Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), better known by her stage name of Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a career in music. As Katy Hudson, she released a self-titled gospel album in 2001, which was unsuccessful. She later recorded an album with production team The Matrix and completed the majority of a solo album from 2004–05, the latter of which was never released.

After signing with Capitol Music Group in 2007, her fourth record label in seven years, she adopted the stage name Katy Perry and released her first Internet single "Ur So Gay" that November, which received public attention but failed to chart. She rose to fame with the release of her second single "I Kissed a Girl" in 2008, which went on to top international charts. Perry's first mainstream studio album One of the Boys followed later that year and subsequently became the 33rd-best selling album worldwide of 2008. It was accredited platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, while "I Kissed a Girl" and her second single "Hot n Cold" both received multi-platinum certifications. The recording earned two Grammy Awards nominations. In 2009, Billboard magazine named her the 51st-best-selling music artist of the 2000–2009 decade. The album spawned other two hits singles on the charts, "Thinking of You" and Billboard top ten "Waking Up in Vegas". The One of the Boys's singles, digital tracks, and mobile products have sold more than 22 million copies worldwide. After all the success of One of the Boys, she released her first live album, MTV Unplugged.

Her third studio album Teenage Dream was released in August 2010 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, subsequently became the eleventh best selling album worldwide of 2010 and ninth best selling album worldwide of 2011. The album included the Billboard chart-toppers "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T." and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)", and top five hit "The One That Got Away". The album produced five Hot 100 toppers, and was only the second album—after Michael Jackson's Bad—to do so and the album produced six Hot 100 top five hits. It was the third album to reach this mark. With "E.T." at number one on the chart of May 12, 2011, Perry became the first artist to spend 52 consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. She spent a total of 69 consecutive weeks in the Top 10. The recording earned six Grammy Award nominations, including the coveted Album of the Year and Record of the Year. In December 15, 2011, she was elected the Artist of the Year by MTV.

According to Nielsen SoundScan she sold over 37,620,000 million digital tracks in the United States alone, and sold more than 11 million albums worldwide.

Perry became a guest judge on the seventh series of British television show The X Factor and the ninth season of American Idol. She has released fragrances "Purr" and "Meow". She voiced Smurfette in the 2011 film The Smurfs. Perry had a long relationship with Travie McCoy. She later married Russell Brand in October 2010, and separated from him in December 2011.