The California Gurl: Katy Perry

 Born in Santa Barbara, California, Katy Perry was a confident and talented performer even at a young age. Thus, it is not surprising that she has become one of the most loved music artists in this era. Her originality, fascinating style and infectious charm helped her reach the top – and she just keeps getting better and better with her latest hits and performances!

A Star Is Born

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, who is best known for her stage name “Katy Perry” was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. Having both parents as church pastors, she was immersed in music, mostly gospel music, at a young age. However, she and her siblings were discouraged from listening and singing along to secular music. There were some exceptions, though, since her parents allowed her to listen to some artists including Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf and Ella Fitzgerald because of the wholesome lyrics and meanings behind their songs.

Channeling Her Inner Pop Music Goddess

When Katy turned 13, she received a guitar as a present for her birthday. It was then that she developed an interest in playing an instrument and writing songs. Since she rarely got what she wanted because of her rather humble lifestyle, she decided to make her own songs, playing her guitar as she sang along with it. Eventually, she earned enough money doing so to support herself. Although secular music was not well accepted in her home, she was able to stay up-to-date with the newest hits that teens liked at the time. Her friends would sneak in some CDs of the hottest bands and artists and Katy would spend time in her friends’ houses watching MTV. This allowed her to learn more about pop music and discover new possibilities for her own music. Katy also discovered her own dancing skills. She frequented a recreational building in her hometown, and learnt a few dance moves. Here, seasoned dancers taught her several types of dances such as the Lindy Hop, Jitterbug and Swing. Eventually, she took voice lessons when she was 9, and continued until she reached 16.

Off to A Slow and Steady Start

Katy soon got in the music industry, and she knew she needed to exert a lot of time and effort before she could make it big as an artist. Initially, she worked as an in-house vocalist for a production team called The Matrix. This was the same group of people that worked with popular artists including Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne. In addition, Katy worked on a mainstream album where she co-wrote some songs with Glen Ballard. Soon afterwards, she successfully got one of her songs to be included on The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants soundtrack. This did not propel her career forward at the time however, mainly because her team was clueless about marketing her music to the public.

Chart-Topping Hits

Things started to look up for Katy when Capitol Music Group’s CEO and Chairman, Jason Flom, was impressed by her style and powerful voice. She soon signed a contract with them, and released “Fresh”, the solo album on which she collaborated with some of the most prestigious pop producers including Max Martin and Dr. Luke.  Following that album, she released another called “One of the Boys”, which included timeless hits by Katy such as I Kissed a Girl and Ur So Gay. This follow-up album was released on June 17, 2008. With so much publicity around the album from MTV, talk shows, and the Vans Warped Tour, it was only a matter of time before Katy’s hits reached the top spots in the charts.

So In Love with this California Gurl!

As expected, Katy’s One of the Boys album sold millions of copies, and four of her singles dominated the charts upon their release. This led to her receiving two nominations from the Grammys as the best songwriter and best female artist. Her enormous success motivated her to write more songs and create catchy videos. In 2010, California Gurls was released. The catchy lyrics and equally stunning video made this song as popular as Katy’s first original hits.

Everybody’s Sweetheart

As more albums by Katy came out, fans grew wilder as her latest hits continued to inspire them. However, there is more to Katy than her awesome music -she also did magazine covers for a few national magazines including Billboard, Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Lucky Out. The ever-busy artist also appeared in talk shows and some reality shows that exposed her talents to many parts of the world. Katy was also the recipient of several awards including Most Beautiful People of 2010 (by People Magazine), Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, and Women We Love by Esquire. 

Tidbits of Info about Katy Perry

Here are some fascinating trivia facts about everybody’s favorite singer, Katy Perry.

1. I Kissed A Girl stayed at the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 for at least 6 weeks.

2. She decided to change her name from Katheryn Hudson to Katy Perry because she does not want to be confused with Kate Hudson, who is an American actress.

3. Among Katy’s influences are Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette and the Beach Boys.

For Katy, enjoying life and having fun mean the world to her. She’s well-known for being a prankster and a joker amongst her friends. Katy even called herself the ‘class clown’.

Katy On Stage 

If you love Katy, then make sure you don’t miss out on watching her live concerts. You can even skip the long line by purchasing Katy Perry concert tickets online for example in this website. With her classic hits and unforgettable dance moves, Katy is one of the most popular artists of all time, and gives a show that lives up to her name. Whether you are in Australia, Mexico or the United Kingdom, you can buy tickets to Katy’s concerts online. This also saves you from the stressful experience of standing in a long queue just to buy her concert tickets.  So, there you have it – an inside look at Katy’s background and present career. With Katy’s talent, interesting looks and great charm, it is too easy for people to fall in love with this authentic California “gurl”!