Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
(born October 25, 1984), better known by her stage name Katy Perry
, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Perry rose to fame in 2007 with her internet hit "Ur So Gay", and later scored in 2008 her breakthrough single "I Kissed a Girl".
Hudson was born and raised in Santa Barbara by Christian pastor parents and grew up listening only to gospel music. After earning a GED during her freshman year of high school, she began to pursue a music career. As Katy Hudson, she released a self-titled gospel album in 2001. In 2004, she recorded an album with production team The Matrix, but it was never released. After signing on with Capitol Music Group in 2007, she took on stage name Katy Perry and released her first mainstream album, One of the Boys
.
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Early life
Katy Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson in
Santa Barbara, California.
[1] The second child of two
pastors,
[2] she has an older sister and younger brother.
[3] Her
Evangelical mother, Mary Hudson, grew up in
Southern California and had "a tempestuous first marriage in
Zimbabwe".
Her father was a West Coast
scenester in the 1960s.
Perry's uncle and aunt were director
Frank Perry and screenwriter
Eleanor Perry.
[4]
Baptized a
Christian, Perry was incorporated to her parents' ministry,
and she started singing in their church from the age of nine; she continued singing in the church until she was 17.
[5] She grew up listening to
gospel music [6] and was not allowed to listen to what her mother called
secular music.
[7] Perry attended Christian schools and camps.
As a child, Perry learned how to dance in a rec hall in Santa Barbara. She was taught by seasoned dancers and began with
swing,
Lindy Hop, and
jitterbug.
[8] She took her
GED after her freshman year of high school and decided to leave school to pursue a career in music.
Perry initially started singing "because I was at that point in my childhood where I was copycatting my sister and everything she did".
[9] Her sister practiced with cassette tapes, and Perry took the tapes herself when her sister was not around. She rehearsed the songs and performed it to her parents, who suggested she should take voice lessons. She grabbed the opportunity and began taking lessons at age nine to 16. She enrolled in at the
Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and studied
Italian opera for a short time.
In June 2008, a publicity photo emerged that showed Perry posing with a
switchblade.
[10] Tabloid
The Sun
criticized the photo as an attempt to glamorize knives.
[11] The picture was defended as only an effort to give Perry a "sexy, harder edge".
Recording career
2001–2007: Beginnings
thumb
At the age of 15, Perry's singing in church attracted the attention of rock veterans from
Nashville, Tennessee, who brought her there to polish her writing skills.
[12] In Nashville, Perry started recording
demos and was taught by
country music veterans on how to craft songs and play guitar.
Perry signed to the Christian music label
Red Hill, under which she recorded her first album at the age of 15.
[13] Using her real name, Katy Hudson, she released the
self-titled Gospel-
rock album in 2001.
The album was unsuccessful, however, after the label ceased.
She later changed her surname to Perry, her mother's maiden name, because "Katy Hudson" was too close to film actress
Kate Hudson.
At the age of 17, Perry left her home for Los Angeles where she worked with
Glen Ballard on an album for record label
Island.
[14] The album was due for release in 2005,
but
Billboard
reported it also went nowhere.
Perry was dropped by
Island Def Jam Music Group.
Some of Perry and Ballard's collaborations included "Box", "Diamonds" and "Long Shot", were posted on her official
MySpace page. "Simple", one of the songs she recorded with Ballard, was released on the soundtrack to the 2005 film
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
.
[15]
Perry signed to
Columbia Records in 2004. However, the label was not amenable with her vision, not putting her in the "driver's seat".
Instead, one of Columbia's ideas was to pair Perry with the
record production team
The Matrix, who was working on an album, to serve as its female vocalist. Although the album was later shelved,
she caught the attention of the music press: Her burgeoning music career led to her being named "The Next Big Thing" in October 2004 by
Blender
magazine.
With no album project ongoing, Perry began recording her own. Eighty percent completed, however, Columbia decided not to finish it and dropped her off the label.
While waiting to find another label, she worked in an independent
A&R company called Taxi Music. In 2006, Perry was featured in the tail-end of the video to
P.O.D.'s single "
Goodbye for Now".
[16] She made a
cameo appearance in
Carbon Leaf's video, "Learn to Fly", and in
Gym Class Heroes' video, "
Cupid's Chokehold", playing the eventual love interest of lead singer
Travis McCoy. Her songs eventually captured the attention of
Virgin Records CEO Jason Flom, then head of
Capitol Music Group, who signed her to Capitol Music in early 2007.
2008–2009: One of the Boys
After signing to
Capitol Records, Perry began recording tracks for her official mainstream debut album,
One of the Boys
, and establishing her image was one of the immediate concerns of her management.
A campaign was started in November 2007 with the release of the video to "
Ur So Gay", aimed at introducing her to the music market. A digital
EP led by "Ur So Gay" was later released to create online buzz.
This was a successful move that resulted in bringing Perry to the attention of
Madonna,
who mentioned her on
KISS FM and
KRQ's
JohnJay & Rich
morning show in
Arizona. On March 10, 2008, she appeared as herself on the
ABC Family television series,
Wildfire
, on the episode "
Life's Too Short".
