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Avril Ramona Lavigne (born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian pop punk singer-songwriter who is well known for her "skater punk" persona.
Born in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, to conservative Franco-Ontarian Catholic parents John and Judy Lavigne, Avril grew up in Napanee, where she sang country music and in a church choir and taught herself to play guitar. Both her albums to date have topped the charts in numerous countries. Avril also has four top ten singles on Billboard Hot 100.
BEGINNING OF MUSIC CAREER
She was discovered by her first professional manager while singing country covers at a Chapters bookstore in Kingston, Ontario. By the age of sixteen, she was signed by Ken Krongard, the artists-and-repertoirte (A&R) representative of Arista Records, who invited his boss, Arista head L. A. Reid, to hear her sing in a New York City studio. She then completed work on her first album.
BREAKTROUGHT
Apparently, early attempts to co-write songs for her failed to meet her approval; and Lavigne eventually moved to Los Angeles, California, and co-wrote her album with Clif Magness and the songwriting team The Matrix, whose previous work included songs for Sheena Easton and Christina Aguilera. Her first album, Let Go, was released by Arista on June 4, 2002, and was certified "Quadruple Platinum" less than six months later by the Recording Industry Association of America.
By December 2004, Let Go had sold 15,000,000 copies and reached the number-one spot in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom (at that time, Lavigne was the youngest female solo act ever to have a number-one album in the U.K. charts, a record now held by Joss Stone). Let Go also peaked at number two in the United States.
It is sometimes claimed Lavigne was the youngest Canadian to ever sell a million copies of an record in her homeland; however, that record is held by Ottawa-born crooner Paul Anka. His single "Diana" was recorded when he was only sixteen, and is still regarded as the fastest selling 45rpm single in history.
Let Go was the source of four hit singles (the first three with The Matrix), in various parts of the world:
"Complicated" went to number one on the U.S. adult charts and in Australia while reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100;
"Skter Boy" reached the top ten in the U.S. and Australia and number one in Canada;
"I'm with You" reached number one on the U.S. and world adult charts (based on the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Germany, France, and Australia), and number four on the Billboard Hot 100;
"Losing Grip" reached number one in Canada, number ten in Taiwan, number twenty in Chile, and the top fifty on a composite European chart.
"Weird Al" Yankovic did a parody of "Complicated" on his Poodle Hat album, called "A Complicated Song" ? a sure sign of her effect on popular culture.
The media have often compared her to Alanis Morissette, though she has been criticized for not being as strong a lyricist as Morissette at the same age. She has also often been compared with such singers as Vanessa Carlton and Michelle Branch, who emerged at about the same time and were popularly credited, with Lavigne, as part of a trend towards more earnestness and genuine creativity in an often vacuous and pre-fabricated teen pop-music market.
While her marketing has been every bit as sophisticated as, for instance, that of Britney Spears and her competitors, a profile in The Washington Post found that, in the flesh, her personality did not reflect the marketing, and instead found her, if anything, something of a wide-eyed innocent, citing her intending to purchase her first Ramones CD. In another interview, she listed her current listening tastes as including Blink 182, Sum 41, and System of a Down. Lavigne is engaged to be married to Deryck Whibley, of Sum 41, and has hired Mark Spicoluk, a former member of that band, as a member of her backing band.
She describes her first album as a pop album with "a couple of rock songs on it", and has indicated a desire to write more rock-oriented songs in the future.
AWARDS FOR LET GO
Avril was named "Best New Artist" at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.
At the 2003 Juno Awards, she led all musicians with six nominations, winning four Junos.
She has also won a World Music Award for World's Best Selling Canadian Singer in 2003.
She has also been nominated for eight Grammy Awards for Let Go, but has not won any to date.
CRITICISM
Some members of the old school, hardcore punk community have an intense dislike for Lavigne and her style of music, which they believe waters down what punk is really all about. Comments she has made, showing a lack of knowledge/interest in the seventies punk movement and the luminaries of that movement, has led some to label her a poseur.
UNDER MY SKIN
Avril's second album, Under My Skin, was released on May 25, 2004 and went to number one around the world, notably in the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia, and on the Billboard Internet charts. Lavigne wrote most of her second album, with Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk. She also co-wrote some track with other song writers like "Nobody's Home", with Ben Moody, formerly of Evanescence, "My Happy Ending" with Butch Walker of Marvelous 3, and the rest with her former lead guitarist Evan Taubenfeld. Lavigne used three producers for Under My Skin: Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace (also Kreviazuk's husband), Butch Walker and Don Gilmore, who has produced Good Charlotte and Linkin Park.
The first single, "Don't Tell Me", was released early, and by June 2004, has gone to number one in Argentina, top five in the U.K. and Canada, and top ten in Australia, Brazil, and a European composite chart
The second single, "My Happy Ending", reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, making it her third biggest hit to date. She made the music video to the track in Actor/Singer Eric West's neighborhood. The third single, "Nobody's Home", only managed to reach number forty-one on the Billboard Hot 100, but due to the fans and people's acceptance for the song, it easily became a hit.
Under My Skin's fourth single, "He Wasn't", reached number one in Canada, making the song her eighth number-one release since "Complicated". However, the chart trajectory was somewhat weak in the U.K., and "He Wasn't" only reached number twenty-three. The song was not released in the United States.
AWARDS FOR UNDER MY SKIN
Lavigne won two World Music Award in 2004 for World's Best Pop/Rock Artist and World's Best Selling Canadian Artist.
She also, once again led all the Juno nominees at the 2005 Juno Awards (five nominations), picking up three including, Fan Choice Award, Artist of the Year & Pop Album of the Year for 'Under My Skin', adding to her previous four, making seven.
In 2005, Avril won award for Favourite Female Singer at 18th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
NEXT ALBUM
One source reports that Lavigne will release a new album some time in the spring of 2006.
AVRIL'S BAND
Lavigne's current band consists of the following: Devin Bronson (lead guitar), Craig Wood (rhythm guitar), Charlie Moniz (bass) and Matt Brann (drums).
Departed members from Lavigne's band consist of the following: Evan Taubenfeld (lead guitar, 2002 ? 2004), Mark Spicoluk (bass, 2002) and Jesse Colburn (rhythm guitar, 2002 ? 2003). Allen Bolyard tried out in 2004
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