Katy Perry Music Videos, Ringtones, Pictures and Photos including I Kissed A Girl, UR So Gay Music Videos on Roxwel

Katy Perry

Katy Perry kissed a girl…and she liked it, too. So goes the chorus to her smash hit "I Kissed a Girl", the super catchy and dance-friendly New Wave-esque track that put pop sensation Katy Perry on the map. Though her scandalous hit single has topped the music charts in twenty countries - even garnering praise from America’s reigning queen of pop, Madonna - it wasn’t exactly her first attempt at music. Before she began singing about female lip-locking, Katy Perry made her debut as a gospel artist. It’s true.

Born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson in Santa Barbara, California, Katy began her musical career singing in the church choir as a youngster. The daughter of two pastors, she grew up in a very conservative household, originally aspiring to be a gospel singer. Katy made her musical debut at age 16, releasing a gospel album titled Katy Hudson on an independent label in 2001. Though it created some buzz in the Christian music scene, it failed to attract a large amount of attention. As she grew older Katy began to drift away from Christian music, citing Queen, Alanis Morissette, and Incubus as acts that inspired her to try out a new musical sound. She was particularly inspired by Queen’s lead singer Freddie Mercury, well known for his energetic stage presence and flamboyant dress.

Though Katy Hudson was her birth name, she soon adopted the stage name Katy Perry - the name she currently uses - to avoid confusion with actress Kate Hudson. After the release of her gospel album, Katy began working on a mainstream pop debut with production trio The Matrix (hitmakers who have worked for Avril Lavigne and Shakira, among others) as early as 2004, though she had difficulty securing a recording contract in her early years. Her music eventually came to the attention of Virgin Records CEO Jason Flom (Tori Amos, Stone Temple Pilots), who secured her a deal with Virgin partner label Capitol in early 2007.