Avril Ramona Lavigne Whibley, better known simply as Avril Lavigne (born September 27, 1984 in Belleville, Ontario, Canada and raised in nearby Napanee) is a pop punk singer, songwriter, actress, and model. She is married to Deryck Whibley, the lead singer of Sum 41. Her three albums to date, Let Go (2002), Under My Skin (2004), and The Best Damn Thing (2007) have topped the charts in numerous countries. Avril Lavigne is now considered a global hit artist with album sales of over 36 million world wide and is ranked as the seventh most powerful Canadian in Hollywood.

Although her name is of French origin, she herself does not speak French and her name is pronounced in an anglicized way, more or less as "La-veen". Her first name, Avril, means "April" in French and is pronounced "Av-rill".

Avril became famous thanks to her first hit single Complicated which was later followed by Sk8er Boi, Losing Grip, and I'm With You. In the beginning of her career, Avril's image (especially the t-shirt and tie combo) attracted almost as much interest as her music.

Her second album Under My Skin was a more personal album, with songs such as Don't Tell Me and My Happy Ending. The album sold millions of copies worldwide but Avril was criticized for the drastic change in her image. Avril fervently defended her new, more mature image, saying "Someday you gotta grow up".

Avril sings the title song of the 2006 movie 'Eragon'. The song, Keep Holding On, written by Lavigne and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, is the first song on the 'Eragon' soundtrack. The song has been included in her third album, The Best Damn Thing. Dr. Luke also produced Girlfriend, the first single of The Best Damn Thing, which has become her biggest hit in the United States.

Avril is married to Deryck Whibley, the frontman of Canadian punk rock band Sum 41.

Slipped Away was written by Avril for her grandfather who passed away while she was on tour.

Official site: www.avrillavigne.com