the album's lead single "Chained to the Rhythm" featuring Skip Marley . It reached number one in Hungary and number four in the United States. The track was also streamed over three million times on Spotify within 24 hours, breaking the music streaming service's record at the time for the highest first-day streaming for a single track by a female artist. The album's second single, "Bon Appétit" with Migos , was released that April. Its third single, "Swish Swish", featured Nicki Minaj and followed the next month. They respectively peaked at numbers 59 and 46 in the United States, and made the top 15 in Canada.

The album, titled Witness , was released on June 9, 2017, to mixed reviews, and debuted at number one in the United States. To accompany the album's release, Perry broadcast herself on YouTube for four days with a live-stream titled Katy Perry Live: Witness World Wide, concluding with a live concert on June 12. The live-stream generated over 49 million views from 190 countries. She also embarked on Witness: The Tour, which began in September 2017 and ended in August 2018. On June 15, 2017, Calvin Harris released a song titled "Feels" from his album Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 , which featured Perry, Big Sean , and Pharrell Williams . The song went on to reach number one in the United Kingdom.

Perry subsequently recorded a cover of the Dear Evan Hansen song "Waving Through a Window" for the deluxe edition of the cast recording, which was released on November 2, 2018. The show's creators Benj Pasek and Justin Paul had requested Perry to cover the song to promote the musical's national tour and bring awareness to mental health. Later that month, Perry released "Cozy Little Christmas". She also recorded the song "Immortal Flame" for the game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius , and had a playable character modeled after her.

Outside of recording music, Perry appeared as herself in the film Zoolander 2 , which was released in February 2016. In February 2017, the singer launched a shoe line titled "Katy Perry Collections". Her shoes are available on her website, Katy Perry Collections, and at retailers such as Dillard's and Walmart . The following August, she hosted the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards. Perry was signed for a $25-million salary to serve as a judge on ABC 's revival of American Idol , which premiered in March 2018. Perry began a relationship with Orlando Bloom in early 2016, and the couple got engaged on February 14, 2019.

At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, Perry performed "Here You Come Again", alongside Dolly Parton and Kacey Musgraves , as part of a tribute to Parton. Four days later, she released a song called "365", with DJ Zedd . In April, Perry was included on a remix of Daddy Yankee 's song "Con Calma", featuring Snow. She followed this with the singles "Never Really Over" on May 31, "Small Talk" on August 9, and "Harleys in Hawaii" on October 16. "Never Really Over" in particular received critical acclaim.

In June 2019, Perry appeared in the music video of Taylor Swift 's "You Need to Calm Down". In July, a jury in California returned a verdict following a week-long trial that Perry's song "Dark Horse" had copied Flame's 2008 song "Joyful Noise" after he filed a copyright lawsuit alleging that it used his track's beat without permission; the verdict was later overturned. After the initial verdict, the jury ordered her to pay him $550,000.

Following the release of her single "Never Worn White" in March 2020, Perry revealed in the accompanying music video that she was expecting her first child with Bloom. "Daisies", the lead single from her sixth album, was released on May 15, 2020. Its second single "Smile" followed two months later. The album, also titled Smile , was released on August 28, 2020. Two days before its distribution, she gave birth to a daughter named Daisy Dove Bloom. The album received mixed reviews, and debuted at number five in the United States. Perry further promoted the album with four compilation EPs: Camp Katy , Empowered , Scorpio SZN , and Cosmic Energy . These EPs were followed by the single "Not the End of the World" in December 2020, which had a music video in which Zooey Deschanel impersonates Perry. Additionally she collaborated with various artists to create two remixes of Smile album tracks. Tiësto remix of "Resilient" featuring Aitana was released in November 2020, while Bruno Martini remix of "Cry About It Later" featuring Luísa Sonza was released in April 2021.

On January 20, 2021, Perry performed "Firework" at the Celebrating America concert during the inauguration of Joe Biden . Four months later, she released a new single, "Electric", a collaboration with Pokémon as part of its 25th anniversary.

Perry began hosting a concert residency named Play at Resorts World Las Vegas on December 29, 2021. The show's inception happened during the COVID-19 lockdowns with Perry being inspired by Honey, I Shrunk the Kids , Pee-wee's Playhouse , and Pee-wee's Big Adventure . She described it as "larger than life" and "the kookiest, most camp show I've ever put together." The show has received critical acclaim with Melinda Sheckells of Billboard saying that Play's "sold-out opening night is part fantasy, part hallucination and thoroughly camp. In addition to a sold out opening night, the Santa Barbara Independent reported that Perry's contract deal for the residency is worth $168 million dollars. It concluded on November 4, 2023.

In September 2021, Variety paid tribute to and honored Perry on their "Power of Women" issue, where she discussed her career, motherhood, and philanthropy . As a nominee, she attended the Variety 2021 "Power of Women" dinner. On her 37th birthday the next month, Perry guest hosted The Ellen DeGeneres Show and starred in a holiday advertisement for Gap Inc. which featured her singing "All You Need Is Love" by the Beatles . A full version of her cover was released on streaming platforms the same day. Two months later, Perry followed this with "When I'm Gone", a collaboration with Swedish DJ Alesso that made her the third person to reach number one on Croatia's ARC 100 list across three different decades following Lady Gaga and Coldplay . In January 2022, she and Morgan McLachlan established De Soi, a company which produces and sells non-alcoholic apéritifs . Both wanted a beverage that "would mellow the mind, minus the buzz" when creating it.

Along with Thomas Rhett , Perry recorded a country pop duet titled "Where We Started" for his album of the same name that was released three months later. That May, it was announced Perry would create music for the soundtrack to Jeremy Zag's animated musical film Melody and voice its title character. She also became the new face for Just Eat's, SkipTheDishes', Lieferando's, and Menulog's advertisements and created a new remix of their jingle. On June 8, 2022, Perry was awarded with the Key to Las Vegas , the same day it was marked as Katy Perry day.

Perry collaborated with the tech company Apple Inc. starring in advertisements for their GarageBand music software where users could have "Remix Sessions" featuring her song, "Harleys in Hawaii". On the collab, she stated in August 2022: "'Harleys in Hawaii' has lived so many different lives" as well as that there was "so much opportunity to remix this song, and I can't wait to hear all the GarageBand evolutions with this Apple collab." Perry performed at the Coronation Concert of Charles III the following May at Windsor Castle . In September 2023, she sold her music rights to Litmus Music for an estimated $225 million.

Perry cites her sister Angela as the woman who has had the most influence on her. During the early stages of her career, Perry's musical style gravitated towards gospel and she aspired to be as successful as Amy Grant . At age 15, she heard "Killer Queen" by Queen , which inspired her to pursue a music career. She cites the band's frontman, Freddie Mercury , as her biggest influence. She paid homage to the band by naming her third fragrance Killer Queen. Perry described the Beach Boys and their album Pet Sounds as having a considerable influence on her music: " Pet Sounds is one of my favorite records and it influenced pretty much all of my songwriting. All of the melody choices that I make are because of Pet Sounds ." The singer also holds the Beatles' album The Beatles in high esteem, and described these two albums as "the only things I listened to for probably two years straight."

