# Katy Perry: the gospel kid who became the queen of pop
In brief Katy Perry (real name Katheryn Hudson) is an American pop singer born 25 October 1984 in Santa Barbara. She broke through in 2008 with "I Kissed a Girl," and tied a chart record with five number-one singles from Teenage Dream. Her wax figure stands in the music area of Wax of Legends, Colmar.
You know the chorus before you even know her name. "Firework," "Roar," "Dark Horse": songs that have played on a loop in car radios, schoolyards and stadiums. Behind those hits lies a path that was anything but a straight line: a kid raised on religious singing who ended up climbing the charts, hosting a talent show followed by millions of people, and even flying off into space for a few minutes. Here is a look at who Katy Perry really is, where she is today, and why, in Colmar, you can sing right beside her.
Who is Katy Perry? Born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson on 25 October 1984 in Santa Barbara (California), Katy Perry is an American singer and songwriter. She broke through in 2008 with "I Kissed a Girl," and became one of the best-selling pop artists of her generation, with albums such as Teenage Dream and Prism.
Before the blue wigs and the fireworks, there was gospel. Katy grew up in a deeply religious family: both of her parents are pastors, secular music was banned from the home, and it was by singing at church that she learned her first scales. Her first record, released in 2001 under the name Katy Hudson, was in fact a gospel album. It went completely unnoticed, selling only a few hundred copies according to later press retrospectives.
The turning point came when she took on a stage name, Perry, her mother's maiden name, and changed her style entirely. In 2008, "I Kissed a Girl" exploded everywhere and drove the album One of the Boys, which sold more than 6 million copies worldwide. Two years later, Teenage Dream made history: five number-one singles pulled from a single album, a feat that until then had only been achieved by Michael Jackson with Bad in 1987. "California Gurls," "Firework," "Last Friday Night": the hits kept coming, and Teenage Dream itself sold over 3.5 million copies in the United States alone.
The years that followed were one high point after another: Prism in 2013 with "Roar" and "Dark Horse," the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show in February 2015 watched by more than 118 million viewers (and the famous "Left Shark" that became a worldwide meme), then the albums Witness (2017), Smile (2020) and 143 (2024). Her ultra-colourful videos, her self-aware humour and her candy-coloured aesthetic became her signature just as much as her voice.
In the meantime, she settled into the judge's chair on American Idol for six seasons, from 2018 to 2024, where she commented on, encouraged and sometimes shook up the contestants. The wider public rediscovered her in a more spontaneous light, far from the staging of her videos: an artist happy to talk about her own failed beginnings. Between the spectacular pop star and the down-to-earth judge, her name speaks to several generations.
Did you know? Teenage Dream long shared a record with Michael Jackson's Bad album: five singles ranked number one on the Billboard Hot 100. A feat few artists have come close to since 2010.
| Album | Year | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Katy Hudson (gospel) | 2001 | First record, under her real name, went unnoticed |
| One of the Boys | 2008 | Breakthrough with "I Kissed a Girl"; 6M+ copies sold worldwide |
| Teenage Dream | 2010 | 5 number-one singles, tying Michael Jackson's record (Bad, 1987) |
| Prism | 2013 | "Roar" and "Dark Horse" |
| Witness | 2017 | A more introspective turn |
| Smile | 2020 | Released shortly after the birth of her daughter Daisy |
| 143 | 2024 | World tour under way since 2025 |
Her album 143, released in July 2024, launched a major international tour that took her to stages all around the world, including in France, where she remains a regular at the big summer festivals. Her French dates often sell out, with choreography, elaborate costumes and a catalogue of hits the crowd sings back word for word.
In April 2025, she made headlines for a more unexpected reason: she took part in a suborbital Blue Origin NS-31 flight, as part of an all-female crew of six. The flight lasted about 11 minutes, including roughly 3 minutes of weightlessness, with the Earth seen through the window from an altitude above 100 km (the Kármán line). The episode sparked debate, but it stayed true to her taste for the unexpected.
In short Well into her forties, Katy Perry remains one of the most recognisable voices in world pop: a new album, an international tour, a constant media presence. Very much alive and still active in 2026.
The answer comes down to one first name: Daisy. Katy Perry has one daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom, born on 26 August 2020, from her relationship with British actor Orlando Bloom. The singer has always protected her daughter's privacy, mentioning her with restraint in interviews and never putting her on display on social media. She is her only child to this day.
On this point, the answer has shifted a great deal lately. Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom formed one of the most talked-about couples in showbiz: a high-profile meeting in 2016, an engagement in 2019, then the birth of their daughter in 2020, nearly a decade together in total. In 2025, however, the couple announced their separation, stating they wanted to keep raising Daisy as a team.
Since then, the tabloids have made much of a growing closeness between the singer and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, seen together on several occasions. Both parties have stayed discreet about the exact nature of their relationship. For now, nothing has been officially confirmed on their side.
Good to know Justin Trudeau was born on 25 December 1971, Katy Perry on 25 October 1984: about thirteen years separate them, the politician being the elder. It is one of the most searched questions about them.
