Perry, Katy (1984-…), is an American pop singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her colorful costumes and playful, fantasylike music videos. Perry’s music has been among the best selling in pop history.
Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson on Oct. 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, California. She sang in her parents’ church as a child. Her first studio album, Katy Hudson (2001), was a gospel rock album. After it suffered from poor sales, she began performing pop music and adopted the stage name Katy Perry. Perry was her mother’s maiden name.
Perry’s second studio album, One of the Boys, was released in 2008. It featured the hits “I Kissed a Girl,” “Hot n Cold,” and “Waking Up in Vegas.” Perry’s third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010), became a huge worldwide hit. It included such hits as “California Gurls” (featuring the American rap artist Snoop Dogg), “Firework,” and “Teenage Dream.” In 2011, Teenage Dream became the first album by a woman to place five number-one songs on the United States popular music chart. It was also the first album to spend a year on the Top-10 U.S. popular music albums chart. In 2013, Perry had a hit with the song “Roar.” Her albums Prism (2013) and Witness (2016) became number-one albums in the United States soon after being released.
Perry is also an actress. She provided her voice for the character Smurfette in the 2011 animated motion picture The Smurfs. She appeared in the documentary and concert film Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012). Perry has also acted on a number of television shows. She was married to the British comedian and actor Russell Brand from 2010 to 2012.
From 2018 to 2024, Perry was a judge on the singing-competition television show “American Idol.”