She cites Alanis Morissette and her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill as a significant musical inspiration, stating in 2012: " Jagged Little Pill was the most perfect female record ever made. There's a song for anyone on that record; I relate to all those songs. They're still so timeless." Additionally, Perry borrows influence from Flaming Red by Patty Griffin and 10 Cent Wings by Jonatha Brooke. Perry's autobiographical documentary Katy Perry: Part of Me was largely influenced by Madonna: Truth or Dare . She admires Madonna's ability to reinvent herself, saying "I want to evolve like Madonna".

Perry names Björk as an influence, particularly admiring her "willingness to always be taking chances". Other artists who Perry has cited as influences include Stevie Nicks , ABBA , the Cardigans , Whitney Houston , Cyndi Lauper , Ace of Base , 3OH!3 , CeCe Peniston , C+C Music Factory, Black Box, Crystal Waters , Mariah Carey , Heart , Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon , Imogen Heap , Rufus Wainwright , Pink , and Gwen Stefani . "Firework" was inspired by a passage in the book On the Road by Jack Kerouac in which the author compares people who are full of life to fireworks that shoot across the sky and make people watch in awe. Her second concert tour, the California Dreams Tour, was reminiscent of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz . She also credits the 1996 film The Craft for inspiring her song "Dark Horse", and Eckhart Tolle 's book The Power of Now for influencing Prism .

"When I am in between records, sometimes I doubt myself. I'll be like 'Did I just get lucky, or did I mass-manipulate the world into thinking that seven songs were worth a number-one position?' And then I go back into the studio and I start writing, and the true essential oil of who I am comes bubbling back up and reminds me that it's always been inside of me, that nobody can take this away no matter what comment anyone makes."

Although Perry's music incorporates elements of pop, rock, and disco , Katy Hudson contains gospel. Her subsequent releases are One of the Boys and Teenage Dream . One of the Boys is a pop rock record, while Teenage Dream features disco influences. Perry's fourth album, Prism , is significantly influenced by dance and pop music. Lyrically, the album addresses relationships, self-reflection, and everyday life. Her fifth studio effort Witness is an electropop album that she described as a "360-degree liberation" record, with themes including political liberation and liberation from negativity. Many of her songs, particularly on Teenage Dream , reflect on love between teenagers. Self-empowerment is a common theme in Perry's music.

Perry has described herself as a "singer-songwriter masquerading as a pop star" and maintains that honest songwriting is very important to her. She told Marie Claire : "I feel like my secret magic trick that separates me from a lot of my peers is the bravery to be vulnerable and truthful and honest. I think you become more relatable when you're vulnerable." Actress and comedian Kristen Wiig commented that "as easy, breezy, and infectious as Perry's songs can be, beneath the surface lurks a sea of mixed emotions, jumbled motives, and contradictory impulses complicated enough to fill a Carole King record." According to Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune , "being taken seriously may be Perry's greatest challenge yet." In 2013, The New York Times labeled her "the most potent pop star of the day – her hits are relatable with just a hint of experimentation". Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times criticized her use of idioms and metaphors in her lyrics and for frequent "clichés". Throughout her career, Perry has also co-written songs recorded by other artists, including Lesley Roy, Kelly Clarkson , Jessie James Decker , Selena Gomez & the Scene , Britney Spears , Iggy Azalea , Rita Ora , Nicki Minaj , and Ariana Grande .

Perry possesses a contralto vocal range. Her singing has received both praise and criticism. Betty Clarke of The Guardian commented that her "powerful voice is hard-edged" while Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone described Perry's vocals on Teenage Dream as "processed staccato blips". Darren Harvey of musicOMH compared Perry's vocals on One of the Boys to Alanis Morissette's, both possessing a "perky voice shifting octaves mid-syllable".

Several media outlets such as Billboard and Glamour have referred to her as the "Queen of Pop", while others like Vogue , Rolling Stone , and InStyle have dubbed Perry the "Queen of Camp". Andrew Unterberger of Billboard described Teenage Dream "one of the defining LPs from a new golden age in mega-pop" while Christopher Rosa of Glamour named her as an influence to the pop sound and style of the 2010s, adding that her singles are "some of the most recognizable, iconic, and impactful hits in pop history." Perry was named "one of the last decade's most reliable and successful hitmakers" by the Official Charts Company in 2022.

Additionally, Perry was included in Glamour ' s "104 Women Who Defined the Decade in Pop Culture" list of the 2010s. It stated Perry "did more than just break chart records. She was one of the driving forces behind the sound of pop radio in the 2010s" for her tracks that were "glossy, booming, sugary-sweet, and undeniably catchy." Variety included Perry in their Variety 500 list of the most influential business leaders, calling her a "global phenomenon" and a "dedicated artist and tireless self-promoter who has leveraged chart-topping hits, sold-out stadium shows, and staggering endorsement deals to become one of the richest and most influential pop stars alive." A 2017 journal published by Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts studying structural patterns in the melodies of earworm songs compiled lists of catchiest tracks from 3,000 participants, in which Perry's "California Gurls" ranked number six. She has been called a "gay icon" by Taylor Henderson of Out , noting how how Perry openly embraced the LGBTQ+ community .

Perry's music has been described by Out as having a "lasting legacy", with American singers Fletcher sampling "I Kissed a Girl" and Olivia Rodrigo referencing Teenage Dream on "Brutal". Additionally, other artists such as Halsey and Ariana Grande have praised Perry's work, with Halsey calling Teenage Dream the "perfect pop album" and Grande saying "The One That Got Away" is "one of the biggest and most perfectly written pop songs ever from one of the best pop albums of all time." Perry and her work have influenced artists such as Lil Nas X , Halsey, BTS , Adele , Lorde , Sia , Bonnie McKee , Rina Sawayama , Doja Cat , Ellie Goulding , Tegan and Sara, Jessie J , Marina Diamandis , John Mayer, Jason Derulo , Lil B , Little Mix , Natalia Kills , Maren Morris , Hayley Kiyoko, Troye Sivan , Kim Petras , Yungblud , Mary Lambert, Issues, Rebecca Black , the Lonely Island , Tramp Stamps, Baba Sehgal , Grace VanderWaal , Dagny, and Coldplay.

Other ventures

Perry has supported various charitable organizations and causes throughout her career. She has contributed to organizations aimed at improving the lives and welfare of children in particular. In April 2013, she joined UNICEF to assist children in Madagascar with education and nutrition. On December 3, 2013, she was officially named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, "with a special focus on engaging young people in the agency's work to improve the lives of the world's most vulnerable children and adolescents." She arranged for a portion of the money generated from tickets to her Prismatic World Tour to go to UNICEF. In September 2010, she helped build and design the Boys Hope/Girls Hope foundation shelter for youth in Baltimore, Maryland along with Raven-Symoné , Shaquille O'Neal , and the cast of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition . In 2010, Perry and Nicki Minaj performed a cover of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" for service members during the 2010 VH1 Divas Salute the Troops concert.

