Biography (Katy Perry)
Katy Perry (born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, October 25, 1984) is a singer/songwriter from Santa Barbara, California, United States. Perry's success was so sudden in 2008 it seemed as if she was an overnight success when the opposite was true. Daughter of Pentecostal pastors, Katy was raised by born-again parents and was initially attracted to gospel music, sometimes sneaking pop music in to balance the inspirational tunes, but when she first started singing it was in the church. She picked up the guitar at the age of 13 and soon started writing songs, pursuing a music career in earnest when she was 15. Earning the attention of CCM artists Jennifer Knapp and Steve Thomas, Katy headed out to Nashville in 2001, where she cut demos and eventually secured a contract with Red Hill Records. Red Hill released Katy Hudson, a record targeted at a Christian/inspirational demographic, in February 2001, but the album didn't garner much attention and was ultimately buried once the label was... 
