Katy Perry Fun Facts!

Jul 15, 2012

Singer Katy Perry wasn’t always the pop princess that we know her as today, in fact she started out her career as a gospel singer. Find out how she went from church choir cutie to a Top 40 phenomenon and much more in Kidzworld’s Katy Perry Fun Facts!

Growing up Katy was only allowed to listen to gospel music

Katy is known for her kooky vintage-inspired look

Album art for her debut a record 'One of the Boys'

Did You Know...

Katy Perry is actually a stage name, her full name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson.
Perry is actually her mother’s maiden name.
She was born October 25, 1984 in Santa Barbara, California.
She has an older sister, Angela, and younger brother, Dan.
Both of her parents are pastors.
She sang in her parents’ church from the age of 9 to 17, and grew up listening to gospel music – in fact her mother didn’t allow her to listen to anything else!
She has a contralto vocal range.
She cites Alanis Morrissette and the late Queen singer Freddy Mercury as influences on her music.
She released a gospel music album while she was in high school under the name Katy Hudson.
As a kid she was also a great dancer, quickly picking up classic dances like the Lindy Hop, Jitterbug and Swing – maybe that’s where her retro style began!
She studied Italian Opera singing for a short time.
She earned her GED early in high school so she could pursue her music dream.
She first caught the eye of producers from Nashville, Tennesee when she was just 15 years old singing in a church choir. They took her Nashville to help her with her writing skills and teach her guitar.
At 17 Katy left home for Los Angeles and started to work with Glen Ballard who had helped Alanis Morrissette with her songs. Listening to only gospel music growing up she had almost no reference for outside music and discovered Glen by turning on VH1 in her hotel room.
Despite having trouble getting her record made and staying at one label she managed to get her song “Long Shot” into the soundtrack for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
She has written songs for Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale and Kelly Clarkson.
Despite having label trouble Katy was named The Next Big Thing by Blender magazine in 2008 and realized soon after that she needed to get an album out fast! She set to work to do it herself.
Her first album One of the Boys featured the hit singles "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold."
"I Kissed a Girl" earned her a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocalist at the Grammy’s in 2009
In 2010 she appeared as a guest judge alongside Simon Cowell in The X Factor.