She has also supported children's education and well-being. All profits from sales of the album The Gay Nineties Old Tyme Music: Daisy Bell , which includes her rendition of " Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two) ", were donated to the charity Little Kids Rock, which supports musical education in underprivileged elementary schools. In June 2014, she teamed up with Staples Inc. for a project entitled "Make Roar Happen" which donated $1 million to DonorsChoose, an organization that supports teachers and funds classroom resources in public schools. In May 2016, she worked with UNICEF to improve child care quality in Vietnam, hoping to "break the cycle of poverty and drastically improve children's health, education and well-being". The following month, UNICEF announced that Perry would receive the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award "for her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in support of the world's most vulnerable children" at their annual Snowflake Ball in November. All Spotify streams of her 2021 cover of "All You Need Is Love" will generate $1 in donations for the charity Baby2Baby.

Perry has supported organizations aimed at aiding people suffering with diseases including cancer and HIV/AIDS . She hosted and performed at the We Can Survive concert along with Bonnie McKee , Kacey Musgraves , Sara Bareilles , Ellie Goulding , and duo Tegan and Sara at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, on October 23, 2013. The concert's profits were donated to Young Survival Coalition, an organization aiding breast cancer in young women. In June 2009, she designed an item of clothing for H&M 's "Fashion Against AIDS" campaign, which raises money for HIV/AIDS awareness projects. On February 26, 2017, she served as a co-chair alongside various celebrities such as Beyoncé , Lea Michele , Jim Carrey , Jared Leto , and Kevin Spacey for the 25th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party, a fundraiser for HIV/AIDS healthcare.

The proceeds from Perry's single "Part of Me" were donated to the charity MusiCares, which helps musicians in times of need. During her California Dreams Tour, she raised over $175,000 for the Tickets-For-Charity fundraiser. The money was divided between three charities: the Children's Health Fund (CHF), Generosity Water, and The Humane Society of the United States .

On her 27th birthday, Perry set up a donations page for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Auckland, and set up a similar page benefiting the David Lynch Foundation for her 28th birthday. On March 29, 2014, she helped raise $2.4 million for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles along with other celebrities such as Ryan Seacrest , Pharrell Williams , Tim Allen , Lisa Edelstein , and Riley Keough .

Perry performed at the One Love Manchester benefit concert for the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, among various performers including its organizer Ariana Grande , which was broadcast live on June 4, 2017, on radio and television stations around the world. In March 2018, Perry announced Witness: Coming Home , a benefit concert that was held in her hometown of Santa Barbara on May 19, 2018. The concert benefited those recovering from the aftermath of the 2017 California wildfires and 2018 Southern California mudflows. Perry partnered with the Santa Barbara Foundation, the 93108 Fund and The 805 UndocuFund, organizations which help in assisting members of the community in the Santa Barbara area through grants and various philanthropic efforts.

Perry has publicly advocated for LGBT rights and admitted that she wrote "I Kissed a Girl" about her own bisexual experiences with other women. In 2017, she received a Nation Equality Award from Human Rights Campaign for "using her powerful voice and international platform to speak out for LGBTQ equality". During her acceptance speech, she thanked the LGBTQ+ community . In an Out interview in 2021, she was heralded as a "gay icon" with "I Kissed a Girl" being called a "bonafide queer anthem". Perry continued to thank the LGBTQ+ community in the same interview, saying: "I came from a very sheltered upbringing where it wasn't okay to be friends with anyone from that community. And now that is my community." She also mentioned "I wouldn't have survived without the community and it's amazing how full circle it's come and how much growth has happened since I started." Tomás Mier of Rolling Stone remarked Perry "championed queer folks, especially drag queens , throughout her career."

She dedicated the music video to her song "Firework" to the It Gets Better Project. In June 2012, Perry expressed her hopes for LGBT equality, commenting "hopefully, we will look back at this moment and think like we do now concerning [other] civil rights issues. We'll just shake our heads in disbelief, saying, 'Thank God we've evolved.' That would be my prayer for the future." In December 2012, Perry was awarded the Trevor Hero Award by The Trevor Project for her work and activism on behalf of LGBT youth.

Perry identifies as a feminist , and appeared in April 2013 in a video clip for the "Chime for Change" campaign that aimed to spread female empowerment. She has also said that America's lack of free health care drove her "absolutely crazy". Following the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in June 2016, Perry and nearly 200 other artists and executives in music signed an open letter organized by Billboard addressed to United States Congress demanding increased gun control in the United States.

Through Twitter and by performing at rallies, Perry supported President Barack Obama in his run for re-election and praised his support for same-sex marriage and LGBT equality. She performed at three rallies for Obama, in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Wisconsin, singing a rendition of "Let's Stay Together" as well as a number of her songs. During her Las Vegas performance she wore a dress made to replicate a voting ballot, with Obama's box filled in. On Twitter, she encouraged her followers to vote for Obama.

In August 2013, Perry voiced criticism of Tony Abbott , then-leader of conservative Liberal Party of Australia and candidate for Prime Minister of Australia , due to his opposition to gay marriage and told Abbott, "I love you as a human being but I can't give you my vote."; the statement came after Abbott expressed pride at learning of Perry's then-upcoming performance in Australia. In April 2014, she publicly supported Marianne Williamson in her campaign for California's 33rd congressional district by attending a political press event. She endorsed Kamala Harris in the United States Senate election in California, and organized a fundraiser for Harris at her home in Los Angeles in November 2016. Perry also publicly endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 . She performed alongside Elton John at a fundraising concert for Clinton in New York City in March 2016. Perry also spoke and performed at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in support of Clinton. Four years later, she supported Joe Biden and Kamala Harris during the 2020 United States presidential election , praising the latter as a leader who had "experience we desperately need right now" and believed that the former "choosing her as his running mate is already a testament to his decision making". In 2022, Perry posted a picture of herself voting for Rick Caruso in the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election.

Throughout her career, Perry has won five American Music Awards , fourteen People's Choice Awards , four Guinness World Records , a Brit Award , and a Juno Award . In September 2012, Billboard dubbed her the "Woman of the Year". From May 2010 to September 2011, the singer spent a record-breaking 69 consecutive weeks in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. Teenage Dream became the first album by a female artist to produce five number-one Billboard Hot 100 singles, and the second album overall after Michael Jackson's Bad . In the United States, she has accumulated nine number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, her most recent being "Dark Horse", and holds the record for having 18 consecutive number-one songs on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

Billboard also named her the 15th most successful dance club artist of all time. The magazine additionally ranked her fourth on its "Greatest of All Time Pop Songs Artists" list, included Teenage Dream and Prism among its "Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Albums by Women" list, and ranked "Dark Horse" at number 100 on its "Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs" as well as one of its "Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs by Women" along with "E.T.", "Firework", and "California Gurls". In June 2015, her music video for "Dark Horse" became the first video by a female artist to reach 1 billion views on Vevo. The following month, her music video for "Roar" reached 1 billion views on Vevo, making her the first artist to have multiple videos with 1 billion views.

