Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television judge. After singing in church during her childhood, she pursued a career in gospel music as a teenager.
Perry signed with Red Hill Records and released her debut studio album Katy Hudson under her birth name in 2001, which was commercially unsuccessful. She moved to Los Angeles the following year to venture into secular music after Red Hill ceased operations and she subsequently began working with producers Glen Ballard, Dr. Luke, and Max Martin.
After adopting the stage name Katy Perry and being dropped by The Island Def Jam Music Group and Columbia Records, she signed a recording contract with Capitol Records in April 2007.
American Idol runner-up Willie Spence dies in car crash aged 23
manchestereveningnews.co.ukWillie Spence, a runner-up of last year's American Idol, has died in a car crash at the age of 23. The singer's Jeep reportedly "left the roadway" and collided with the back of a tractor-trailer that was stopped on the hard shoulder near Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Spence, who was from Georgia, finished second to Chayce Beckham on season 19 of American Idol last year. Hours before the fatal collision, Spence had uploaded a video of himself singing to his social media accounts.
According to a report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Marion County medical examiner, both Spence and the driver of the tractor-trailer were wearing seatbelts.
The other driver was not injured. Read more: The Manchester Evening News has launched a new way for you to get the most out of our mobile app The signing competition released a statement saying: "We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence.
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