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Katy Perry: Getting Intimate - from priest's daughter to pop icon
Foto: Universal Music
Starting as the good priest's daughter next door, but today one of the most successful pop singers of the 21st century—this trajectory may sound unbelievable to some, but it is actually the true story of Katy Perry, which is revealed in the Katy Perry Getting Intimate documentary. Although she practiced the strict Christian faith of her family at a young age, she always kept her sights set on one day making it big as a pop musician. A few setbacks later, she finally achieved her international breakthrough. In this way, Katy demonstrates how important it is to pursue your passion, even if you go against the expectations of your own family.
Table of Contents
- The fate of a chosen one
- Limitations as a test of faith: the life of a priest's family
- Small but mighty: Katy Perry's fondness for a vintage fake leopard coat
- Musical evolution: How gospel music paved the way for Katy's pop career
- How an unwavering will led to a breakthrough - Katy Perry's rise
- From one romance to the next: Katy Perry's turbulent love life
The fate of a chosen one
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson was born on October 25, 1984 in Santa Barbara, California, the daughter of Maurice Keith Hudson, a pastor, and Mary Christine Perry. The priestly role, however, was not in the cradle of Katy's father. In the 1960s, he belonged to the "Strawberry Fields Forever" group, a hippie movement that advocated the use of psychedelics such as LSD. He himself was also consuming LSD at the time. One day he claimed to have had an apparition in which he was told that he was destined for role of priest. Mary, who once dated Jimmy Hendrix, met Keith while working as a journalist at a church event. It seemed to have been love at first sight. Thus, Katy's fate was sealed once and for all.
- Name: Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
- Date of birth: October 25, 1984, Santa Barbara
- Partner: Orlando Bloom (since 2016)
- Residence: Montecito, California
Limitations as a test of faith: the life of a priest's family
Katy grew up in a sheltered but happy environment. However, the Hudsons completely shielded themselves from the outside world due to their strict Christian faith. This was also reflected in the strict upbringing of Katy and her siblings, David and Angela. In the Katy Perry Getting Intimate documentary, she reveals that they were not allowed to listen to pop music, watch the MTV television channel, or read Cosmopolitan.
Who would have guessed at the time that Katy would one day gain a foothold in the pop music scene, her songs would be played on MTV, and she would grace the cover of Cosmopolitan?! No one. The religious family was constantly on the move. Starting when Katy was three, the family moved from town to town founding new churches. Financial problems were not uncommon for the Hudsons, who worked as freelance ministers.
Small but mighty: Katy Perry's fondness for a vintage fake leopard coat
As Katy approached her teenage years, her idiosyncratic style began to emerge. In an interview in the Katy Perry Getting Intimate documentary, the singer reviews her childhood and says that she once fell in love with a vintage fake leopard coat that cost the family half a fortune at the time. When she received it as a Christmas gift, she could hardly believe her luck. Katy didn't let the ridicule and laughter of her classmates get her down, because it was the mothers of her classmates who inquired about the origin of the coat.
Musical evolution: How gospel music paved the way for Katy's pop career
It was gospel music that paved Katy Perry's way into the music world. At a young age, she was already part of the local gospel choir. At the age of nine, Katy's parents recognized her talent and sent her to singing lessons. When she was given her first guitar at the age of 13, she began to put her own thoughts into song lyrics, which she performed at open-mic sessions in small bars and cafes. Katy felt trapped in the role of the pious singer, and longed to express her true feelings in her song lyrics.
So she started secretly writing songs about everyday teenage problems that she knew her parents would never approve of. At the age of 15, Katy signed a contract with the label "Red Hill Records." Shortly thereafter, her first album of gospel music—"Katy Hudson"—was released. It flopped, but Katy didn't let this initial setback get her down.
How an unwavering will led to a breakthrough - Katy Perry's rise
Katy turned her back on the gospel genre and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 17 to finally realize her big dream of a pop career. In order not to be confused with the actress "Kate Hudson", she took her mother's last name and from then on introduced herself as Katy Perry. Again frustrating years followed. She was dropped by record labels a full three times. But it was the audience from whom she received positive feedback that prevented her from throwing in the towel. In 2007, there was finally a light at the end of the tunnel: Katy Perry signed a contract with "Capitol Records". From then on, she soared.
In May 2008, the single "I Kissed a Girl" was released, which immediately catapulted the singer to No. 1 in the US charts. The Katy Perry Getting Intimate documentary revisits how Katy's parents fell off the face of the earth when the single was released. They didn't mince words and went public saying the single was shameful and disgusting. One might assume that the relationship between the singer and her parents is strained today. But this is not the case at all. Today, Katy's parents couldn't be prouder of their daughter and stand by her in every situation of life. It was the summer of 2008 that gave Katy her international breakthrough. There seemed to be no stopping her. Six MTV Music Awards nominations and two Grammy Awards nominations later, the album "Teenage Dream" followed, then "Prism" arrived in 2013.
From one romance to the next: Katy Perry's turbulent love life
Katy Perry has always seemed drawn to celebrity bad boys. Her romances were the talk of the town and always graced the covers of numerous gossip magazines. In 2009, she met British actor and comedian Russell Brand for the first time during a film shoot. When their paths crossed again at the MTV Music Awards, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Only a year later the wedding bells rang. The couple said yes to each other in Rajasthan, India.
After only 14 months of marriage, Katy's world collapsed when she learned of Russell Brand's sudden intention to divorce in a text message. Through tireless commitment and the support of numerous therapists, Katy finally fought her way back into life. At the end of 2012, the rumor mill was abuzz again when her romance with John Mayer became public. At first it seemed to work out quite well, but the relationship with Mayer also seemed to have an expiration date. In 2014 Perry and Mayer went their separate ways. Since 2016, Katy has been dating Orlando Bloom.
Read more about your favorite pop stars!
Are you curious about other artists? Want more exciting in-depth looks at the stars? Then take a look at mukken. Under "Books & Movies" you'll find some great articles about other world-famous musicians, such as the new documentary "My Mind & Me," which portrays Selena Gomez. If you are a musician, our platform Mukken offers a great opportunity to exchange ideas with other musicians. Take advantage of this unique opportunity and make new contacts in the mukken network now!
Where can I find "Katy Perry: Getting Intimate"? You can stream "Katy Perry: Getting Intimate" on both YouTube and Netflix. What is Katy Perry doing today? Katy Perry released her album "Smile" in July 2020. In addition to her career as a pop singer, she sits alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie as a judge on the new season of "American Idol" for the sixth time. In the meantime, Katy and her family have settled in the Californian city of Montecito. Do Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom have a child? Yes. Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom became proud parents of a daughter on August 26, 2020. Daisy Dove Bloom has pretty much turned the lives of both her parents upside down. However, in an interview Katy reveals that she loves her new life as a mother and wants another addition to the family soon. What's up with Katy Perry's eye? Katy Perry first spoke out about her eye condition in 2021 when, as a judge on "American Idol," she gave encouragement to a contestant who wanted to conceal his "lazy eye" at all costs. In 2022, a video went viral in which she didn't seem to have her right eye under control for seconds. As a result, Katy Perry fans were very worried about the singer. But the cause of this now seems to be clarified.
Originally published on May 20, 2023, updated on May 20, 2023
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