With more than 18 million albums and 125 million singles sold globally, Perry is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Perry was declared the Top Global Female Recording Artist of 2013 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). According to RIAA, she is the ninth top digital singles artist in the United States, with 112 million certified song units in the country including on-demand streams and also has 17.5 million certified album units, totaling 129.5 million certified units in the United States. She also became the first artist to have three songs receive Diamond certifications from the RIAA in 2017 with "Dark Horse", "Firework", and "Roar". All three of them and "E.T.", "California Gurls", and "Hot n Cold" have each sold over 5 million digital copies. Six years later, the RIAA certified "California Gurls" as her fourth diamond-certified single in the U.S., breaking her tie with Lady Gaga as the female artist with the most diamond singles there.

In 2011, Forbes ranked her third on their "Top-Earning Women In Music" list with earnings of $44 million and fifth on their 2012 list with $45 million. She subsequently ranked seventh on the 2013 Forbes list for "Top-Earning Women In Music" with $39 million earned, and fifth on their 2014 list with $40 million. With earnings of $135 million, Forbes also ranked Perry number one on their 2015 "Top-Earning Women In Music" list as well as the "World's Highest-Paid Musicians" and declared her the highest earning female celebrity in 2015, placing her at number 3 on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list. In 2016, the magazine estimated her net worth was $125 million, and ranked her number six on their list of "Highest-Paid Women in Music" with earnings of $41 million. The following year, she was ranked number nine on the list with $33 million. In 2018, she topped its "Highest-Paid Women in Music" listing and ranked at number four on the "Highest-Paid Female Celebrities" list, with earnings of $83 million. Perry subsequently was placed at number four on the 2019 "Highest-Paid Women in Music" listings, with $57.5 million. Later that year, with earnings of $530 million throughout the 2010s, the magazine also ranked her as the ninth-highest-earning musician of the decade. During September 2023, Forbes surmised Perry had a net worth of $340 million, making her "one of the richest self-made women in America."

• Katy Hudson (2001)
• One of the Boys (2008)
• Teenage Dream (2010)
• Prism (2013)
• Witness (2017)
• Smile (2020)
• The Smurfs (2011)
• Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012)
• The Smurfs 2 (2013)
• Brand: A Second Coming (2015)
• Katy Perry: The Prismatic World Tour (2015)
• Katy Perry: Making of the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show (2015)
• Jeremy Scott: The People's Designer (2015)
• Zoolander 2 (2016)

Co-headlining tour

• Strangely Normal Tour (with Phil Joel ) (2001)

Headlining tours

• Hello Katy Tour (2009)
• California Dreams Tour (2011–2012)
• Prismatic World Tour (2014–2015)
• Witness: The Tour (2017–2018)
• Play (2021–2023)
• List of best-selling music artists
• List of most-followed Twitter accounts
• List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists
• List of highest-certified music artists in the United States
• Forbes list of highest-earning musicians
• This page was last modified on 10 March 2024, at 13:59. Suggest an edit .

• The Best Female Singers Working Today
• Female Singers You Wish You Could Sound Like
• History's Best Women Musicians
• History's Greatest Female Vocalists
• Best Female Rock Singers of All Time
• The Top Female Country Singers
• The Greatest Black Female Singers
• The Greatest Female Jazz Singers
• The Very Best Female Rappers
• Women in Music Since the 1980s
• The Top Black Women in Pop
• The Greatest Lesbian Singers
• History's Greatest Female Duos
• History's Greatest Female Drummers
• The Greatest Female Opera Singers
• The Best Artists Under 25
• The Greatest Female Vocalists of the Past 10 Years
• The Best 90s Bands With Female Singers

Fun Facts You Didn't Know About Katy Perry

Of course you know Katy Perry. She's everywhere. You can't turn on the radio without hearing one of her insanely catchy pop songs . But beyond  Katy Perry's juicy love life , wild fashion choices, zany hair, and incredibly catchy music, who is Katy Perry? What is her regular life like? What is she doing when she's not prancing around in bikinis and blowing the minds of her fans? What was her (very surprising) upbringing like? Well, never fear! We've assembled a sort of Katy Perry biography with the best facts, anecdotes, quotes, and trivia for your enjoyment.

Want to learn more about Katy Perry's history? Want to hear some of the coolest stories that make Katy Perry who she is today? Well, you're in the right place! It's time to brush up on your Katy Perry trivia so you can impress your friends the next time anyone wonders aloud why she broke up with Russell Brand or what her parents were actually like.

Her Song 'Dark Horse' Was Found To Have Infringed On A Christian Rap Song

In July 2019, Katy Perry was taken to court over allegations that her song "Dark Horse" from 2013 infringed on Christian rap artist Flame's (Marcus Gray) song "Joyful Noise." After a week, the Los Angeles civil court concluded the song did use elements of "Joyful Noise" in its instrumental track. The amount owed to "Joyful Noise" stakeholders has yet to be determined. 

According to Variety , Perry testified that "Dark Horse" co-writers and producers Lukas Gottwald and Henry Walter brought her the composed track; therefore, it is possible she was unaware of the infringement. Emmanuel Lambert Jr., co-writer of "Joyful Noise," pointed out that their song is easily accessible, providing ample opportunity for Perry's writers to have heard and appropriated the music. 

She Grew Up In A Conservative Household

        View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by KATY PERRY (@katyperry)

Katy Perry was born October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, CA, to Pentecostal pastors. She was raised in a strictly religious household, and when she was young, her family traveled all across the country setting up various churches.

Her parents had a few rules that might make even the most conservative among us roll our eyes. One, she grew up not being able to eat Lucky Charms cereal (because luck involved Lucifer). She also said that in her house no one was allowed to call deviled eggs by their proper name. " We had to call them angelic eggs ," she said in a 2009 interview. And music? Strictly Gospel. Nothing else.

No wonder she rebelled. 

When She Got To High School, She 'Decided To Bounce'

Not to say that dropping out of high school is right for everyone. But if you're talented enough, and truly know what you want, sometimes getting a GED and getting to work, works .

Perry said in an interview :

I got my GED when I was 15, when I was a freshman in high school. I know it was my first semester of my freshman year of high school, I decided to bounce. I was like, I know exactly what I want to do, I have the opportunity to do it and hopefully I will learn as much as I can in this first semester. I took a test and I decided to leave high school. Ever since then it’s been fantastic. I think sometimes you just know what you want to do at a really early age so you don’t have to deal with certain things. Like the drama of going to prom.

She Wasn't Born 'Katy Perry'

Did you know "Katy Perry" is actually a stage name? Perry's  real name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson . Perry is her mother’s maiden name.

But Katy Hudson is pretty  close to  Kate Hudson, a name that's already been in the limelight for years.

She Has Multiple Tattoos

Katy Perry has several tattoos on various parts of her body. She has "Jesus" tattooed on her left wrist, which is likely a nod to her religious upbringing. A Sanskrit tattoo on her left arm says "Go with the Flow." She also has a happy strawberry tattooed on her left foot and a peppermint on her right.

