Although we may not have access to the album, since it marks 20 years of existence to inform us about Katy’s art before going to the big one, we can turn to those who knew her for some tips. With that in mind, E! The News spoke exclusively with some of Katy’s early collaborators about the girl they had known for a long time. And what they have to say may surprise you.
Created by Pentecostal pastors parents Mary Christine (right Perry) and Maurice Keith Hudson, Katy spent her childhood immersed in the world of gospel music, as secular sounds were not entirely welcome at home. At 9, she sang in her parents’ ministry. At 13, she received her first guitar. Two years later, during her first year of high school, she received her GED and started pursuing her own music career.
After going to Nashville, where she started recording demos and learning to write songs, she caught the eye of Red Hill Records, a Pamplin Music brand focused on the youth market. They signed an agreement and she started working on what would become her first album.
One of the writers with whom Katy partnered was Tommy Collier, who co-wrote and produced two of the album’s 10 tracks. “I met her and her mother at a meeting and heard some things she was working on,” he recalled. “And eventually, I ended up staying with her and writing some. Katy knew about three or four guitar chords. She had a great voice. It was like a jazz vocal, you know, with good sound and everything.”