Before she was the hit-making pop diva Katy Perry, who sells out stadiums and wins coveted music awards, Katy Hudson was a hopeful Christian artist, embarking on her first tour and coming to grips with her music career.
A rare look at Perry, now 29, as Hudson, then in her late teens, made its debut last week. Cinematographer Jim Standridge shared a 12-minute video called "Katy Perry Uncensored Raw Talent," showing the pop star as a young unknown.
PHOTOS: Katy Perry's Craziest Style Moments
"Katy Perry's first tour as an artist in 2001," Standridge wrote with the video. "I was very fortunate to meet and hang out with this genuine talent in the beginning of her career. The other day I was cleaning out some old footage in my office and found 90 minutes of raw footage I had totally forgot about… I think Katy has grown into an amazing entertainer and woman."
The video opens with Perry marveling at the number of channels on her tour bus television, showing off the "awesome" clothes she has, and lamenting her skin problems as she preps for a show.
PHOTOS: Katy Perry's Hollywood Hills Mansion
"I usually put loads of makeup on before the show because I'm a pizza face," she says to the camera. "Would you like pepperoni or cheese?"
A far cry from the loud get-ups she's famous for now, the California native, who would've been 16 or 17 at the time of the video, sports a collared floor-length denim jacket, and styles her streaky blonde-highlighted hair parted down the middle in two pigtails.
PHOTOS: Katy Perry's Most Memorable Music Video Looks
Explaining that she gets nervous before performing, especially when she knows people in the audience, Perry is then shown on a stage, strumming a guitar as she sings in a soulful voice. Once a Christian artist raised by conservative parents, Perry expresses gratitude for the chance to tour with the "best Christian bands" and spend time with the band members.
"I always want to it to be a gift, I don't want it to be a gig," Perry says about playing shows. "I hate that. I really do. Everyone thinks I'm like, superstar, rock star, but that's not how I am at all. I'm just some little kid from California, who plays the guitar and sings. I write what I think needs to be written."
PHOTOS: Katy Perry's Crazy Nail Art
Watch the throwback video of Perry above!