There's a tiny Lotus tat on her right wrist, and a cherry blossom on the outside of her right ankle. She also got a Hello Kitty on the inside of her right middle finger.

Her Father Used To Deal Acid And Her Mom Dated Jimi Hendrix

Before her parents became born-again Christians, her dad was tight with Timothy Leary, and he was into the acid scene (both doing it and dealing it). Her mother briefly dated Jimi Hendrix - they went on one date. Perry said in an interview :

Sometimes I say to her, "Mom, you shouldn't have been such a prude with him - I would have been a Hendrix." But, yes, they both had a wild life, then they found God and felt like they needed to have a personal change, and that's how they decided to raise me. And I've turned out all right in the end - beyond the bikini girls and the whipped cream t*ts, and all that sort of stuff.

She Released A Christian Gospel Album Before She Went Pop

Before Katy Perry kissed a girl (and liked it), your girl  released a gospel music album  under the name Katy Hudson and toured the country wearing pigtails and an acoustic guitar. 

It was pretty well received by critics , considering that she was only 15 at the time and wrote most of the songs herself. But the album only sold something like 200 copies and was a pretty big flop for her Christian record label, Red Hill Records.  

Soon after the album's release, Red Hill closed down and the album disappeared along with it. Coming across the album is pretty rare, but you can find some of the songs on YouTube , and the album does surface on Ebay from time to time. 

She Filmed A Segment On 'Sesame Street' That Was Deemed Inappropriate

Appearing on Sesame Street is a childhood dream for many entertainers, and Katy Perry finally did it in 2010....  sort of . After promos were released of her outfit (a low-cut dress), parents wrote in outraged, and show executives quickly pulled her segment from the episode.

She was a good sport about it though, appearing on SNL soon after wearing a... very custom Elmo shirt.

Multiple Record Labels Dumped Her

Before her breakout album  One of the Boys  (and then the triple-platinum Teenage Dream ) Katy Perry was dropped from three record labels, losing her break again and again. When she first moved to LA, she was picked up by Island Records, then dropped soon after. She signed to Columbia Records, where she recorded a full-length album that never saw the light of day . Still, the singer persisted, as she  told Ellen Degeneres :  

There was a lot of the word "no" being thrown my way and I just never accepted that. You know overcoming everybody saying, "It’s not going to work," because a lot of people wanted me to be like someone - whether that was a Kelly Clarkson or an Avril Lavigne - and I was like, "I want to be Katy Perry first," and they didn’t really understand that.  

She Has Written Songs For Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, And Others

Katy Perry is a talented writer who has penned most of her own songs . (She does have other writers who work with her.) But her writing talent extends beyond just her music. She's written songs for many other huge pop acts as well.

Standouts include "Black Widow" for Iggy Azalea, "Get on Your Knees" for Nicki Minaj, "I Do Not Hook Up" and "Long Shot" for Kelly Clarkson, "Passenger" for Britney Spears, and "Rock God" for Selena Gomez.

She (At Least For A While) Kept Locks Of Miley Cyrus's And Taylor Swift's Hair in Her Purse

During an interview with Mario Lopez for iHeartRadio, Katy Perry shared a strange secret after he asked her what she kept in her purse:  "One of the first times I went to the Grammys, I got to share a dressing room with Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift," she said. "I asked them for a lock of their hair, and I put little bows in it."

Petty then put the adorned locks of hair in the empty purse she was carrying around for the night. "I'm a freak!" she said.

She's In The Guinness Book Of World Records

Katy Perry isn't just in the book of  Guinness World Records , she's in it a lot . She has a whole bunch of records, including the Best Selling Digital Artist (US) for selling over 72 million singles. She has held the record for Most Twitter Followers since 2014 when she registered 54.5 million followers and beat out Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber by more than 1 million.  

She also holds records for the Highest Annual Earning for a Female Pop Star, First Female to have Five No. 1 Singles from 1 Album (US), Largest TV Audience for a Super Bowl Half-Time Performance, among many others . 

 " First Female with Five Number One US singles from One Album". " Most Twitter Followers" (2015 and 2016). " Most Viewed Halftime Performance" (2016 for 2015 Superbowl). Even  "Highest annual earnings for a music artist – current"

She made a whopping 135 Million in the 12 months leading up to June 2015. Egad.

Source: Guinness Book of World Records

She's A Natural Blonde

Sure she's had pink, green, blue, (and really every color in between) hair. But she is known for her dark black locks (that make her look a wee bit like Zooey Deschanel). But she's actually a natural blonde ! She was still rocking the blonde for her first album in the Katy Hudson days.

Her Divorce With Russell Brand Was Fairly Amicable

Katy Perry and Russell Brand married on October 23, 2010 in Rajasthan, India while on vacation there. They had a traditional Indian Ceremony. The wedding and honeymoon phase was seemingly lovely but they filed for divorce just 14 months later. Katy Perry later revealed that the reason for the split was that she wasn't ready to have kids  (she was 26 when they got married) and that Russell then texted her saying he had filed for divorce. Ouch. 

However, after that initial hurdle, the divorce went surprisingly smooth,  especially by Hollywood standards. Brand didn't take a penny from the divorce where he could have literally made millions.

She Makes A Random Cameo As The Love Interest In A 2006 Music Video

Katy Perry starred in the Gym Class Heroes music video for their song "Cupid's Chokehold" in 2006. In the video she effectively played the love interest of lead singer Travis McCoy. . . probably because they were actually dating at the time.  They dated on and off in real life until 2009. They were still dating when she shot the video for "I Kissed a Girl " , and he makes a cameo in that video! Always good to help people out.

Freddie Mercury Is Her Jam

When Katy was first starting out, her music was very gospel and she cited Amy Grant as an influence. Hearing Queen's "Killer Queen" at the age of 15 was a big turning point for her - she said that after that, that's when she knew what she wanted her sound to be. "Freddie Mercury  was, and remains, my biggest influence," she has said . The combination of his sarcastic approach to writing lyrics and his 'I don't give a f*ck' attitude really inspired my music.”

Her Spinning Peppermint Bra Was Deemed An Insurance Hazard

Katy Perry's shows are known to be a spectacle for the eyes and ears. An onslaught of pyrotechnics and crazy stage design. But it was actually one of her many outfits that caused a problem when she was on tour.

"My hair got caught in the wheels of my spinning peppermint bra and began to coil around and around," she said in an interview . "I'm forced to just go with it so, by the end of the song, it looked quite like I was licking my own t*t. What a girl does for her art. . . I keep being told the insurers are worried I will injure my neck. I seriously doubt it could be lethal but they want a new bra designed that will not allow hair to get caught."

She's The Middle Child

Katy Perry isn't the only child in the Hudson (her real last name) brood - she's the middle child. She has an older sister, Angela Hudson, as well as a younger brother, David Hudson, who is also a singer.

She appears to be close to both siblings - she helped her sister Angela deliver both of her babies and has shown up to support  her brother's music career several times. 

