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.
The unthinkable happened on the Monday (March 23) episode of American Idol, when contestant Makayla Brownlee suffered a medical emergency during her performance.
Taking the stage to perform Kacey Musgraves' "Rainbow," the 17-year-old from Wellington, Kan., abruptly walked off stage after slurring her speech due to a seizure.
As the production crew gathered around the EMTs evaluating Brownlee, judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie walked backstage to check on the teen, who was lying down with her legs propped up.
After being wheeled off set in a wheelchair, Brownlee explained the effects of her health issue. "In seventh grade, I was diagnosed with vasovagal syncope," she said. "It's a heart condition that causes me to react to stress
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