On this day in 1984, Avril Lavigne was born

Avril Lavigne is a Canadian singer and songwriter who is best known for the grungy pop-rock music that she released in her teenage years.

Avril Ramona Lavigne was born on 27 September 1984 in Belleville, Ontario. At the age of two, her musical talent was already evident. She sang at local and church events in Napanee, Ontario where she grew up.

Avril’s parents were of strong Christian faith, and as such her music taste was monitored very closely. In her early singing years, Christian and country songs dominated the genres she performed. Her precocious confidence and singing earned the attention of her first manager when she was only 14 years old. That same year, Avril won a contest to sing with one of her favourite singers, and subsequently performed with the iconic Shania Twain in front of 20 000 people.

When she was 16 years old, she quit school – with the permission of her parents – and moved to New York with her brother, where she signed a two-album contract worth $1,25 million.

She then moved to Los Angeles and released her first album, Let Go in 2002. It went 6x Platinum and her fame and popularity only grew from there – she released four more albums before she took a break from music.

In 2014, Avril was diagnosed with a severe case of Lyme disease, which pushed her to take a break from recording and performing. Her struggles with the disease inspired her sixth album, Head Above Water in 2019. The title track of the album was based on how her experience helped her to find God, which gave her a sense of hope through the difficult journey.

One of the biggest conspiracy theories about the star is that she died 15 years ago, and was replaced by an actress. Fans noticed several differences in her music and physical appearance, such as the shape of her eyes. She responded to the theory during an interview with Australia’s KIIS 1065, saying, “Some people think that I’m not the real me, which is so weird! Like, why would they even think that?”

Among other celebrities who have their birthdays today are Gwyneth Paltrow and Jenna Ortega.