A former Christian artist, Katy Perry rose to prominence during the summer of 2008 with her club-ready pop music and cheeky, larger-than-life attitude. Born on October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, CA, Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson grew up in a religious household as the daughter of two pastors. Though she was not allowed to listen to secular music as a child, she later found herself captivated by Alanis Morissette and Freddie Mercury, having discovered Queen's music during a slumber party. Religious music remained at the forefront, however, and Katy released a self-titled Christian album in 2001 under the name Katy Hudson. She would later abandon the genre (and her original surname) in favor of a pop career.
