Katy Perry biography, baby, husband, net worth, daughter, height 2024

Katy Perry Biography

Katy Perry is an American singer and songwriter who stormed the music scene at 15. In 2001, her debut album "Katy Hudson" didn't chart due to low sales, but her next record "One of the Boys", recorded in the pop-rock genre, made it to the top 10 of the Billboard 200.

Katy Perry's songs are known and loved all over the world

She is the author of globally known hits such as "Fireworks", "Roar", "Part of Me", "Hot'n'Cold", "This Is How We Do" and many others.

Childhood

Katy Perry's real name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson. She was born on October 25, 1984, and was the second child of Maurice and Mary Hudson. The parents of the future celebrity were pastors in a Pentecostal church. Both had eventful youths: Mary once dated Jimi Hendrix, and Maurice had his fair share of acid trips with Timothy Leary.

Katy Perry's family (right): parents, sister and brother

Eventually, they both settled down and became deeply involved in religion. For about seven years, the couple travelled across America, setting up churches in every new town, until they finally settled in Santa Barbara, California. There, their three children were born: Katy, her older sister Angela, and younger brother David.

As Katy recalled, the family was always struggling financially. There were times when they had to live on welfare, and sometimes the parents fed their children with food donated by parishioners.

The parents tried to raise their children with a strong religious influence. Sometimes it reached the point of absurdity - they were forbidden to eat Lucky Charms marshmallows, because if you say this name aloud, it sounds like "Lucifer". At least, so thought Mary.

Katy Perry's real last name is Katheryn Hudson

Katy reluctantly attended a Christian school, went to a Christian summer camp every summer, and sang gospel in the church choir on weekends. However, this did not stop her from adoring the strictly forbidden music of "Nirvana", Queen, Heart, Incubus, songs by Alanis Morissette and Joni Mitchell. She listened to her favourite artists' CDs secretly at friends' houses. Outside her family home, she was a true rebel: she hung out with hooligans, rode a skateboard, rollerblades, and surfed. In other words, she had the status of a "black sheep" in her family.

Now they are accustomed to my dark humour, constant sarcasm about anything. Even when I thought I was a zealous Christian as a child, they saw the real me. I think I became complete only when I left my parents' house. I had no idea that there was another world beyond all this church nonsense - it was like Alice's fall into the rabbit hole.

Beginning of Career

Katy's interest in music was awakened by her older sister. She used to listen to and sing along to the church music tapes from her sister's collection. For her 13th birthday, Katy received an acoustic guitar as a gift from her parents and soon wrote her first original song.

Katy Perry performs her very first song

By the age of 15, the girl realized that she wanted to dedicate her life to music – she received her high school diploma and enrolled in the Dos Pueblos High School with a music major. Then, Perry took a short course of academic vocals at the Santa Barbara Music Academy. There, her singing was noticed by rock musicians Steve Thomas and Jennifer Knapp from Nashville, who saw potential in Katy.

The musicians took her under their wing and invited her to their recording studio, where Katy Perry's first demos were recorded. They helped her master the guitar and learn to write great songs. In March 2001, Katy released her debut album "Katy Hudson", recorded in the Christian pop genre.

At age 17, Katy left her father's house and moved to LA

Overall, the album was warmly received by critics, but due to its specific genre, sales were low, and the record went largely unnoticed. However, she was invited to open for Phil Joel from the Christian rock band Newsboys on their tour. Travelling around the country for a year, Katy met producer Glen Ballard. He moved the 17-year-old singer to Los Angeles, where she switched from church music to "secular" and began working on new songs.

In 2003, the girl took the pseudonym Katy Perry, giving up her father's surname in favor of her mother's maiden name. Soon, she managed to sign a contract with Columbia Records and began recording a full-fledged album. Three years later, when the album was almost ready for release, the label suddenly broke the contract.

