Name	Toni Basil
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Antonia Christina Basilotta
Born	September 22, 1943
Origin	Philadelphia, United States
Genre	Dance, New Wave
Occupation	Singer, Songwriter, Dancer, Choreographer, Actor
Years active	1964–present
Label	A&M; Records
Url	Toni Basil's Site

Toni Basil (born Antonia Christina Basilotta on September 22, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, filmmaker, film director and choreographer, best-known for her multi-million-selling worldwide #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.

Biography

Early life

Basil was born Antonia Christina Basilotta in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her mother, Jacqueline Jessica Anderson, was a vaudevillian acrobatic comedian in her family's act "Billy Wells and The Four Fays." Her father, Louis Basil, was an orchestra leader who conducted orchestras at The Chicago Theatre and at The Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas, among others.

Dance career

Toni Basil had been dancing professionally since childhood but her adult career started when she served as an assistant choreographer and dancer on Shindig!, an American music variety show which was broadcast on the ABC network from September 16, 1964, to January 8, 1966. She was also assistant choreographer and was featured as a go-go dancer on the 1964 concert film The T.A.M.I. Show (Teen-Age Music International), which also featured fellow dancer and friend, Teri Garr.

Basil choreographed, and co-directed with David Byrne, the "Once in a Lifetime" music video for the Talking Heads. She worked with Talking Heads again to direct and choreograph the music video for the song "Crosseyed and Painless." She also choreographed David Bowie's Diamond Dogs Tour in 1974, and Glass Spider Tour in 1987. She has worked with Bette Midler for many years, most recently on her 2008/2009 Las Vegas show The Showgirl Must Go On. She also served as the associate director and choreographer of the worldwide Tina Turner Live: 50th Anniversary Concert Tour in 2008/2009. Her expertise as a choreographer led her to be invited to sit as a guest judge on season four and five of Fox Television's So You Think You Can Dance. In addition, she is credited with bringing street dance to prominence as a founding member and manager of The Lockers.

Her film choreography work includes Pajama Party (1964), George Lucas's American Graffiti (1973), and The Monkees' 1968 film Head, in which she makes an appearance as a dancer during "Daddy's Song" with Davy Jones. Other notable choreography work credited to Basil can be found in the films The Rose, Legally Blonde, That Thing You Do, and My Best Friend's Wedding.

Music career

Basil's recording career began in 1966 with a single for A&M; Records which was the title song from the short film Breakaway. This film was made by internationally famous filmmaker and artist Bruce Conner, and backed with "I'm 28," an obscure Graham Gouldman song. She appeared as a guest during the first season of Saturday Night Live as one of The Lockers and on later seasons as a singer as well as a filmmaker with her urban style "Swan Lake". In 1982, she released the single "Mickey", which went on to achieve international success. This song is a cover of "Kitty," a 1979 release by the UK band Racey, written by British hitmakers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and produced by Mike Chapman. The original song did not include the famous 'Oh Mickey, you're so fine' chant, which Basil added.

"Mickey" was actually recorded in 1980 and the video was conceived, directed, and choreographed by Basil herself for the UK-based label Radial Choice nearly a year before the inception of MTV in 1981. Issued on Chrysalis Records in September 1982, the song knocked Lionel Richie out of #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 in December. The infectious 45 was quickly certified Gold and in early 1983 reached Platinum status for sales of over 2 million copies in the United States alone. The music video for "Mickey" was one of the most popular early MTV videos. In the video, Basil wore her head cheerleader uniform from Las Vegas High School from which she graduated. During an interview on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of The 80's", Basil revealed that she still owns the same cheerleader sweater she wore in the video. In 2003, VH1 ranked "Mickey" Number 6 on its list of the 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the '80s.

For Television, Basil has appeared as an actress and featured singer/dancer in many television shows and specials. She co-directed and choreographed two BBC specials with Adam Walsh and Ken Stephinson called "Toni Basil Tape 1" and Toni Basil Tape 2" which catapulted her song "Mickey" to number one worldwide.

Basil's recording career consists of only two albums. Her first album, 1982's Word of Mouth included a second Hot 100 single "Shoppin' from A to Z," as well as three songs by Devo, with the group providing the backing track. The track "Space Girls" was a re-recording of a 1974 Devo demo titled "Space Girl Blues" that would later be released on Devo's "Hardcore Devo: Volume One". Devo member Gerald V. Casale and Toni were in a relationship at the time and Basil had been an early supporter of the group.