[17]
While the buzz over Perry was building, she went on the next step of promoting the album, undergoing a two-month tour of radio stations. The album's official lead single, "
I Kissed a Girl", was released on May 6, 2008. With the song climbing atop the charts, Perry embarked on the annual
Warped Tour music festival, which her management used to "establish her as a credible performer and make sure she wasn't seen as just a one-hit wonder."
The single was a commercial success, peaking at number one for seven weeks on the
Billboard
Hot 100.
It has since become a major worldwide hit, topping charts in 30 countries,
including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
[18] On June 12, 2008, Perry appeared as herself on the daytime
soap opera,
The Young and the Restless
,
and poses for the cover to the June 2008 issue of the fictional magazine
Restless Style
.
[19]
thumb
One of the Boys
was released on June 17, 2008 to mixed critical reviews.
[20] The album has reached number nine on the
Billboard
200,
[21] and, as of February 2009, has sold over 800,000 copies in the United States.
The album has been certified
platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America.
[22] Perry released her second single, "
Hot N Cold", which became her second top three single in dozens of countries around the world, including the United States where it reached number three on the
Billboard
Hot 100,
as well as topping the charts in Germany, Canada, and Denmark. After Perry wrapped up her appearance at the Warped Tour, she went on tours in Europe. She later launched her first headlining tour, the
Hello Katy Tour, in January 2009.
"I Kissed a Girl" earned Perry a nomination for
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the
2009 Grammy Awards.
[23] Perry was nominated in five categories at the
2008 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Female Video, but lost to
Britney Spears.
[24] She won Best New Act at the
2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, in which she co-hosted,
[25] and Best International Female Artist at the 2009
BRIT Awards.
[26] On February 9, 2009, both "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot N Cold" were certified three-time platinum by
Recording Industry Association of America for individual digital sales of over three million.
[27]
The Matrix's self-titled debut album, which features Perry, was later released via the team's label, Let's Hear It, during Perry's solo tour. When the release date was scheduled, "I Kissed a Girl" had been charting well. Matrix member
Lauren Christy spoke to Perry about the decision, but she wanted to hold the release until the fourth single of
One of the Boys
had been dispatched. Despite their communication,
The Matrix
was released on January 27, 2009, via
iTunes Store.
[28]
In December 2008, Perry apologized to
British singer
Lily Allen for remarks in which she called herself a "skinnier version" of her, saying she meant it as a joke.
[29] Allen retaliated and told a British radio station that she "happen[ed] to know for a fact that she [Perry] was an American version" of her because their record company needed "to find something controversial and 'kooky'" like her.
[30]
In June 2009, lawyers acting for Katy Perry opposed the recent trademark of
Australian fashion designer
Katie Perry who uses her own name to market loungewear.
[31] Some media outlets reported this as a lawsuit, which Katy Perry has denied on her
blog.
[32] Katie Perry the designer reports on her blog that at a hearing with IP Australia on 10 July 2009, the singer's lawyers withdrew their opposition to the trademark.
[33]
On August 28,
Colorado-based band
3OH!3 released a remix of their song Starstrukk which features Katy Perry as the guest vocalist, the idea for the collaboration came after Katy Perry's tour that featured 3OH!3 as the supporting act. The song will be released over iTunes on 8th of September.
Music and themes
thumb
Among Perry's musical influences are
Alanis Morissette,
[34] pop rockers
Cyndi Lauper,
Pat Benatar,
Joan Jett,
Shirley Manson,
[35] and
Freddie Mercury,
the late frontman of the British band
Queen. Growing up listening to
gospel music, Perry had few references when she began recording songs.
Asked by the producer with whom she would like to collaborate, Perry had no idea. That night, she went with her mother to a hotel. Inside, she turned on
VH1 and saw producer
Glen Ballard talking about Morissette;
Ballard produced Morissette's
Jagged Little Pill
, the album that had a "huge influence" on Perry.
She told her initial collaborator that she had decided to work with Ballard. The producer arranged a meeting for her and Ballard in
Los Angeles. Perry presented him a song, and a day later she was called. Ballard developed Perry for a few years.
Perry described her music by saying, "Someone kind of penned it for me the other day, and I've been using it ever since."
According to her, she has "changed a lot between the ages of 15 to 23."
Her first album dwells on Gospel music.
She related that her perspective in music was "a bit enclosed and very strict", and everything she did was church-related.
Her second album,
One of the Boys
, is described as "secular" and "rock," and reflects a departure from her religious musical roots.
[36] Perry expects to record more
pop songs for her next album.
[37]
Perry is artistically involved in her projects, especially in the writing process. Since she could play guitar, she would start writing songs at home and present it to her producers. Perry is mostly inspired by specific moments of her life. She said it is easy for her to write songs about heartbreak.
Most of the themes in
One of the Boys
deal with heartbreak, teen adventure, and "puking into toilets".
Perry's mother reportedly told British tabloid
Daily Mail
that she dislikes her daughter's music, calling it "shameful and disgusting".