• Women in Music
• Music History
• Music Trivia

Vote on these lists of outstanding female vocalists, musicians, songwriters, and performers in every genre.

• Kindergarten
• Middle School
• High School
• Math Worksheets
• Language Arts
• Social Studies

Katy Perry Facts

More topics.

• Handwriting
• Difference Between
• 2020 Calendar
• Online Calculators
• Multiplication

Educational Videos

• Coloring Pages
• Privacy policy
• Terms of Use

© 2005-2020 Softschools.com

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

• TV Listings

Katy Perry Biography

• Raised in a strict religious household by Christian-evangelist parents; rock music was banned in her house growing up
• Released a self-titled gospel album at age 16 under the name Katy Hudson
• Adopted the stage name Katy Perry (using her mother's maiden name) to avoid confusion with actress Kate Hudson
• Featured her parents in her wedding-themed video for "Hot N Cold
• " Named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2013 and later received the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award for her work with the group
• Became a Covergirl spokesperson in 2013; she later launched her own line of makeup with them called Katy Kat
• Campaigned for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Presidential election and spoke and performed at the Democratic National Convention that year
• 2012 People's Choice Awards - Favorite TV Guest Star: winner

Relationships

• David Hudson -- Brother
• Russell Brand -- Ex-husband
• John Mayer -- Ex-significant Other
• Orlando Bloom -- Ex-significant Other
• Travis McCoy -- Ex-significant Other
• Keith Hudson -- Father
• Mary Hudson -- Mother
• Angela -- Sister
• Frank Perry -- Uncle

• Media Personality
• Public Figure
• Social Media Star
• Family Tree

Home » Music » Katy Perry Favorite Things Color Food Movie Sports Hobbies Biography Facts

Katy Perry Favorite Things Color Food Movie Sports Hobbies Biography Facts

Katy Perry entered in to the world of music when she was just teenager. After started her musical career, Perry moved to Los Angles to work with famous songwriter as well as producer, Glen Ballard. She spent pretty tough time while living in Los Angeles as in one of her interview she stated, “First five years in Los Angeles were the toughest one. I used to sell my clothes to pay rent and even spend time without any money”.

Katy Perry also faced great disappointment in 2004. She and Ballard didn’t found any investor to record her music. However, her effort and passion finally opened new dimensions for her in 2007 and she finally got signed with Capitol Music Group. Afterwards, in the same year, she released her first song named, “Ur So gay”. Her melodious voice made Madonna a fan of her. In 2008, her song “I Kissed a Girl” made Perry a figurative image of Hollywood. This song marked the start of a successful career for Katy Perry and she has kept climbing the ladder of success since then. She has released a number of albums till now and many of her singles have reached the positions on various music charts.

For her outstanding work, Katy Perry has also received various awards including Poeple’s Choice Award, MTV Video Music Award and American Music Award along with being nominated eleven times for a Grammy Award. Well, talking about her personal life, the list of men that Katy Perry has dated since becoming a worldwide known celebrity includes quite a few names. She dated singer Matt Thiessen, actor Johnny Lewis and rapper Travie McCoy before finally getting married to Russel Brand in 2010. Unfortunately, the marriage survived just for over an year and their divorce was confirmed in July 2012. After becoming single again, Katy Perry started dating singer John Mayer but their relationship also ended in February 2014.

Katy Perry Personal Details:

• Complete Name: Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
• Nicknames: Katy Perry
• Occupation: Actress, Singer, Businesswomen
• Date of Birth: October 25, 1984
• Birthplace: Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
• Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
• Height: 5′ 7″ (1.7 m)
• Net worth: $95 million

Katy Perry Parents and Siblings Family Pictures

• Katy Perry Height Weight Bra Size Measurements

Katy Perry Favorite Things:

• Hobbies and Interests: Hunting for Antiques, Crochet, Nail Art
• Favorite Color: Blue
• Favorite Food: Mushrooms, Ice Cream
• Favorite Ice Cream: Cold Stone Creamery’s Birthday Cake Remix
• Favorite Book: The Help, Are You There God? It’s Me, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Margaret,
• Favorite Perfume: Tom Ford’s Black Orchid, Killer Queen, Thierry Mugler’s Alien
• Favorite Music: The Beach Boys, Queen, Madonna, Paul Simon, Patty Griffin
• Favorite Song to listen in a Car: “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston
• Favorite Movie: Romeo and Juliet (1996), Leon: The Professional, The Notebook, Lolita
• Favorite TV Show: Saved By The Bell, The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Flight of The Conchords
• Favorite Actress: Angelina Jolie
• Favorite Sports: Golf
• Favorite Brand: Chanel
• Favorite Animal: Cat

Katy Perry Interesting Facts:

• Perry is actually the maiden name of her mother.
• Katy Perry natural hair color is squirrel-brown.
• In 2011, she released a fragrance named Purr, that comes in a cat-shaped bottle.
• She has also written songs for other singers including Ashley Tisdale, Kelly Clarkson and Selena Gomez.

Related Articles

Niall Horan Favorite Color Music Food Drink Perfume Hobbies Bio

Liam Payne Favorite Things Color Book Food Hobbies Instrument Sport Bio

Sabrina Carpenter Favorite Things Food Color Song Hobbies Biography

41 comments.

Hi Katy I kinda don’t have any friends and if so they are fake friends because they will end up turning on me what do I do

Katy im only writting becuase a boy named julio doesnt believe me.

Katy, im at school and our teacher let us do whatever we want in the i-pads so here I am, I finally got to prove to my friends I could text you. Bye bye

Daniela did prove us wrong

Dear Katheryn, im writing again and my uncle and his kind girlfriend named Beri are here and my cute little baby brother is doing what you could call flirtering with her, and my uncle gets wierdley mad.

Post Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Bodybuilder
• Sports Stars
• News Anchor
• Director/Producer
• Diet Dictionary

Katy Perry Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Katy Perry is a singer, songwriter, and television judge from the United States. In 2001, Katy signed with Red Hill Records and released her debut studio album, Katy Hudson . Katy’s second album, released in 2008, One of the Boys was her breakthrough to success.

Perry pursued her career in gospel music as a teenager and her interest in music from a young age pushed her to success and gain international recognition. Winner of several awards, this pop singer is one of the world’s best-selling artists and has sold more than 125 million singles and over 18 million albums worldwide. From 2011-2019, she has appeared in the annual list of Forbes as one of the highest-earning women in music.

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson

Katy Hudson, Katy Brand, Katheryn Elizabeth Brand, Pickle, KP, Katy Bird, The Queen of Cool, KatyCat, K-Pez, Chuckie, Pussycat

Santa Barbara, California, United States

Nationality

For her elementary schooling, she went to Paradise Valley Christian School in Arizona and Santa Barbara Christian School in California.

Katy Perry went to  Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California, for 1 year. After, passing 1st year, she took her GED and left her education to pursue her career in music.

