Katy Perry is an American singer-songwriter. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel songs and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED while her freshman year of high school, she began to pursue a career in songs. As Katy Hudson, she issued a self-titled gospel record in 2001, which due to the closing of her album label, was deemed unsuccessful. She later recorded an album with production team The Matrix and completed the majority of a solo album from 2004–5; neither of which were released.

After signing with Capitol material ensemble in 2007, her fourth record label in seven years, she adopted the stage name Katy Perry and gave us her first Internet single “Ur So Gay” that November, which garnered public focus but failed to chart. She rose to fame with the release of her second single “I Kissed a Girl” in 2008, which went on to top international charts. Perry’s first mainstream studio album One of the Boys came later that year and subsequently, became the thirty-third best selling record worldwide of 2008. It was accredited platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, at a time of “I Kissed a Girl” and her second single “Hot n Cold” both received multi-platinum certifications. Her follow-up studio record Teenage Dream was issued in August 2010 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album included hit singles “California Gurls”, “Teenage Dream” and “Firework”, all of which dominated the charts on the Billboard Hot 100.

Perry was credited as a guest judge on the seventh series of British television show The X Factor; has put forth a fragrance called “Purr”; and will appear in the upcoming 2011 film The Smurfs. Perry had a long relationship with Travie McCoy; she married Russell Brand on October 23, 2010.