Katy Perry

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson was born in 1984 to pastor parents and sang only gospel music in her local church. She decided to pursue a music career after she earned a GED in her first year of high school. As Katy Hudson, she made a gospel album at seventeen, which was not successful.

After making an album with The Matrix production team, Katy worked on lyrics and a solo album during 2004 and 2005, but it was never released. It wasn't until she signed with Capitol Music Group that she adopted the name Katy Perry. Capitol was the fourth record label she signed with in just seven years in the business.

"Ur So Gay" was her first single as Perry and it wasn't that successful. The second single was "I Kissed a Girl," which hit the top spot internationally in 2008. She followed the single with her first studio album, "One of the Boys." It rose to the 33rd spot worldwide, and it became platinum. Another hit song from the album was "Hot n Cold."

By the time Katy released her next album, "Teenage Dream," she was well known and it was number one at its debut. Songs on the album that topped the charts were "E.T.," "Teenage Dream," "California Gurls," "Fireworks," and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" Hers was the only album other than Michael Jackson's "Bad" to achieve 5 number one singles.

Katy made history as the first performer to have hits in the top 10 for 52 weeks in succession. Perry has her own perfume called "Purr," and is featured as a voice in the movie "The Smurfs." She was a longtime love interest of Travie McCoy, but in October of 2010 she married Russell Brand.