When did Katy Perry start singing? Singer's childhood explored

With 14 American Music Awards, four Guinness World Records, seven MTV Video Music Awards, and over 143 million albums sold, Katy Perry has established herself as one of the most iconic artists of this generation. However, she wasn't always the pop sensation with a penchant for camp-styled music.

Perry grew up in a deeply religious family, spending her entire childhood moving from one place to another, so that her parents could set up Pentecostal churches. Katy Perry's first singing inspiration was her sister Angela. Growing up, she would borrow her sister's cassette tapes and perform tracks in front of her parents.

According to CBS News, Perry was 9 when she inducted into the local church choir, where she continued singing until 17. She got her first guitar on her 13th birthday. From then on, she was enrolled in a music class like Angela, which became the cornerstone for the singer's future music career.

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How was Katy Perry's childhood? Singer had strict parents and a religious upbringing

Colleagues Spring Luncheon 2024 - Source: Getty (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for The Colleagues)

Katy Perry was born on October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, California to Mary Christine and Maurice Keith. She grew up with her elder sister, Angela and younger brother, David. Angela went on to become one of Perry's first inspirations in music.

In her 2012 documentary titled Katy Perry: Part of Me, she mentioned that the atmosphere that she grew up in was "100% Christian.” Both her parents were Pentecostal pastors who would travel across the country to set up churches before settling again in Santa Barbara.

Katy Perry attended Christian schools and camps, including Santa Barbara Christian School and Paradise Valley Christian School during her elementary years. Financial constraints were rampant, with the family having to use food stamps and eat from a food bank to make ends meet.

Talking about the financial struggles her family faced, the singer said in a February 2024 interview with People magazine:

"You want to talk about food stamps? I can talk about food stamps. You want to talk about food banks? I can talk about food banks. You want to talk about busking in the street as a teenager, hoping to make $20 to cover yourself, I can talk about that too."

Taking into account the monetary problems, Perry and Angela went on to launch a Firework Foundation in 2018 to help children from underserved communities get access to the arts.

Music was a restricted subject at her home as Katy's parents generally preferred to refrain from secular music. 9-year-old Katy found her true calling when Angela brought a gospel demo tape after returning from a trip to her godparents’ home. Therefore, most of her early years were spent listening to the gospels.

However, she discovered pop music by herself and would sneakily listen to CDs borrowed from her friends. The Firework singer would practice using Angela's CD cassettes and sing before her parents.

She told CBS News in June 2012:

"And I had friends that had influenced their taste on me."

Despite Katy having a modern bent of mind, she was a staunch believer in spirituality as well. In a July 2018 interview with Vogue Australia, the songstress became candid about her spirituality, sharing:

“My mum has prayed for me my entire life, hoping I'd come back to God. I never left Him, I was just a little bit secular, I was more materialistic and more career-driven. But now that I'm in my 30s, it's more about spirituality and heart wholeness.”

She also took dancing lessons and learned how to swing, jitterbug, and Lindy Hop. At 15, Perry completed her General Educational Development (GED) and left Dos Pueblos High School to pursue a music career.

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The story behind Katy Hudson - Katy Perry's debut album

Katy Perry first signed a deal with Red Hill Records after getting spotted by rock artists, Steve Thomas and Jennifer Knapp, who brought her to Tennessee and improved her songwriting and vocal skills. Thereafter, they recorded Katy Hudson and released it as her debut album on on March 6, 2001.

Katy Hudson - London - Source: Getty (Photo by Hayley Madden/Redferns)

Before turning into pop music, Katy Perry's debut album mostly borrowed elements from Christian rock and talked about the singer's religious childhood and faith in God. However, it was commercially unsuccessful. The singer told CBS News in June 2012 that her album sold only 200 copies before Red Hill went bankrupt and stopped its marketing.

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During an interview for her official website after Katy Hudson's release, Perry cited artists like Jennifer Knapp, Jonatha Brooke, Fiona Apple, and Diana Krall as her inspirations. The album had an undertone of what is called 'bubblegum pop,' similar to the works of Christian pop singers Rachael Lampa and Jaci Velasquez.