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.
When we first saw Just Sam auditioning for American Idol, the 20-year-old subway singer from Harlem seemed both shy and incredibly confident at the same time.
Singing "You Say" by Lauren Daigle, she stumbled out of the gate and started over, the look of intense concentration on her face giving way to a flood of embarrassed tears as Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie enveloped her in a group hug and promised her she'd be OK.
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