Her Humble Beginnings
This young Canadian was born on September 27, 1984 in a 5,000 population town called Napanee, which is located in Ontario, Canada. Avril Lavigne (Av-reel Lah-veen) was an aspiring young seventeen-year-old who knew from day one that she would be famous. As the middle child, she always tried to grab the attention when it wasn't on her. She was in many talent shows as a child. She even sang on-stage alongside Shania Twain (she had won a radio contest). She remembers that it was very natural and she wasn't scared or intimidated at ALL standing alongside the superstar. She got her first guitar at a young age. She broke out of Napanee, Ontario when she was 16. She dropped out of school because she didn't see what the point was if she knew what she would be doing the rest of her life. She had been writing her own songs ever since she got her first guitar and discovered that she wanted to be a songwriter. While she was in New York, she got signed to Arista Records by its head honcho, L.A Reid.

She Discovered Herself
"I don't like it when people say that Antonio "L.A" Reid discovered me. I discovered myself." Avril says. It pisses her off if anyone says something about L.A discovering her. This eighteen year old is very unique. She wrote every single one of her songs. "Everytime I got home, I went to my guitar and wrote a song about what happened to me that day. I don't care if nobody cares because it's the way I'm feeling and that's what I'm going to write about." Avril says, about the inspiration for her songs. That's what makes Avril so unique. She writes her own songs and she refuses to do something that she doesn't want to do. For instance, take a photo shoot. "At one photo shoot, they tried to glam me all up and I didn't like it. They just wouldn't listen to me." she says.

Let GO
Let Go was released on June 4, 2002. It was exactly what music fans at the time needed. It was guitar-driven, original, in your face, and catchy. Prior to that, "Complicated", was released as a single in April 2002 and was getting heavy airplay on radio and on MTV so music fans quickly picked up this album. She was the ANTI-BRITNEY, the perfect antidote for anyone sick of all the pop fluff. Avril's music was real. It made a few people a little upset. People thought that Avril was contrived and not who she was really claiming to be. But Avril's success silenced the naysayers, to say the least. In August 2002, Avril attended her first American awards show - the MTV Video Music Awards. She wasn't expecting to win anything (She was nominated as Best New Artist in a Music Video) and was enjoying the night. She had performed Sk8er Boi and Complicated at the preshow and Jimmy FALLON had just gave her a shoutout in his opening monologue by dressing up as her and singing his own version of "Complicated". Much to Avril's delight, she won! She ran up to the podium and gave a big "YEAHHHH!" - something that only Avril and Avril alone could truly pull off. That - right there - was proof enough that Avril was here to stay. She later would win 4 Juno Awards (out of 6 nods), World Music Award for World's Best Selling Canadian Singer, and would be nominated for a Grammy.

Grammy Nominated
If you're nominated for a Grammy, that means you are IT. Avril was nominated for not 1, not 2, but eight Grammy nominations. If that wasn't enough, Avril was asked to perform. Instead of wearing a traditional dress and pull out all the stops for the awards ceremony, Avril wore a black tuxedo. When the jacket was opened up, it revealed the words "Rock On" written with masking tape. Avril did not take any Grammy's home that night, but performed an energy filled rendition of "Sk8er Boi".

Darker Avril
Fans were eagerly anticipating Avril's second album. She was in the studio for an entire year! She had many experiences to draw inspiration from. In late 2003, Avril did small mall tours to test out her new material on the audiences. She played acoustic shows alongside lead guitarist, Evan. The response was overwhelming. Fans lined up for hours just to see/hear Avril and were in love with the sound and were just happy to be able to see Avril again. On May 25, 2004, "Under My Skin" was released. It was full of 12 harder, edgier tunes that showcased a much maturer and more personal Avril. In fact, she got really personal. The track "Slipped Away" was a tribute to her grandfather, who passed away while she was doing a show. The song is moving and powerful and truly unforgettable. There's also some classic Avril songs on there, such as "Don't Tell Me", a sassy song about a girl telling a guy he can't have any. :) The album was an absolute success, charting at #1 in its first week.

Lights...Cameras...Avril!
On June 25, 2005, Avril became engaged to longtime crush and boyfriend Deryck Whibley (of Sum 41) while visiting Italy. She has also performed with some of her favorite musicians ever, such as Johnny Reznik from Goo Goo Dolls and Alanis Morissette. She also signed a modelling contract with Ford Models, an agency that represents some of the top models of today. Avril is looking to expand her horizons and become an actress. She provided the voice to Heather the Possum in 2006's "Over the Hedge". She attended her first Cannes Film Festival that year, promoting OTH and an independent expose on the fast food world entitled "Fast Food Nation".

Fans who have followed Avril's amazing evolution know that Avril has longevity. Her music has evolved immensely and is becoming more grown up, more personal, now that Avril has more of a say of what her music will portray.

This little girl from Napanee has certainly come a long way.

Biography copywritten to Natasha B.June 9, 2002. Revisions were made on May 22, 2006. Do not copy from this web site without permission.