Between 2003 and 2006, she managed to achieve some success: her song "Simple" was included in the soundtrack of the movie "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" with Blake Lively, she sang in the background in Mick Jagger's song "Old Habits Die Hard" and in the song "Goodbye For Now" by the band P.O.D. She also appeared in the music video for the song "Cupid’s Chokehold" by Gym Class Heroes.

Katy Perry in the Gym Class Heroes music video

Breakthrough

In 2007, under the aegis of Capitol Records, Katy released the EP "Ur so Gay". She didn't have high hopes for the track – it was recorded for her own enjoyment. Some critics saw the song's lyrics as promoting homophobia and gay bashing. Others, on the contrary, saw promotion of LGBT. Katy's parents even criticized the song: "We hate this music. It promotes homosexuality, and according to the Bible, that's a grave sin."

The subsequent track "I Kissed The Girl" only intensified the commotion. "If two girls kissing is cool, but two guys is vulgar? Katy Perry should avoid worn-out stereotypes about gays!", the press wrote. But most listeners understood the irony hidden in the lyrics. Madonna took notice of "Ur so Gay", stating that it had become one of her favorites at that time.

Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl

In June 2008, Katy Perry's debut album under her new pseudonym, "One of the Boys", was released, ultimately reaching the 9th spot on the Billboard 200 chart and achieving platinum status in her home country. Critics saw a strong influence of Alanis Morissette, who Katy greatly admires, in the compositions.

The famous cover photo of 'One of the Boys'

In the spring of 2010, Perry released a single in partnership with Snoop Dogg, "California Gurls", which exploded on the internet: 8 million downloads on iTunes in the first month. Another single ("E.P.") was recorded with rapper Kanye West.

Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg – California Gurls

In July, the single "Teenage Dream" from her upcoming album was released, and the title-track album quickly topped the charts in Canada, the US, and the UK. The artist immediately embarked on a worldwide tour to promote the album, releasing the single "Firework" for promotion.

Katy Perry's clips are always colorful and captivating

Returning to Katy Perry's musical career, in March 2012, the single "Part of Me" debuted at the top of the prestigious Billboard Hot 100. It became her seventh number one single. At the same time, the composition also topped the "UK Singles Chart". Incidentally, the song was included in Perry's reissue of the "Teenage Dream" album.

Further Career

Katy Perry began working on her fourth solo album "Prism" in November 2012. In an interview with Vogue, she stated that the new recordings would be "dark and full of disappointment" as she reflected her personal experiences due to her breakup with her husband (read more about this in the "Personal Life" section below). Almost at the last moment, she rethought the concept - the new songs inspired self-improvement, overcoming difficulties, and moving forward.

The album 'Prism' opened a new chapter in the singer's life

In August 2013, she presented the lead single "Roar". As always, the audience was awaited by a very well-produced video, but the lyrics of the song were mercilessly criticized for "predictability and abundance of cliches". Subsequently, American stand-up comedian and singer Bo Burnham advised his listeners to "kill yourself if you see meaning in Katy Perry's songs", referring to the song "Roar".

Katy Perry – Roar

The album "Prism" was released in October 2013 and was met with mixed reactions. As with the lead single, Perry was accused of being formulaic and abundant in already beaten tracks used in her previous album. Despite the criticism, "Prism" received 4 Grammy nominations.

By that time, Katy Perry had become one of the most significant pop performers in America. Her performance at the Super Bowl halftime show (the NFL championship) confirmed this. Among other contenders were Rihanna and the band Coldplay. During the break, Katy performed a half-hour show and sang a duet with Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott. Her performance was watched by 118.5 million Americans - it became the most-watched in Super Bowl history.

In July 2017, Katy Perry's fifth studio album "Witness" was released, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.

Before the release of the new album, Katy Perry changed her image

Of the 15 tracks, the song "Chained To The Rhythm", recorded with Bob Marley's son Skip, became an undeniable hit. She performed it at the 59th Grammy ceremony, surprising the audience with her performance: usually refraining from political judgments, this time Katy could not hold back her emotions - giant skeletons of Donald Trump and Theresa May appeared on stage.