You cannot understand Katy Perry without her childhood. She grew up in a very strict evangelical Christian household, raised by two pastor parents. As a child, she sang at church, listened almost exclusively to gospel and began her career in Christian music with her 2001 debut album. Her relationship with faith and with that upbringing fed a large part of her songs and her public persona. She has often talked about it, between gratitude and a sense of distance. As an adult, she has kept her distance from that religious framework while acknowledging its influence on her path and her writing.
Katy Perry is American, born and raised in California: English is her language — the one she sings and expresses herself in. She is not known for speaking French fluently, though, like many artists on tour, she is happy to drop a few words of the local language to greet an audience, and she knows the French public well, having performed in France so often, including multiple sold-out festival dates.
This is a frequent search, no doubt fuelled by the curiosity surrounding the couple. To date, actor Orlando Bloom has not made any serious illness public. He has, however, spoken about a serious back injury in his youth, from which he recovered. Nothing, in any case, links this subject to any confirmed medical news about him.
Now picture this: you are no longer listening to Katy Perry, you are standing right next to her. In Colmar, at Wax of Legends, the singer has her own life-size wax figure, in the area devoted to the great voices of music. There she stands alongside Édith Piaf, John Lennon, Louis Armstrong and even Mozart, a mix of eras and styles.
Here, you do not just look. The karaoke room is a few steps away: you step into a studio, someone hands you the microphone, and it is your turn to launch into a chorus. "Firework" building up, the lights changing, your friends filming: the kind of moment you replay that same evening. Posing next to Katy Perry, then grabbing the mic straight after: for a pop fan, that's a moment you live, not just watch.
Wax of Legends in a few words 60 wax figures, 30 listening points and 15 interactive experiences spread across a route of 1 to 1.5 hours. Music, cinema, sport, science, politics and legends of Alsace: everyone finds the faces that matter to them.
The route does not stop at music, far from it. A few metres further on, you climb the steps of a red carpet alongside Tom Cruise or Angelina Jolie, you follow a class taught by Einstein (him at the blackboard, you in the role of the student), you cross paths with Rafael Nadal on the sport side, or Louis de Funès on the big-screen side. Each scene is designed for you to step into: you pose with the figures, you slip into the setting.
Wax of Legends is located at 12 place de la Cathédrale, right in the heart of Colmar. The museum is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 7 days a week, public holidays included, with last entry at 5 p.m. Your ticket can be booked online, and the audio guide is included, available in six languages (French, English, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch). Allow between 1 and 1.5 hours to enjoy the figures, the listening points and the interactive experiences without rushing.
And since everything happens at the same address, extend your outing without getting back in the car. Choco-Story, the chocolate museum, opens its doors right next door, with tastings and a gourmet trail. Vino-Storia, for its part, offers a discovery tour of the wines of Alsace that ends with a tasting of three of them. For terroir lovers as much as for the whole family, an alcohol-free version exists, with juices chosen to bring out the same aromatic notes as the wines in the selection. With the three museums gathered at the same address, a duo pass (-20%) or a trio pass (-33%, meaning one museum free) lets you visit everything at a reduced rate, valid for seven days from the first visit.
Visit info Address: 12 place de la Cathédrale, 68000 Colmar. Opening hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 7 days a week, public holidays included. Duration: 1 to 1.5 hours. Audio guide included in six languages. Annual closure in January only, after the school holidays.
What is Katy Perry's real name?
Her birth name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson. "Perry" is her mother's maiden name, which she adopted as a stage name to set herself apart from actress Kate Hudson.
How old is Katy Perry?
Born on 25 October 1984, Katy Perry is forty-one years old in 2026.
Where is Katy Perry from?
She is American, born in Santa Barbara, California, into a family of evangelical pastors. She has German and Portuguese roots.
What are Katy Perry's best-known songs?
Among her biggest hits: "I Kissed a Girl," "Firework," "Roar," "Dark Horse," "California Gurls" and "Last Friday Night." Five of them reached number one in the United States, all pulled from the 2010 album Teenage Dream.
How many albums has Katy Perry released?
As of 2026, she has released seven studio albums: Katy Hudson (2001), One of the Boys (2008), Teenage Dream (2010), Prism (2013), Witness (2017), Smile (2020) and 143 (2024).
Can you see Katy Perry in Colmar?
Her wax figure, yes: it is on display at Wax of Legends, place de la Cathédrale, in the music area. You can pose beside her and then head straight into the adjoining karaoke room.
Key figures 1984: year of birth · 2008: breakthrough with "I Kissed a Girl" · 5: number-one singles from Teenage Dream · 7: studio albums released · 1: daughter, Daisy Dove · 2025: space flight with Blue Origin · 11 minutes: duration of that flight.
From the little gospel girl to the singer who went to space, Katy Perry has led a career that was never predictable. In Colmar, at Wax of Legends, you meet her life-size, with the karaoke microphone right beside her: a pop legend within selfie reach.
Information verified by the Wax of Legends team (June 2026).
Cover photo : © Serge NIED — Wax of Legends