Toni Basil (1983), the eponymous artist's second album, yielded Basil's third and final Hot 100 charting single, "Over My Head," which also reached #4 on the U.S. Dance chart. Her song "Girls Night Out" made an appearance on the soundtrack to the 1986 film Modern Girls. To date, there have been no fewer than five Toni Basil best-of collections released on CD. In 1999, DJ and producer Jason Nevin's dance remix of "Mickey" was a big club hit in Europe and Australia.

Basil had others hits internationally, like her single "Street Beat" which was a smash hit in the Philippines. Basil also contributed vocals for a Devo song "The Only One" in 1987, which wasn't released until 2000 on the demo compilation Recombo DNA.

Acting career

As an actress, Basil started off in the films Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces. Some of her other films include The Last Movie directed by Dennis Hopper, Greaser's Palace directed by Robert Downey Sr., Mother, Jugs & Speed, Village of the Giants, Rockula with Thomas Dolby and Slaughterhouse Rock. On TV, she has appeared in episodes of "Laverne And Shirley" and "Baywatch Nights" as a fortune teller.

Filmmaking and Music Videos

Basil's late 1960s 8mm and 16mm films recently toured the US with the show "Semina Culture: Wallace Berman and His Circle".

Aside from directing her own video for "Mickey," she also directed and choreographed the video for Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime," featuring lead singer David Byrne against a white background in a similar style to Basil's "Mickey."

Awards and accolades

Toni Basil's awards include Hip Hop International's Living Legend Award, a Grammy nomination for Long Form Video ("Word Of Mouth") 1983, an Emmy nomination and win for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography / The Smothers Brothers 1988, two MTV Award nominations, American Choreography Awards: Four nominations & Two Wins including Lifetime Achievement Innovator, and The Los Angeles Theater Ovation: Street Dance Award. Exhibitions include the Museum of Modern Art: videos and the Santa Monica Museum of Art: Short films. She has also received Platinum and Gold Discs in the USA, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Philippines, and France. Her single Mickey was installed in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as one of the groundbreaking singles of the 1980s. She was given tribute at The Choreographers Carnival: Monsters of Hip-Hop Masters of Movement, and in Portraits of America's Great Choreographers. She was featured in the "Museum of Modern Art Calendar of Artists" and on the cover of Dance Magazine.

Filmography

Pajama Party (1964)

The T.A.M.I. Show (1964)

Village of the Giants (1965)

Breakaway (1966)

Head (1968)

Sweet Charity (1969)

Easy Rider (1969)

Five Easy Pieces (1970)

The Last Movie (1971)

Greaser's Palace (1972)

Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)

Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976)

The Toni Basil Show (One-off) (1982)

Angel III: The Final Chapter (1988)

Slaughterhouse Rock (1988)

Rockula (1990)

Pacific Palisades (1990)

Catchfire (1990)

Eating (1990)

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

References

External links

Toni Basil - The Authorized Site

Ear.FM entry on Toni Basil

Category:American choreographers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Female New Wave singers Category:Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:1943 births Category:Living people

Name	DJ Unk
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Anthony Platt
Alias	DJ Unk
Born	March 28, 1982
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Resides	Riverdale, Georgia, United States
Genre	Southern rapSnap music
Occupation(s)	Rapper
Years active	2006-present
Label	E1 MusicBig Oomp Records
Associated acts	Jim Jones, Soulja Boy Tell'Em, E-40, T-Pain
Url	Official Site

Anthony Platt (born March 28, 1982), commonly known as Unk, is a DJ/rapper. He began spinning records in 1998. After meeting DJ Jelly and DJ Montay, he joined their DJ entourage, the Southern Style DJs. They performed for high school parties, proms, pep rallies, and other events around the state of Georgia. In 2000 Big Oomp signed Unk to his label, Big Oomp Records. Some of his recent work has been featured on the 2K Sports NBA 2K9 game.

Discography

Studio Albums

{|class="wikitable" ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Title ! colspan="5"| Chart positions |- !width="25"|U.S. 200 !width="25"|U.S. R&B; !width="25"|U.S. Rap !width="25"|U.S. Heat !width="25"|U.S. Ind. |- |2006 |Beat'n Down Yo Block!

