Upon hearing her name, most of us remember Christy Carlson Romano from Disney Channel. Specifically, for her notable roles as “Ren” on Even Stevens and the voice of Kim Possible. Romano is also an established singer and started her career on Broadway in the late 90s. This week, the former Disney star took to YouTube to reveal that she lost a record deal to none other than American Idol judge Katy Perry.
Romano’s YouTube channel centers around personal anecdotes involving her career. Her latest video details her battle with Perry in the early 2000s. She dishes on how her record contract with Atlantic Records executive, Jason Flom, was supposedly lost to Perry.
Christy Carlson Romano Vs. Katy Perry, What Really Happened?
In the heart of the video, Romano describes her experience after recording a track called “Just a Song” with Flom and a group called The Matrix. Perry was the demo singer and both artists were looking to secure record deals at the same time.
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Soon after, Romano joined a group of songwriters and musicians, including Perry for a dinner. She says at the dinner, she learned that Perry was also an unsigned artist who was “really, really looking for a deal.” Romano says she complimented Perry’s vocals and explained to her that she had just recorded her own voice on “Just a Song.” A month later, Romano was told she did not have the deal, but Perry did.
“So, there you go guys,” Romano said in the video. “That’s the tea. I don’t know if she was just using her sense to say to herself, ‘Wow Jason is in the market for this kind of voice.’ Or maybe she had a conversation that had already started with him. Does it matter? Not really, but I will say this record companies take on more than a few kinds of singers. So that meant she was my ‘direct competition,’ if you will, in the running spot for Jason to hire or take on someone for that record contract.”
Overall, Romano concluded the video by expressing she has no “ill will” toward Perry and believes she deserved the record contract.
About the Former Disney Star
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Romano has worked as an actress and singer since the age of six. She moved to Los Angeles with her mother at 14 to star in the Disney Channel franchise, Even Stevens alongside Shia LaBeouf. Romano was employed for many years with Disney and gained an Emmy nomination for her voice work as Kim Possible. She also starred on Broadway in Beauty and the Beast.
From there, Romano balanced her college career at Barnard College at Columbia University while filming movies for ABC Family including: Campus Confidential, Taking Five, The Cutting Edge 2: Going for the Gold, and The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream. Romano returned to Broadway in her mid-twenties and learned to be a puppeteer in the Tony-Award winning Avenue Q.
Romano then became impassioned with directing and made her debut in Lionsgate’s Christmas All Over Again. While she still works as an actress, she enjoys living in Austin, TX with her husband and two daughters.
Words by:
Catherine DiMeglio Catherine Di Meglio is a content writer and YouTube host at talent recap. With a love of all things entertainment, she earned her Master’s degree in media management from Wagner College in 2021. Catherine is a New York City girl who has many passions including beauty and fashion, photography, traveling, and making memories with loved ones.
