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 and songwriter notable for her influence on pop-punk music. She pioneered female-driven, punk-influenced pop in the early 2000s. Lavigne's success is underscored by eight Grammy Award nominations, cementing her position as a significant figure in contemporary music.

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. He was the son of Maurice Yves Lavigne and Lucie Dzierzbicki.

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

In 1975, Jean-Claude Lavigne, Avril Lavigne's father, 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. Her father named her Avril, which is the French word for April.

November 2000: Signing with Arista Records

In November 2000, Avril Lavigne auditioned for Antonio "L.A." Reid and was signed to Arista Records with a deal worth $1.25 million for two albums and an extra $900,000 for a publishing advance. She subsequently left high school to focus on her music career.

November 2002: Stopped wearing ties

In November 2002, Avril Lavigne stopped wearing ties, stating she felt like she was "wearing a costume".

2003: Suicide conspiracy theory

In 2003, a conspiracy theory emerged claiming Avril Lavigne had committed suicide and been replaced by a body double. This rumour originated from a joke on a Brazilian blog.

2004: Heart Tattoo with "D"

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

June 2005: Deryck Whibley's Proposal

In June 2005, Deryck Whibley proposed to Avril Lavigne after they had been dating for a while, having been friends since she was 17 years old.

2005: Reverb Collaboration

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.

June 12, 2007: Release of Instant Karma

On June 12, 2007, Avril Lavigne's cover of John Lennon's song "Imagine" was released on the compilation album Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur.

Loading Video...

November 28, 2007: Unite Against AIDS Concert

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

2007: "Dolphins" Meme

Since 2007, a persistent internet meme about a song called "Dolphins" (written by Lavigne) appeared on various lyric sites, although she neither wrote nor recorded the song. Multiple bands recorded cover versions of the song.

October 9, 2009: Filed for Divorce from Deryck Whibley

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

December 5, 2009: Teleton Performance in Mexico City

On December 5, 2009, Avril Lavigne performed acoustic versions of "Complicated" and "Girlfriend" at the "Teleton" charity event in Mexico City, accompanied by Evan Taubenfeld and Jim McGorman.

Loading Video...

February 2010: Started Dating Brody Jenner

In February 2010, Avril Lavigne began dating Brody Jenner, who starred in The Hills.

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: Lightning Bolt Tattoo

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

May 2010: "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: "Brody" Tattoo

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 aimed at helping young people with serious illnesses and disabilities, partnering with organizations like Easter Seals and Make-A-Wish.

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.

2010: Charity Single Contribution

In 2010, Avril Lavigne contributed her voice to a cover of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" as part of a benefit single to raise money for charity organizations related to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Loading Video...

February 2011: Received French Passport

In February 2011, Avril Lavigne received a French passport through jus sanguinis, due to her father's French origin.

May 2011: Put Bel-Air House on the Market

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

January 2012: Split from Brody Jenner

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

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, attending a Berlitz school.

March 2012: Collaboration with Chad Kroeger

In March 2012, Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger began working together to write and record music for Lavigne's fifth album, leading to a romantic relationship.

July 2012: Began Dating Chad Kroeger

In July 2012, Avril Lavigne began dating Chad Kroeger, the frontman of Nickelback, after they started working together on her fifth album.

August 2012: Engagement to Chad Kroeger

In August 2012, Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger got engaged after dating for one month.

July 1, 2013: Marriage to Chad Kroeger

On July 1, 2013, Avril Lavigne married Chad Kroeger at the Château de la Napoule in the South of France.

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, proceeds from her "Team Rockstar" event helped sponsor athletes from around the world.

2014: Diagnosis with Lyme Disease

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

April 2015: Revealed Lyme Disease Diagnosis

In April 2015, Avril Lavigne revealed to People magazine that she had been diagnosed with Lyme disease 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.

2015: Special Olympics World Summer Games

In 2015, athletes sponsored by Avril Lavigne's "Team Rockstar" event competed in the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles and were featured in the music video for "Fly".

Loading Video...

November 2018: Response to the conspiracy theory

In November 2018, Avril Lavigne responded to the conspiracy theory about her being replaced, stating in an interview with Australia's KIIS 106.5 that it was weird for people to think she wasn't the real her.

2018: Dating Phillip Sarofim

In 2018, Avril Lavigne began dating billionaire heir Phillip Sarofim.

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

In 2019, Avril Lavigne broke up with Phillip Sarofim.

September 2020: Announcement of #FightLyme Concert

In September 2020, Avril Lavigne announced a special livestream concert called the #FightLyme concert to raise awareness and funds in the fight against Lyme disease.