Released: October 3, 2006

Label: Big Oomp, KOCH

|align="center"|109 |align="center"|21 |align="center"|8 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|5 |- |2008 |2econd Season

Released: November 4, 2008

Label: Big Oomp, KOCH

|align="center"|104 |align="center"|15 |align="center"|6 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|9 |}

Mixtapes

2010 DJ Harvey Dent & DJ Franchise present HARM CAPITAL KONNEXION "A Tale of 2 Cities" by THA FACULTY

2009: Itsago The Mixtape Vol.1

2009: Smoke On

2009: ATL Off Da Chain

Singles

{|class="wikitable" !Year !Single !width="40"|U.S. 100 !width="40"|U.S. R&B; !width="40"|U.S. Rap !width="40"|U.S.Pop !align="center"|Album |- |rowspan="2"|2006 |"Walk It Out" |align="center"|10 |align="center"|2 |align="center"|2 |align="center"|22 |rowspan="2"|Beat'n Down Yo Block! |- |"2 Step" |align="center"|24 |align="center"|9 |align="center"|4 |align="center"|32 |- |2008 |"Show Out" |align="center"|— |align="center"|46 |align="center"|17 |align="center"|— |2econd Season |- |rowspan="3"|2010 |"Futuristic Slide" |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |rowspan="3"|ITsAgO |- |"Yeaaa" |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |- |"Goin' In" |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |}

References

External links

DJ Unk at imusictweet

Bio at AOL Music

Category:Living people Category:1982 births Category:African American rappers Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Name	Little Red
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genre	Pop, rock
Years active	2005 – present
Label	Hooch Hound/Shock, Lucky Number Music
Associated acts	The GreasersThe HondasThe Cuckoos
Url	Little Red Music
Current members	Adrian BeltrameDominic ByrneQuang DinhTom HartneyTaka Honda

Little Red are a rock band from Melbourne, Australia consisting of Adrian Beltrame (guitar, vocals), Dominic Byrne (guitar, vocals), Quang Dinh (bass, vocals), Tom Hartney (vocals, keyboards, tambourine and harmonica) and Taka Honda (drums). The band's music has been described as similar to that of The Beach Boys, in that it is old-fashioned rock and roll with all members except the drummer contributing to both lead singing and harmonies.

Biography

The band was formed in 2005 and were featured on Triple J Unearthed. The band won the 2008 Australia-wide 'Garage to V' competition held by Virgin Mobile to win a slot at all shows of the Australian V Festival in 2008, while the band has also performed at the Falls Festival, Meredith Music Festival, the Big Day Out, the Pyramid Rock Festival and the Laneway Festival.

Little Red's songs "Waiting", "Coca-Cola" and "Witch Doctor" have all received regular play on Australian nation-wide radio station Triple J, while "Coca-Cola" was also included on the official soundtrack of Australian TV series Underbelly, and was voted #47 on the 2008 Triple J Hottest 100.

The band independently released in Australia an album entitled Listen to Little Red on 28 June, 2008, which debuted at number 29 on the ARIA Charts. The album was licensed for release outside of Australia by the UK independent Lucky Number Music and was released on November 16, 2009 in the UK and early 2010 internationally.

In September, 2010, the band released a second album, Midnight Remember, featuring their latest single, "Rock It" which gained a gold accreditation.

Touring

Toured with Blondie and The Pretenders, Evening On The Green 2010

Big Day Out 2011

Splendor in the Grass July/August 2010

Toured with Kasabian in July 2010

Headline tour of Australia supported by Ground Components in April/May 2009

Headline tour of Australia - University Tour - in October 2008

Toured with Vampire Weekend on their national Australian tour in August 2008

Headline tour of Australia - album tour - in August/September 2008 supported by The Holidays and Andy Bull

Toured with The Panics on their national album tour in May 2008

Toured with Spoon in January 2008

Toured with Operator Please on their national Australian tour in April 2008

Toured with Art of Fighting in September 2007

Discography

Albums

Listen to Little Red — Hooch Hound/Shock (28 June 2008) AUS #29 — Lucky Number/Lucky Number Music (2009)

Midnight Remember — Liberation (September 2010) AUS #5

;Midnight Remember tracklisting # "Get A Life" # "Slow Motion" # "Forget About Your Man" # "Rock It" # "All Mine" # "I Can't Wait" # "Place Called Love" # "Lazy Boy" # "Little Bit Of Something" # "In My Bed" # "Follow You There" # "Going Wrong" # "Chelsworth"

EPs

Get Ready! EP

;Get Ready! EP tracklisting #"Waiting" #"Anytime" #"Coca-Cola" #"I Want You Back" #"Cry Cry" (demo)

Singles

"Coca Cola"/"It's Alright" — Neon Gold/Lucky Number/Lucky Number Music (2009)

"Waiting"/"Wait Is Over" — Neon Gold/Lucky Number/Lucky Number Music (2009)

"Rock It" (2010) AUS #19

"Slow Motion" (2010)

References

External links

Little Red video interview @ VFestival

Category:Australian rock music groups Category:Victoria (Australia) musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 2005

