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Almost overnight, people went from not knowing who Katy Perry was to her being one of the biggest names in all of the music industry. Perry has been a powerhouse in the business for more than a decade now, having a lot of hits that made their way toward the top of the charts. These days, Perry also has her hand in television as part of the “American Idol” judges panel, hoping to find the next Katy Perry.

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Perry was born on October 25, 1984 in Santa Barbara, California into a very religious family. Perry took a lot of interest in Christian based music during her early years, and wanted to pursue that as a career. Perry made her way around the country, trying to land a big record deal while also recording music on her own. Her birth name is Katy Hudson, but changing her stage name to Katy Perry would end up being fruitful.

Perry released her first album in 2001, which was a self-titled album that went off of her birth name, but only sold around 200 copies. Eventually, Perry would grab the attention of Capitol Records after changing her style, and released her debut album with “One of the Boys” in 2008. The album was a huge success, propelled by her debut single “I Kissed a Girl” that reached the top of the charts. The album had several other successful songs, as well, including “Hot n Cold” and “Waking Up in Vegas”.

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Following previous relationships, Perry had met actor Russell Brand on the set of the film “Get Him to the Greek”. Shortly after filming, the two began a relationship and decided to get engaged at the end of 2009. The following year, the couple married. It wasn’t a long lasting marriage as they split up after two years and had no children, but there was one lavish present that Perry bestowed upon her now ex-husband.

Virgin Galactic, the company with Richard Branson at the helm, revealed that they would be selling tickets to fly into space. Perry was among those that wanted a ticket, buying one for Brand. It wasn’t cheap either, with Perry spending a whopping $200,000 for the flight. Virgin Galactic confirmed the sale, and a representative from the company said that “They will pop champagne, give you astronaut wings and a party.”

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It was a birthday present for Brand when he turned 35, and he spoke about the trip, which has yet to happen since it’s still in its testing phase. “It just doesn’t seem right coming from my background,” Brand said of the flight. “10 years ago I was a junkie; if I wanted to go to space I had to do crack.”

During their relationship, Perry released her second album with “Teenage Dream” that became a number one hit. Five of the songs from the album reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Last Friday Night”, “E.T.” and “Firework”. The deluxe edition added another number one song with “Part of Me” while “Wide Awake” climbed to number two.

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After her break-up with Brand, many were excited to see what Perry was coming up with next. In 2013, she finally released “Prism”, another smash hit album that contained the singles “Roar” and “Dark Horse”, racking up more number one songs for Perry. Since then, she’s released just one album with 2017’s “Witness”, but she has remained busy with multiple singles in recent years including “Con Calma” and “Never Really Over”.

On top of her music career, Perry has also done some acting work. She’s appeared in both “The Smurfs” movies, while also having guest appearances in movies such as “Zoolander 2” and “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping”. In 2018, Perry also joined the cast of the reality competition series “American Idol”, serving as one of the judges.

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It’s been a fine career for Perry, despite having personal struggles that have stemmed from her family or relationships. She’s still packing large arenas for her shows that are quite extravagant, as well. “I love all aspects of the art,” Perry said. “I like the dreaming, the fantasizing, the making up a new world. For years, I’ve been like, ‘I think it would be really fun to fly on a cotton candy cloud above the audience.’ And my team will ways, ‘Okay, let’s look into the math and see if it’s possible.’”

Have there been any regrets for Perry in her career though? “I say, ‘Nothing, because I could not buy what I’ve learned,’” Perry noted. “And I apply those things to my life I learn. And hopefully, hopefully it helps me to be a better human in the future and make better choices.”