Singer, songwriter, actress

• Father – Maurice Keith Hudson (Pentecostal Pastor)
• Mother – Mary Christine Perry (Pentecostal Pastor)
• Siblings – Angela Hudson (Sister), David Hudson (Brother)
• Others – Frank Perry (Uncle)

Direct Management Group, Inc.

Pop, rock, disco

Instruments

Vocals, piano, guitar

Red Hill, Java, Columbia, Capitol Records

In late 2023, she had a net worth of $340 million as per Forbes magazine.

5 ft 8 in or 173 cm

61 kg or 134½ pounds

Boyfriend / Spouse

Katy Perry has dated –

• Justin York (2002-2005)
• Johnny Lewis (2005-2006)
• Matthew Thiessen (2006-2008)
• Travie McCoy (2007-2009)
• Mika (2008) – Rumor
• Josh Groban (2009)
• Russell Brand (2009-2012) – Katy Perry married British comedian Russell Brand on October 23, 2010, in a traditional Hindu ceremony near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, India. Their marriage went on until December 2011. Brand had proposed to Katy at the same place, where they married and they remained engaged from December 2009 to October 2010. They split on December 31, 2011, and their divorce was finalized on July 16, 2012.
• James Valentine   (2009) – Katy was rumored to be in a relationship with the lead guitarist of the band  Maroon 5 ,  James Valentine, in 2009.
• Benny Blanco (2011) – Katy was rumored to be dating American songwriter and record producer Benny Blanco in 2011 according to an Australian magazine. However, she later denied all these rumors and even took legal action towards the accusations.
• Robert Pattinson (2012) – Rumor
• Baptiste Giabiconi (2012) – Rumor
• Robert Ackroyd (2012) – Katy Perry dated Robert Ackroyd (Guitarist from Florence+the Machine) for about 1 month in April 2012.
• John Mayer   (2012-2015) – This Jewish musician had dated ON and OFF with Perry from June 2012 to July 2015. They split in August 2012 after dating for a couple of months. She reconciled later and again separated in February 2014. The couple were again together and finally called it quits in July 2015.
• Riff Raff   (2014) – RUMOR
• Diplo (2014-2015) – DJ Diplo aka Thomas Pentz started dating Katy in April 2014. After a month of dating, Diplo called off the relationship in May 2014 . However, just like her previous relationship with John, she reunited with him again later in the year. But, again called it quits in March 2015.
• Jared Leto (2014) – Katy was rumored to have had a fling with fellow musician Jared Leto in 2014.
• Winston Marshall (2015) – Katy was rumored to be dating musician Winston Marshall in 2015.
• Orlando Bloom (2016-2017, 2018-Present) – British actor Orlando Bloom and Katy met at the Golden Globe’s party in January 2016 and started dating each other. They separated in February 2017 after a year of dating. She wanted to marry and have kids with Bloom, but he didn’t. Hence, they split. In 2018, they reconciled and started dating again. In September 2018, they had their first red carpet appearance in Monte Carlo, Monaco after getting back together in early 2018. They got engaged in February 2019. In August 2020, the duo became parents to their first child – a daughter named Daisy Dove Bloom.
• Takeoff (2017) – Migos’ rapper Takeoff and Katy were linked in May 2017 when they went to attend Saturday Night Live after-party together. They got together after his rap group Migos worked with Katy on her song  Bon Appetit .
• Chris Martin (2017) – Just before Coldplay singer Chris Martin split with Annabelle Wallis  in June 2017, he was romantically linked with Katy Perry at Glastonbury. They looked cozy which hinted that they might be dating.

Race / Ethnicity

Katy has English, German, Irish, and Portuguese ancestry.

Blonde (Natural)

But, she dyes her hair ‘black’. She also wears wigs of different colors. Katy Perry wears wigs to avoid paparazzi.

Blue with a hint of green

Distinctive Features

• Eccentric outfit
• Beautiful eyes

Sexual Orientation

Katy has revealed that she once had kissed a girl and she liked it.

Measurements

36-25-35 in or 91.5-63.5-89 cm

Brand Endorsements

GHD (Haircare Product Manufacturer), ProActiv (2010), Purr Perfume (2010), OPI Nail Polish (2011), Purr by Katy Perry (2011), Thomas Sabo jewelry, and others.

Roman Catholicism

Best Known For

Her over-the-top fashions, unconventional style of dress, colorful wigs, and catchy songs like “I kissed a girl” which was partially inspired by actress Scarlett Johansson .

First Album

“Katy Hudson” released on October 23, 2001. But, this failed to be ranked on record charts.

2010 film Get Him to the Greek  as herself.

First TV Show

2008 TV Show The Young and the Restless  as herself. Actually, she appeared in episode number 8914 only.

Personal Trainer

• Harley Pasternak

He has also trained other famous celebs such as Lady Gaga , Rihanna , Megan Fox , etc.

Katy Perry Favorite Things

• Favorite Food – Mexican food, Thai food, Ice-cream and Crepes
• Favorite TV Programs  – Ancient Aliens (2009)
• Favorite Movie – Lolita (1997)
• Favorite Bands – Beach Boys, Heart,  Joni Mitchell ,  Paul Simon ,  Alanis Morissette , Imogen Heap,  Gwen Stefani , Rufus Wainwright, Ting Tings
• Favorite Book – The Help (Kathryn Stockett) released in 2009
• Favorite Place   To Visit – Japan
• Favorite Colors – Pink, Aqua, Blue
• Favorite Accessories – Fruit-shaped accessories (mainly watermelons), Sparkle, Nail Polish, Rainbow wigs, Bracelets
• Favorite Basketball Team – Los Angeles Lakers