Name	Kenny Everett
Birth name	Maurice James Christopher Cole
Birth date	December 25, 1944
Birth place	Seaforth, MerseysideEngland
Death date	April 04, 1995
Death place	London, England
Medium	Radio, television
Nationality	British
Active	1962–1995
Genre	Character comedy, surreal comedy, sketch
Influences	Spike Milligan, Joe Meek, Delia Derbyshire, BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Peter Cook, Vivian Stanshall, Frank Zappa
Influenced	Chris Moyles, Chris Tarrant
Spouse	Lee 'Lady Lee' Middleton
Notable work	The Kenny Everett Television Show
Website	http://www.kennyeverett.co.uk/

Kenny Everett (born Maurice James Christopher Cole in Seaforth, Merseyside; 25 December 1944 – 4 April 1995) was an English comedian, radio DJ and television entertainer. He is best known for his career as a radio DJ and for the Kenny Everett television shows.

Early life

Everett attended the local secondary modern school, St Bede's Secondary Modern, which is now part of Sacred Heart Catholic College.

He attended a junior seminary at Stillington near York with an Italian missionary order, the Verona Fathers.

After schooling he worked in a bakery and in the advertising department of The Journal of Commerce and Shipping Telegraph.

Having revealed a natural comic and broadcasting talent, he began a career in entertainment. He adopted his stage name from film-star Edward Everett Horton, a childhood hero.

Broadcasting career

Radio career

Everett's first break (as Maurice Cole) came when he sent a tape to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1962. The BBC gave him an interview and offered him a job as a presenter on the Light Programme, the forerunner to BBC Radio 2. He declined, however, in favour of the less constrained world of pirate radio, where he began his career as a DJ for Radio London.

He teamed up with Dave Cash for the Kenny & Cash Show, one of the most popular pirate radio programmes. His offbeat style and likable personality quickly gained him attention, but in 1965 he was fired after some outspoken remarks about religion on air. Like most of the pirate stations, Radio London carried sponsored American evangelical shows and Everett's disparaging remarks about The World Tomorrow caused its producers to threaten to withdraw their lucrative contract with the station.

Everett returned six months later, however, before being given his own show by Radio Luxembourg in 1966. Within a year, he had joined the BBC's new pop music station BBC Radio 1 after previewing The Beatles' new album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and interviewing the band. Everett had struck up a friendship with The Beatles and accompanied them on their 1966 tour of the United States, sending back daily reports for Radio London. He also produced their 1968 and 1969 Christmas records.

At Radio 1 Everett continued to develop his own unique presentation style, featuring zany voices, surreal characters, multi-tracked jingles and trailers, all of his own creation and compilation. It was ground-breaking radio material that has since been much copied.

Everett had a great love of sound recording equipment, in particular using reel-to-reel tape recorders, often adding sound-on-sound to his recordings and stereo/multi-track recordings of his pseudo-singing voice. These were broadcast on air regularly and he often created his own radio jingles. This skill was also transferred in some part to TV in his later career.

Everett's shows on BBC Radio 1 included Midday Spin, and in 1968 he took over a Saturday show from 10 am to 12 noon.

In 1970, Everett again found himself fired, this time after suggesting on air that Mary Peyton, the British Transport Minister's wife, had bribed her driving test examiner. The remark was a spontaneous quip, following a news item describing how Peyton had finally passed after many attempts.

Following an interview on the BBC Radio Solent children's show Albert's Gang, Everett submitted weekly shows to the station that he had pre-recorded at home. This afforded the BBC the opportunity to vet the shows before broadcast. Everett was then heard on various BBC local radio stations before being reinstated at Radio 1 in 1972. Here he recorded a weekly show from his home in Wales and it went out on a Sunday afternoon.

During this time, legislation had been passed allowing the licensing of commercial radio stations in the UK. One of the first, Capital Radio, began broadcasting to London and the Home Counties in 1973. Everett joined the station and was given his own show, where he further developed his distinctive ideas. From 1973 to 1974 he presented the station's breakfast show, initially alongside Dave Cash, a friend and colleague from Radio London days, and later as the sole presenter.

Using reel-to-reel tape recorders and mixing equipment, Everett created many comedy characters on The Breakfast Show with Dave Cash on Capital, one of which was called 'Yasher the Smasher' referring to a character who smashed pianos. This was indicative of how many people went through a destructive period smashing traditional wooden pianos. The idea was first started with Pete Townshend from The Who encouraging the group to destroy their equipment on stage.

In 1974 he moved to a less high-pressure timeslot at Capital. Here he further developed his style and his cult following, and featured both what he thought the best in music (Queen, Chris Rainbow) and the worst, which led to the popular Kenny Everett's World's Worst Record Show programmes, later released as an album, with slightly different tracks. Several shows featured the "Bottom 30": compilations (from listeners' votes) of the world's worst records during this period, including some tracks by well-known personalities not known for their singing, notably William Shatner, Captain James T Kirk of Star Trek with his version of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and "The Shifting Whispering Sands" by Eamonn Andrews.