Katy Perry - Chained To The Rhythm ft. Skip Marley

In the summer of the same year, the singer worked with the recognized king of electronic music Calvin Harris on the song "Feels", then sang a duet with Nicki Minaj on the composition "Swish Swish". At the end of the year, Katy announced that she would join the jury of the show American Idol.

The year 2019 turned out not very successful for Katy. First, the joy of the engagement to Orlando Bloom was smeared by a lawsuit accusing her of plagiarism. Rapper Flame considered the beat from Katy Perry's song "Dark Horse" to be plagiarism of his composition "Joyful Noise", released in 2008. The jury obliged the singer to pay her colleague 550 thousand dollars.

KATY PERRY VS. FLAME LAWSUIT: Let's Compare!

But Katy Perry's troubles did not end there. Model Josh Kloss, who starred in Katy's "Teenage Dream" video in 2010, accused the woman of sexual harassment. According to Josh, at one of the parties, Perry deceived him into pulling down his pants and underwear, exposing his manhood to the guests. After this, the singer's representatives obliged Kloss to remain silent about the incident. In addition, he complained that he was paid 650 dollars for shooting in the video, while Katy made millions on it.

Katy Perry and Josh Kloss in the 'Teenage Dream' video

In November 2019, a video from Mumbai airport leaked online, after which Katy was accused of disrespecting airport security rules. In the video, the singer can be seen ignoring an airport employee's request to show her passport.

Katy Perry beyond music

In 2009, Katy was invited to make a cameo in the comedy "Get Him to the Greek" with Russell Brand and Jonah Hill in the leading roles. Unfortunately, her scene was cut during the final edit.

The singer appeared in episode 15 of season 6 of the popular series "How I Met Your Mother". She played a sweet and naive girl whom Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) suddenly opened up to.

Katy Perry in the series 'How I Met Your Mother'

In addition, she had a cameo in the comedy "Zoolander 2", and her voice speaks for Smurfette in the cartoon "The Smurfs".

Katy has her own perfume line: these are the fragrances "Meow", "Purr", "Killer Queen", "Mad Love", "Mad Potion", "Royal Revolution".

Photo shoot to advertise the fragrance Meow by Katy Perry

In the spring of 2012, sales started for the add-on for the computer game "The Sims 3: Showtime – Katy Perry Collector’s Edition". In the summer of the same year, sales of the in-game catalog "Katy Perry Sweet Treats" started.

Katy Perry's Personal Life

At the dawn of her career, Katy Perry dated musician Justin York for about a year (from 2002 to 2003). After their breakup, she started a romance with Canadian musician Matthew Thiessen, which lasted until 2006.

Then there was a brief fling with actor Johnny Lewis and a relationship with “Gym Class Heroes” vocalist Travis McCoy, whom she met while filming their music video. The couple broke up in 2009.

Katy Perry and her ex-boyfriend Travis McCoy

While filming “Get Him to the Greek,” Katy met actor and comedian Russell Brand, who played the eccentric rock musician Aldous Snow in the movie. Soon they were spotted together at Paris Fashion Week. In December of the same year, Russell publicly declared Katy Perry as his girlfriend.

Pictured: Katy Perry and Russell Brand

Three weeks later, Brand invited her on a vacation to India and proposed to her at the foot of a mountain on New Year's Eve. The couple's wedding also took place in India – on October 23, 2010, they exchanged rings and vows in the Ranthambore nature reserve.

Six months later, Katy sued the Australian tabloid NW, whose journalist accused the singer of cheating on her husband. Rumors began to spread, which Russell quelled by tweeting about the unprecedented strength of their relationship.

Katy Perry's Married Life (2011)

In November 2011, reports surfaced about a rift in Katy and Russell's marriage. The stars' representatives denied the information, but a month later admitted – yes, their relationship had cracked. The couple spent Christmas 2011 apart. Katy went on a vacation to Hawaii, while Russell appeared in public without his wedding ring.

