Early Life and Education of Avril Lavigne: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Avril Lavigne. A timeline of key moments.

Avril Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter who significantly shaped pop-punk music. She pioneered female-driven, punk-influenced pop in the early 2000s. Lavigne's contributions to music have garnered her eight Grammy Award nominations.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1953: Marriage of Maurice Yves Lavigne and Lucie Dzierzbicki

In 1953, Avril Lavigne's paternal grandfather, Maurice Yves Lavigne, a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, married Lucie Dzierzbicki, a French native of Morhange.

1954: Birth of Jean-Claude Lavigne

In 1954, Avril Lavigne's father, Jean-Claude Lavigne, was born at RCAF Station Grostenquin near Grostenquin, Lorraine.

1975: Marriage of Jean-Claude Lavigne and Judith-Rosanne "Judy" Loshaw

In 1975, Avril Lavigne's father, Jean-Claude Lavigne, married Judith-Rosanne "Judy" Loshaw.

September 27, 1984: Avril Lavigne's Birth

On September 27, 1984, Avril Ramona Lavigne was born in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. She later became a singer and songwriter influential in pop-punk music.

December 1999: Discovery by Cliff Fabri

In December 1999, Avril Lavigne was discovered by her first professional manager, Cliff Fabri, while singing country covers at a Chapters bookstore in Kingston.

1999: Performance with Shania Twain and Collaboration with Stephen Medd

In 1999, Avril Lavigne won a radio contest to perform with Shania Twain at the Corel Centre in Ottawa, singing "What Made You Say That". Also in 1999, she was spotted by Stephen Medd and invited to sing on his song "Touch the Sky" for his album, Quinte Spirit.

2000: Collaboration with Stephen Medd and Work with Peter Zizzo

In 2000, Avril Lavigne sang on "Temple of Life" and "Two Rivers" for Stephen Medd's album, My Window to You. During the summer of 2000, she worked with producer Peter Zizzo in New York, writing the song "Why".

2004: Heart Tattoo for Deryck Whibley

In late 2004, Avril Lavigne had a small pink heart around the letter "D" applied to her right wrist, which represented her then-boyfriend, Deryck Whibley.

June 2005: Deryck Whibley's Proposal

In June 2005, Sum 41 lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Deryck Whibley proposed to Avril Lavigne, after they had been friends since she was 17 years old and dating since she was 19.

2005: Reverb East Coast Tour

In 2005, Avril Lavigne worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organization, for her east coast tour.

July 15, 2006: Marriage to Deryck Whibley

On July 15, 2006, Avril Lavigne married Deryck Whibley in Montecito, California.

November 28, 2007: Unite Against AIDS Concert

On November 28, 2007, Avril Lavigne participated in the Unite Against AIDS concert presented by ALDO in support of UNICEF at the Bell Centre in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

October 9, 2009: Filed for Divorce from Deryck Whibley

On October 9, 2009, Avril Lavigne filed for divorce from Deryck Whibley, citing "irreconcilable differences".

February 2010: Started Dating Brody Jenner

In February 2010, Avril Lavigne started dating The Hills star Brody Jenner.

March 2010: Matching Tattoos with Deryck Whibley

In March 2010, Avril Lavigne and her then-husband Deryck Whibley got matching tattoos in celebration of his 30th birthday.

April 2010: Additional Tattoo on Wrist

In April 2010, Avril Lavigne added another tattoo on her wrist, that of a lightning bolt and the number 30.

May 2010: Matching "fuck" Tattoos with Brody Jenner

In May 2010, Avril Lavigne and Brody Jenner each got matching tattoos of the word "fuck" on their ribs, gaining media attention.

July 2010: Tattoo of Brody's Name

In July 2010, Avril Lavigne had her then-boyfriend's name, "Brody", tattooed beneath her right breast.

September 14, 2010: Launch of The Avril Lavigne Foundation

On September 14, 2010, Avril Lavigne introduced "The Avril Lavigne Foundation", a charity to help young people with serious illnesses and disabilities.

November 2010: Attendance at Clinton Global Initiative

In November 2010, Avril Lavigne attended the Clinton Global Initiative.

November 16, 2010: Divorce from Deryck Whibley Finalized

On November 16, 2010, Avril Lavigne's divorce from Deryck Whibley was finalized.

February 2011: Received French Passport

In February 2011, Avril Lavigne received her French passport through jus sanguinis, as her father was born in France.

May 2011: Listed Bel-Air house for sale

In May 2011, Avril Lavigne put her house in Bel-Air on the market.

January 2012: Moved to Paris to Study French

In January 2012, Avril Lavigne sold her house in Bel-Air and moved to Paris to study the French language, renting an apartment and attending a Berlitz school.

January 2012: Split from Brody Jenner

In January 2012, after almost two years of dating, Avril Lavigne and Brody Jenner split.

July 2012: Started Dating Chad Kroeger

In July 2012, Avril Lavigne began dating fellow Canadian musician Chad Kroeger, the frontman of Nickelback.

August 2012: Engagement to Chad Kroeger

In August 2012, after one month of dating, Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger became engaged.

July 1, 2013: Marriage to Chad Kroeger

On July 1, 2013, Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger married at the Château de la Napoule, in the South of France, after a year of being together.

September 2014: Fundraising Campaign for Special Olympics

In September 2014, Avril Lavigne launched a personal fundraising campaign for the Special Olympics as part of her birthday celebration. The proceeds from her "Team Rockstar" event helped sponsor athletes from around the world competing in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles.

2014: Lyme Disease Diagnosis

Avril Lavigne was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2014 after her 30th birthday.

April 2015: Revealed Lyme Disease Diagnosis

In April 2015, Avril Lavigne revealed to People magazine that she had been diagnosed with Lyme disease after her 30th birthday in 2014, and wanted to increase awareness of the disease.

September 2, 2015: Separation from Chad Kroeger

On September 2, 2015, Avril Lavigne announced her separation from Chad Kroeger via her official Instagram account, and they later divorced.

2018: Started Dating Phillip Sarofim

Avril Lavigne began dating billionaire heir Phillip Sarofim in 2018.

2018: Heart Tattoo with JaKeb Allen Munn

In 2018, Avril Lavigne got a traditional heart shaped tattoo with then boyfriend JaKeb Allen Munn.

2019: Broke Up With Phillip Sarofim

Avril Lavigne broke up with Phillip Sarofim in 2019.

September 2020: Livestream Concert to Fight Lyme Disease

In September 2020, Avril Lavigne announced a special livestream concert called #FightLyme to raise awareness and funds in the fight against Lyme disease. Proceeds from all tickets and merchandise went to the Global Lyme Alliance and the Avril Lavigne Foundation.