In 1975 Everett played a pivotal role in getting Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" released as a single. He also presented a pre-recorded programme on Saturday lunch-time for Radio Victory in Portsmouth, later providing Captain Kremmen to the station for transmission in the Dave Christian's late show.

BBC Radio and back to Capital

In October 1981, Everett returned to BBC Radio, this time on Radio 2, on Saturday from 11am–1pm. This lasted until 1983, when he was once again dismissed after making a rude joke about Margaret Thatcher: "When England was a kingdom, we had a king. When we were an empire, we had an emperor. Now we're a country ... and we have Margaret Thatcher". This remark reportedly led to the non-renewal of his contract with BBC Radio 2.

In May 1985, he was called in to replace Graeme Garden (who was ill) for one episode of the Radio 4 game show, I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.

He returned to Capital Radio, presenting the same slot as he had on Radio 2. After Capital split its frequencies in 1988 he was heard on Capital Gold, with a line-up that included people like Tony Blackburn and David Hamilton. Everett presented the afternoon show and then moved to the mid-morning show. He left in 1994 when his health deteriorated to the point that he was unable to continue.

TV career

Early television work

Besides the radio programmes, his first screen appearance was in the 1965 film Dateline Diamonds the plot based around the pirate ship the MV Galaxy, he also appeared in several television series. The first, in 1968, was a production for Granada Television called Nice Time, co-presented by Germaine Greer and Jonathan Routh. In 1970 he made three series for London Weekend Television (LWT): The Kenny Everett Explosion, Making Whoopee and Ev; and he also took part (along with such talents as Willie Rushton and John Wells) in the 1972 BBC TV series Up Sunday.

In 1973, Everett provided the voice of the cat 'Charley' in the Charley Says animated series of public information films.

(It is not currently clear to which of these efforts Everett was referring when, years later, he spoke dismissively of some early TV work: "We just used to turn up at the studio and try to be wacky". In interviews, co-presenter Greer spoke of him as "a televisual genius".)

Everett was the announcer on the original version of ATV's "big box game" Celebrity Squares which ran on ITV from 1975 to 1979. Also in 1975, Everett featured in an uncredited cameo in an episode of The Goodies, entitled The Goodies Rule – O.K.?, in which he appeared as a political candidate in a (fictional) General Election.

The Kenny Everett Video Show and The Kenny Everett Video Cassette

In 1978, London's Thames Television offered him a new venture, which became the very successful and ground-breaking Kenny Everett Video Show. This was a vehicle for Everett's characters and sketches (his fellow writers were Ray Cameron, Barry Cryer and Dick Vosburgh), interspersed with the latest pop hits, either performed by the artists themselves, or as backing tracks to dance routines by Arlene Phillips' contemporaneously risqué dance troupe Hot Gossip (which featured Sarah Brightman).

Various pop and TV stars made cameo appearances on the show, including Rod Stewart, Billy Connolly, Kate Bush, Cliff Richard, Freddie Mercury, Terry Wogan and Suzi Quatro (see also "Friends" section below) and classical musicians such as Julian Lloyd Webber.

These shows were also unusual in that there was no studio audience or laughter track. The only reaction sounds were those of the writers, staff and crew (given this small audience the shows were recorded at Thames Television House in small studios normally used for current affairs programmes, rather than at Thames's main site at Teddington, Middlesex.

Everett would often ad lib and deviate from the script; his bloopers were sometimes left in the final cut and on several occasions he pulled the camera around the studio revealing the crew not quite sure what was going to happen next. Quite often the crew were victims of his humour – on one occasion Everett encouraged the crew to sing "Happy Birthday" to a cameraman, presenting to him a cake which he duly pushed in the cameraman's face.

There were also the stories of Captain Kremmen, a science fiction hero voiced by Everett and originally developed for his Capital Radio shows, who travelled the galaxy battling fictional alien menaces, along with his assistant Dr Gitfinger and his voluptuous sidekick Carla. In the first three series these segments were animations created by the Cosgrove-Hall partnership (responsible for the successful children's cartoon series Dangermouse, among many others). In the fourth series (Video Cassette) Kremmen was featured as live action, with Anna Dawson playing Carla; the segments were comedy shorts, rather than the earlier stories.