On July 14, 2012, the celebrities finalized their divorce. As it turned out later, the reason was Russell's jealousy – after seeing paparazzi photos of Katy holding hands with guitarist Robert Ackroyd, he flew into a rage. Brand himself claimed that he gave up on their marriage too early and considers it the biggest mistake of his life.

The photo that destroyed Katy Perry's marriage

Later, the singer was rumored to be dating “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson, Taylor Swift's ex-boyfriend John Mayer, and DJ Diplo.

In January 2016, Katy started a relationship with actor Orlando Bloom. They had met three years earlier at a charity dinner, but it didn't go beyond a pleasant social conversation then. However, at the "Golden Globes" afterparty in January 2016, sparks flew between them, and all eyes were on the dancing duo of Orlando and Katy.

A couple of weeks later, they were caught kissing at an Adele concert. In April, they officially made their first public appearance as a couple at the Coachella music festival. That same summer, paparazzi photographed the couple during a canoe trip: Katy was in a bikini, and Orlando was completely naked.

By the end of the year, the singer realized that she and her boyfriend had different life priorities. Bloom was adamantly against marriage, family, and children. On March 1, 2017, Katy and Orlando announced their breakup. To be fair, they parted ways without fighting and asked fans not to blame anyone for the situation.

In 2017, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom broke up

However, the lovers were able to reach a consensus and reunited at the beginning of 2018, celebrating the New Year in Japan. A source close to Katy told the press that the singer tried very hard to forget the actor, but couldn't. The couple decided not to publicize their reunion, as happiness loves silence.

2018: Katy and Orlando are back together!

By October, it was clear that the lovers' relationship had reached a new level – Orlando introduced Katy to his son Flynn from Miranda Kerr. It later turned out that he had also introduced Katy to Miranda, and the women got along quite well.

In February 2019, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom secretly got married. This conclusion was drawn by observant fans who noticed a wedding ring on the singer's finger. On August 27, 2020, the couple had a daughter. The baby girl was named Daisy Dove.

Katy Perry and her daughter Daisy Dove on vacation

Katy Perry Now

While relishing motherhood, Katy doesn't forget about her music. The day after the birth of her baby girl Daisy Dove, she released the album "Smile". In December of the same year, she surprised her listeners with the mini-album "Cosmic Energy", dedicated to the rare astronomical phenomenon of the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn.

Katy Perry – Electric

In 2021, Perry delighted fans with new singles "Cry About It Later" and "Electric", and made her first public appearance postpartum in September. Her image harks back to her early career stages when Katy was a rebel singing about kissing girls.

Katy Perry makes her first public appearance after giving birth

In November 2023, Katy showed her daughter for the first time, who had just turned three. During the concert, the singer greeted Daisy, who was standing on the dance floor.

Daughter of Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom

Katy Perry: latest news and articles

Katy Perry admitted that she wanted to commit suicide because of the breakup with Orlando Bloom in 2017

30 Jun 2020

Ethel Pate Journalist

David Dunn

Before Katy Perry was please us with a new songs and with an not ordinary music videos, nowadays it`s only about gossips and «yellow journalism».

2021-05-15 21:13:32
Erika Clark

Many woman are getting better with age but it`s not about Katy Perry, she changed in the worst sight.

2021-04-28 10:14:17
Ryan Wilson

Katy Perry has no equal but in her personal life she is not really happy: romance, divorces, disassembly...

2021-04-04 23:13:20
Theresa Young

For a girl from a conservative believer family, it`s a very unexpected image of her :) Before I liked many of her songs and now I stopped to follow her.

2021-03-31 12:45:57
Juan Bush

Charming Katy was paying attention more before then now to her creative work and that`s a pity.

2021-03-05 19:25:31
ㅤㅤ ㅤℓєgєи∂αяу

she's not 1,69 she's 1,73

2018-12-26 23:57:43