Perry said her mother was misquoted and told
MTV that it was false information.
Her songs "Ur So Gay" and "I Kissed a Girl" have received negative reactions from both religious and
gay sectors.
[38] The songs have been respectively labeled as being
homophobic and promoting
homosexuality, as well as "
lezploitational".
MTV mentioned criticism suggesting that Perry is using "bi-curiosity" as a way to sell records.
Perry responded to the controversy surrounding "Ur So Gay": "It's not a negative connotation. It's not, 'you're so gay,' like, 'you're so lame,' but the fact of the matter is that this boy should've been gay. I totally understand how it could be misconstrued or whatever ... It wasn't
stereotyping anyone in particular, I was talking about ex-boyfriends."
[39]
Style and image
thumb
Perry is known for her unconventional style of dress.
Her style is often humorous, bright in color, and reminiscent of different decades, as well as her frequent use of fruit-shaped accessories, mainly
watermelon, as part of her outfits.
Her dark hair is signature to her look, but, as the music video to "
Ur So Gay" shows, her hair is naturally blonde and she dyed her hair and eyebrows a darker color. Having learned dancing at an early age, she fancied about having her own style. Perry's transformation into an artist began with fashion, inspired by American film actress
Dominique Swain's portrayal in
1997 film adaptation of the novel
Lolita
.
She defines her fashion "a bit of a concoction of different things".
Johnny Wujek, Perry's stylist, described her style, upon meeting her for the first time, as "very colorful and vintage".
[40] Her fashion has caught the attention of designers, who were giving her nearly as much attention as fans of her music.
Personal life
Perry dated
Gym Class Heroes frontman
Travis McCoy, whom she met in a recording studio in New York,
[41] on and off for several years. After more than a year of friendship and casual dating, they became serious with their relationship right before they embarked into the 2008
Warped Tour. Perry and McCoy broke up in December 2008.
[42] They began dating again in April 2009.
[43]
Discography
;Studio albums
- Katy Hudson
(2001)
- One of the Boys
(2008)
Awards and nominations
Tour
Perry's Debut Tour The
Hello Katy Tour kicked off in the United States in January 2009, to support the album.
Live Nation has been listed as the tour promoter. On the 11th of July 2009 Katy Perry performed at
T in the Park in Kinross, Scotland. She also played at Oxegen 2009, in Ireland.
Charity
On May 16, 2009, Perry performed at the opening ceremony of the annual
Life Ball in
Vienna,
Austria.
[44]
She also played
Capital FM's Summertime Ball in association with "Help A London Child" on 7 June 2009 at
Emirates Stadium.
References
- The Next Big Thing! Katy Perry
- Interview: Katy Perry — Hot N Bold
- Girl on Girl: Katy Perry
- Girl on Girl: Katy Perry
- Katy Perry
- Q&A: Katy Perry
- Katy Perry Dishes On Her 'Long And Winding Road' From Singing Gospel To Kissing Girls
- Find Out What Influences Katy Perry's Cute Style!
- Katy Perry Wants to Draw on Your Face
- As teen dies star poses with a knife
- Pop star Katy Perry under fire for posing with a knife
- Katy Perry on the risqué business of I Kissed a Girl
- Katy Perry: Single Lady
- 'Kiss' Me, Katy
- The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants — Music From The Motion Picture
- P.O.D.: Testify
- Katy Perry Guest Stars on 'The Young and the Restless'
- Katy Perry — I Kissed A Girl
- Katy Perry — The Chic Chanteuse — Part 1
- One Of The Boys
- Artist Chart History — Katy Perry
- Gold and Platinum
- Lil Wayne, Coldplay Lead Grammy Nominations
- Katy Perry's VMA-Nominated 'I Kissed A Girl' Clip Tries Not To Be Too Sexy
- Americans Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Kanye West, 30 Seconds To Mars Dominate 2008 MTV EMAs
- Duffy Triumphs With Three BRIT Awards
- Gold and Platinum
- The Matrix Drop Long-Lost Album Featuring Katy Perry
- Katy Perry apologises to Lily Allen for 'fat' comment
- Lily with Lucio
- Sydney fashion designer defends business against pop star Katy Perry, smartcompany.com.au, June 16 2009; last accessed July 5 2009
- Katy Perry Not Suing Fashion Designer Katie Perry LimeLife, June 19 2009. Accessed June 20 2009.
- Its all over!!!, blog entry of clothing designer Katie Perry, accessed July 18, 2009.
- Katy Perry: Biography
- Singer Katy Perry has the fashion world abuzz
- nterview: Katy Perry — Hot N Bold
- Katy Perry: No Sex Would Kill Me
- Katy Perry Responds To Rumors Of Parents' Criticism: 'They Love And Support Me'
- Katy Perry: The New Gay Interview
- Katy Perry's Style Secrets
- Katy Perry: Girl trouble
- Katy Perry & Travis McCoy Break Up
- http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/usa/article2395187.ece
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1184149/Oh-Vienna-Katy-Perry-dons-mermaid-chic-charity-