Other characters included: aging rock-and-roller Sid Snot, unsuccessfully flipping cigarettes into his mouth – at one point Everett managed to catch one in his mouth, to the amusement of the studio crew; Marcel Wave, a lecherous Frenchman played by Everett wearing an absurdly false latex chin; and Angry of Mayfair, an upper middle-class City gent complaining of the risqué content of the show, banging the camera's lens hood with his umbrella, and then storming off, turning his back to us, only then to be revealed as wearing women's underwear in lieu of the entire back half of his suit.

He also created the never-seen character of 'Lord Thames', supposedly the owner of Thames Television (the company was actually owned by two conglomerates). The character was often the butt of Everett's rants and was said to symbolise his contempt for senior management at the company, claiming they lived behind an ancient, cobweb-covered door marked as the "Office Of Saying 'No'". Thames never disciplined him for these comments, unlike prior employers such as the BBC.

Everett's interest in (then primitive) video processing technology and electronic effects showed itself in such features as the appearances of a bobbing 'alien' entirely composed of a distorted video image of his own head ("Hello. I'm Spod, from Planet Thfnnnn. And this is all I do... Pathetic, isn't it?").

The series ran for four seasons on ITV, and was a big ratings hit. The last episode ended on a rather sour note (after Everett had locked horns with Thames management over his show and its scheduling) with Everett giving a restrained farewell speech as the set and scenery was being stripped down by the crew. The final shot before the closing credits was Everett himself being picked up and placed inside an oversized garbage can.

In Australia, complaints resulted in ongoing censorship of the program, especially the Hot Gossip segments.

The Kenny Everett Television Show (BBC 1981–1988)

Everett fell out with Thames regarding the management of his show, including the scheduling against the BBC's top-rated Top of the Pops on Thursday evenings. The BBC offered him a live-audience sketch-format comedy programme, starting with a Christmas special on BBC One in 1981, followed by five primetime series. The writing team was bolstered by the addition of Andrew Marshall, David Renwick and Neil Shand, and the production standards were raised by the heavier investment from the Corporation.

Thames Television claimed copyright on Everett's characters, and tried to prevent their use by the BBC. Whilst this action failed, it led to the creation of new characters such as Gizzard Puke (intended to replace Sid Snot), and the spooneristically named Cupid Stunt, an American B-movie actress with pneumatic breasts, and played with no attempt to disguise Everett's beard, who told a cardboard cutout of Michael Parkinson lurid tales of life on set with Burt Reynolds and other male stars of the era. Her original name, Mary Hinge, was vetoed by the Corporation as too obvious, and announcers were encouraged to refer to her as Cupid to prevent mispronunciation. Inept TV handyman Reg Prescott became another firm viewers' favourite, as each week he managed graphically and bloodily to injure himself with tools whilst attempting to demonstrate DIY tips.

Brazilian-born Cleo Rocos co-starred in the BBC series. She often appeared in nothing more than frilly underwear and high heels, and her figure was used to great comic effect as a focus for drooling, lascivious men.

Complete list of joke-making characters

;Thames TV

Sid Snot, an aging rock-n-roller.

::"Hullo Saddle-sniffers. Sid Snot 'ere!".

Marcel Wave, a lecherous Frenchman.

::"Au-revoir my leetle Ros-bifs".

Angry of Mayfair, a City Gent with umbrella.

::"Angry of Mayfair here!"

Disc O. Version.

::Blacked up using a video effect. ::"Hope all you 'honkies' had a white Christmas?"

Spod, an alien from the planet Thfnnnn.

::Created using a video feedback effect.

Helium Baby, with pram.

::"My mummy says..."

Brother Lee Love, a singing pastor with huge plastic hands and huge pointy hat.

Mary the Prude, sending up bespectacled Mary Whitehouse with inflating breasts

Lord-Thames (unseen).

Mr Presley Holly, leading the punk group Spit.

::The musicians were actually members of The Pretenders.

Cowboy at the saloon bar.

::"Tang my poons !"

Tinsel-Man, a effeminate superhero.

::"He sprinkles here. He sprinkles there. :: He spreads his sprinkles everywhere..."

Super-Cook

::"You'll believe a man can fry !"

;BBC TV

Gizzard Puke, a punk.

::"Hullo I'm Gizzard Puke... the first one that says Punk's dead, will be".

Cupid Stunt, an American sex-kitten B-movie star.

::"(pre-laughter) Any way, let me tell you about my new movie. It's called 'Balclava' gang-bang and it stars Burt, my leading man!" ::"Any way, I'm telling you the plot! Go see it – you'll love it! And its all done in the best puussible taste!" (legs crossed and then uncrossed revealing knickers)

A game show host, with Blankety Blank style microphone.

Reg Prescott, inept DIY on TV-presenter.

US Army General (Brig. General Hiram P. Bombthebastards).