Source – IMDb

Katy Perry Facts

• Katy had 13 cavities when she was a child.
• Katy Perry has 3 pets, namely, Kitty Purry (Cat), Krusty (Cat), Morrissey (Cat). Her cat Kitty Purry has its own blog.
• Katy Perry used to sing in the churches from the age of 9 to 17.
• Katy says that she would like to kiss Megan Fox .
• As a kid, she was not allowed to watch MTV.
• She knows how to play electric guitar and acoustic guitar.
• In April 2012, Katy Perry performed at the opening ceremony of the 5th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) before a cricket match at Chennai.
• At the age of 15, Perry started visiting Nashville which gave her the experience of song recording demos and songwriting.
• She moved to Los Angeles at the age of 17 and collaborated with Glen Ballard which didn’t last long. Her collaboration with Columbia Records in 2004 didn’t do great as well and hence, she was dropped from this too.
• Katy Perry was voted no. 6 on FHM’s Sexiest Women List  and no. 4 in Maxim’s Hot 100 List in 2012.
• Perry celebrated her 28th birthday with lunch with the then-First Lady Michelle Obama .
• She was having big breasts and was always teased for that during her high school days.
• In March 2009, she was shooting for a magazine with a chimpanzee. The chimpanzee urinated on Katy and she left the shoot in the middle and went for a shower.
• Katy smokes also and she likes vintage things.
• In 2009, while she was shooting for a magazine, the chimp on the set urinated all over her and she had to shower in the middle of the shoot.
• She was voted no. 16 on AskMen’s Most Desirable Women of 2012.
• She shares a close bond of friendship with Rihanna and Shannon Woodward . She is also friends with Ellen DeGeneres , Christina Milian , Adam Lambert , and Perez Hilton .
• Katy has a thing for shoes. Her shoe collection is fabulous and has shoes for every occasion.
• In 2014, a rapper named Marcus Gray sued her for copyright infringement, claiming that she copied some rhythm from his song Joyful Noise for her 2013 single, Dark Horse . In March 2022, it was revealed that she had won the case.
• Her Super Bowl XLIX halftime show performance in 2015 became the most-watched in history.
• In June 2017, Katy became the first person to reach the ‘100 million followers’ mark on Twitter.
• She has also worked alongside fellow musicians like Lesley Roy, Kelly Clarkson , Jessie James Decker , Selena Gomez , Britney Spears , Iggy Azalea , Rita Ora , Nicki Minaj , and Ariana Grande .
• On August 28, 2020, she released her 6th studio album,  Smile , via Capitol Records and she has said that the album captures her “journey towards the light, with stories of resilience, hope, and love”. Also, the album’s lead single,  Daisy , was ranked at number #40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, at number #11 on the  US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) chart, at number #28 on the US Rolling Stone Top 100 chart, and at number #29 on the US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard) chart.
• She has said that she has “multipersonality disorder” for fashion and some of her style icons include Gwen Stefani, Shirley Manson, Chloë Sevigny, Daphne Guinness, Natalie Portman , and the fictional character Lolita.
• In 2019, singer Katy Perry was sued by Australian designer Katie Perry (real name – Katie Jane Taylor) for trademark infringement for selling clothes in Australia. The designer sells clothing under the brand name “Katie Perry” in Australia.
• In December 2020, Ariana Grande gifted Givenchy’s white snowsuit to Katy’s couple-of-months-old baby daughter Daisy.
• On December 17, 2020, Katy released a new EP titled Cosmic Energy .
• Before Katy was famous, she sometimes used to pose like Zooey Deschanel to get in the clubs in Los Angeles.
• She has a dog named Nugget.
• In January 2021, Katy was already eating a vegan diet 95% of the time and revealed that she was ready to be 100% vegan.
• On new President Joe Biden ‘s inauguration event on January 20, 2021, she performed her song “Firework” while the actual fireworks were exploding.
• In 2021, Katy was ranked #3 in the list of “50 Most Influential People on Twitter” as per Brandwatch Consumer Research. Taylor Swift was ranked #1.
• In December 2021, Katy teamed up with Alesso for a new song titled When I’m Gone . She released the music video of the song in January 2022.
• In March 2022, Katy was announced as the narrator of the podcast series, Elizabeth the First . The podcast includes never-before-heard stories about Elizabeth Taylor .
• In April 2022, Katy teamed up with Thomas Rhett for a new song titled  Where We Started .
• In June 2022, Katy was honored with the key to the Las Vegas Strip.
• In July 2022, Katy launched her non-alcoholic aperitif brand, De Soi .
• In March 2023, Katy revealed that she had been sober for almost 5 weeks. She also revealed that she had decided to quit drinking after making a promise to Orlando Bloom.
• In September 2023, it was revealed that Katy had sold the rights to her 5 studio albums ( One of the Boys , Teenage Dream , PRISM , Witness , and Smile ) to Litmus Music for $225 million.

Did we miss anyone?

RELATED ARTICLES

Tiakola height, weight, age, facts, family, bandman kevo height, weight, age, wife, tattoos, children, warren zeiders height, weight, age, facts, biography, 34 comments.

I love you Katy….love you so much..

Not to nitpick, but her eyes are grey, not blue. 🙂

I have to agree, they are closer to grey than blue

Eyes? Cant get past her awesome melons. Look at herbyou tube video from kansas waterpark visit to see em displayed in all their glory..

IKR!!!!! I SAID THE SAME THING! Lol

Her eyes actually seem to change color based on season or climate sometimes. Her eyes can be bright blue but also grey. They are usually a mix of both though, and yeah I definitely would say grey or blue are her colors.

Actually, they’re very multicolored, I saw that zooming in a very clear high resolution pic. Her left iris especially is various shades of blue, grey and green, and in a unique pattern I’d always recognize now.

forever katycat, ilove you katy ’cause you are katy parry.. so true;-)

Awww I love Katy Perry! Now j know SO much more about her than I used to, thanks! ❤

nice shoe size and height. I like black hair. I love you.

Katy has also dated travie mcoy…. is it???

Yes she has dated Travie McCoy and they were a cute couple! Dunno why it isn’t up there doe

i love you soooooo much.

I can never get enough of Katy. It hurts ME terribly when people say stupid things about her, such as, she couldn’t ‘even sing’. As a singer with only half of her voice range, power and endurance I know she can! My heart is always close to yours, Katy, I wish You lifelong joy and happiness, and adore you!

i love you so much pussy cat i just want to f***************so hard

I love you katty..ur the best..Roses r jealous of u…

Ur an angel

Katy Perry you are one of the best woman in the world.

but if I had to say some people are HATERS THESES DAYS

Ahh she is so awesome but I think she looks better with blonde hair

hi, great infos and could you upgrade katy’s pictures please, they are sooo old. you can upgrade it with searching by writing this to google images

katy perry 2013 tumblr

or katy perry roar

there is no way that she smokes

She doesn’t smoke anymore, when she was seventeen and first moved to LA the music industry stress hit her like a bug. She smoked and did drugs for a while, but then woke up to the real world and put all that aside and right now she is a clean, healthy woman

Oh, I like her too much….♡♡♡♡♥♥♥

Your eyes are very beautifull. Really Kate and I am youR Big fan plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Reply to my comment.

Not actually possible to have a 36″ chest and be a 32D… just saying. Katy would be more like a 34E. Also she is a tall, healthy woman, so unless there was a brief, anorexic spell that I missed, a 24″ waist is just silly. Excellent way to convince women they’re fat while you spread diet ads across the page though…congratulations.

No 32 is the band size and D = 4 inches. I’m a 32D as well and my bust adds out to a 36. Also a 24″ isn’t that small for that size I have a 22″ waist and the breasts size and all natural so it’s very possible. It says she has a 25″ waist though which looks like it’s totally possible for her.

I highly doubt her waist measurement is close to accurate because taylor swift’s waist is listed as an inch smaller and that’s nit possible

I don’t think she smokes and I love KATY perry ethier way

She did smoke when she was in her late teens and early twenties but she put it aside when she woke up from all the music industry stress

your are so beautiful I like u love u n keep it up ???

Katy eye color is “Blue-Green”

I believe she’s bisexual

Omg she is my fave celebrity I love all her songs

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Recent Articles

Mike evans height, weight, age, net worth, wife, anmol kharb height, weight, age, coach, facts, family, purpled height, weight, age, facts, real name, family, sylveey height, weight, age, facts, family.

© Copyright 2024 - Healthy Celeb

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use