::Huge shoulder pads containing intercontinental ballistic missile launch-pads. Monologue blaming world Communism for various ills, always climaxing with: :::"We'll round 'em up – and put 'em in a field – and bomb the bastards!".

Super-Jew, bespectacled, in a kosher superman with star-of-David symbol:

::"Up, up and Oi-vey!".

Julian Mince, a drunken, champagne-swilling upper-class twit.

::Telling hoary jokes on what appears to be the lawn of a stately home.

Sid Snot, an aging rock-n-roller.

::"Hullo mersey-tunnel mouths.".

Marcel Wave, a lecherous Frenchman.

Alvin Redneck, an 'American' redneck with an enormous straw hat.

Beau Diddley of the (French Foreign) Legion .

Quiz shows

Everett hosted two short-lived quiz shows late in his career, Brainstorm, and Gibberish. He was also a team captain on That's Showbusiness.

Friends and guests

Everett was very popular with his peers, and many major stars of television, radio, and pop music counted him as a friend. This led to many celebrity guest appearances across all his television work. Cliff Richard happily lampooned his clean image many times, as did Lionel Blair and many times Justin Hayward. Terry Wogan – a long-time colleague from the early days at Radio 1 – made numerous appearances on both Thames and the BBC shows, as did Billy Connolly and Lennie Bennett. Other stars who parodied themselves included Rod Stewart, Kate Bush, ABBA, The Police and Freddie Mercury.

Quotations and catchphrases

"It's all done in the best possible taste!" – regular punchline uttered by the character Cupid Stunt, accompanied by her swapping her crossed legs over in the most vigorous way possible.

"'Ello my leetle chickadees" (and variations, in heavy French accent) – introductory remark uttered by character Marcel Wave.

"Round 'em up, put 'em in a field, and bomb the bastards!" – all-purpose solution to any perceived social problem, declared by Marvin Bombthebastards, a handgun-waving US General with immense shoulders (equipped with retractable cannon) and chest to support many medals.

"Brother, Brother, Brother Lee Love!" – gospel-style sung introduction to huge-handed US minister Brother Lee Love, whose frenetic sermons called for the "congregation" to echo the last two syllables of some sentences, with amusing (and occasionally very rude) results.

"I hate pornography ... I haven't even got a pornograph!" – Colonel Muriel Clean.

"This morning, I spilled coffee all over my wife's dressing gown! Serves me right for wearing it!" – 'Colonel Muriel Clean'.

"Colonel Muriel Clean here, of the Campaign for Nice Things on Television!" (A couple of bars of "Hallelujah!" from the "Hallelujah Chorus".) "We believe in goodness, truth and beauty! We believe that Julie Andrews should get her own series, and that Joan Collins should get her own breakfast! And remember: you don't have to watch this endless display of perversitude and fleshybollery! You've all got a knob there! SO USE IT!" – ''Colonel Muriel Clean'.

(Fast electronic rendition of the fourth movement of Bach's choral prelude Sleepers Wake) – reminiscent of and perhaps the work of Wendy Carlos – musical accompaniment to all sketches featuring Maurice Mimer, parody of French mime artist Marcel Marceau.

"Ello, I'm Gizzard Puke, mugger to the gentry, and anyone who says punk's dead, will be."

"And now this"

Bloodbath at the House of Death

Everett made one foray into film with 1984's Bloodbath at the House of Death, a spoof of Hammer horror films, which was penned by Everett's usual writing partners Barry Cryer and Ray Cameron (who also directed the film). Vincent Price featured as the villain, credited only as the "Sinister Man", and a number of other popular comedians and actors also appeared, most notably Pamela Stephenson, Gareth Hunt and Don Warrington. Several regulars from Everett's television series also appeared.

The film was not a great success, despite winning "Best Science-Fiction Film" at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film (tied with Videodrome), and Everett did not make a successful transition to film star.

Political controversy

In the 1983 election campaign, the Young Conservatives invited Everett to their conference in an attempt to attract the youth vote. Egged on by film director Michael Winner, Everett bounded onto the stage, wearing the enormously oversized foam rubber hands familiar from his mock-evangelical character Brother Lee Love. He shouted slogans like "Let's bomb Russia!" and "Let's kick Michael Foot's stick away!" to loud applause (Michael Foot was the elderly leader of the Labour Party at the time.)

Later life

The radio shows continued in the same vein and were as popular as ever, but by the late 1980s the TV show format had run its course, and Everett's personal life was becoming increasingly complicated. He had married the singer Lee 'Lady Lee' Middleton (Billy Fury's former girlfriend) in 1966.

By 1979 they had separated, and Everett came out as gay. He launched himself into the London gay club scene, and could often be seen in London club Heaven in the 1980s (then a very popular clubbing destination) on Saturday nights.

Everett had been told in 1989 that he had HIV. He died from an AIDS-related illness, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, on 4 April 1995, aged 50.

Shows hosted

The following is a list of the main shows Everett presented.

Radio

Kenny & Cash Show Radio London – 1964–1965

Kenny Everett Show Radio Luxembourg – 1966

Midday Spin BBC Radio 1 – 1967

Everett is Here BBC Radio 1 Saturdays 10am–12midday – 1968–1970

Kenny Everett Show BBC Local Radio – 1971

Kenny Everett Show BBC Radio 1 Sundays 1–3pm – 1972

Breakfast Show Capital Radio – 1973–1974

Kenny Everett Show Capital Radio – 1974–1980

Kenny Everett Show Radio Victory – 1975–1976

Captain Kremmen Radio Victory – 1976

Kenny Everett Show BBC Radio 2 Saturdays 11am–1pm – 1981–1983

Kenny Everett Show Capital Radio Saturdays 11am–1pm – 1984–1988

Weekday afternoons Capital Gold 1–4pm – 1988–1991

Weekday mid-mornings Capital Gold 9am–12midday – 1991–1994

Television

Nice Time Granada Television – 1968

The Kenny Everett Explosion LWT – 1970

The Kenny Everett Video Show Thames Television – 1978–1980

The Kenny Everett Video Cassette Thames Television – 1981

The Kenny Everett Television Show BBC One – 1981–1988

Brainstorm BBC – 1988

Gibberish BBC – 1992

Tributes and portrayals

On 18 November 2007, ITV1 broadcast a tribute show to Everett entitled Licence To Laugh. This celebrated the thirty years since he first appeared on ITV with the ground-breaking Kenny Everett Video Show (Thames Television, 1978 to 1980).

Friends and colleagues revealed what it was like to know and work with the man they affectionately dubbed "Cuddly Ken". Additionally, contemporary celebrities such as Chris Moyles and Chris Tarrant talked about their love for the outrageous entertainer, and discussed the ways in which Everett had influenced them and their work. It also featured archive footage.

In March 2010 the BBC confirmed it was working on a 90-minute TV biopic called Number One in Heaven to be written by Tim Whitnall and focussing on Everett's unhappiness at secondary school.

References

Further reading

External links

;General links

Kenny Everett Show episode list break down to the sketches

TV.com

Screenonline – Kenny Everett

Extract from 'The Custard Stops at Hatfield'

Kenny Everett at findagrave

Kenny Everett's World's Worst Wireless Show

;Radio

Radio Rewind – Kenny Everett

The Radio Academy Hall of Fame – Kenny Everett

Pirate Radio Hall of Fame E to G

Aircheck Legends – Kenny Everett

kennyeverett.co.uk tribute site

Radio London Kenny Everett Tribute Pages

Kenny Everett's World's Worst Wireless Show, complete details of these shows

Kenny Everett's Radio Days on BBC 7 Listen Again

;Television

Television Heaven – The Kenny Everett Video Show

BBC Everett Cult TV site

;Other languages

Español in Minipedia

Category:1944 births Category:1995 deaths Category:People from Crosby Category:British radio people Category:British television sketch shows Category:English comedians Category:English radio DJs Category:English radio personalities Category:English television presenters Category:LGBT comedians Category:LGBT people from England Category:LGBT radio personalities Category:LGBT television personalities Category:Offshore radio broadcasters Category:Gay actors Category:AIDS-related deaths in England Category:Comedians from Liverpool Category:copywriters

Name	Avril Lavigne
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Avril Ramona Lavigne
Born	September 27, 1984Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Origin	Napanee, Ontario, Canada
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano, drums
Genre	Pop rock, power pop, pop punk
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, actress, fashion designer, philanthropist
Years active	1998–present
Label	Arista, RCA
Associated acts	Evan Taubenfeld, Deryck Whibley
Url
Notable instruments	Squier Signature Telecaster model

Avril Ramona Lavigne (; born 27 September 1984) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, fashion designer, actress and philanthropist. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent the majority of her youth in the small town, Napanee, Ontario. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain, and by 16, Lavigne had signed a recording contract with Arista, now RCA Records. Record executive Antonio "L.A." Reid offered her a two-album deal worth more than $2 million. When she was 17 years old, Lavigne broke onto the music scene with her debut album, Let Go, released in 2002.

Let Go made Lavigne the youngest female soloist to reach #1 in the UK, and the album was certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. As of 2009, over 16 million copies had been sold worldwide, more than 6 million of which were sold in the United States. Her breakthrough single, "Complicated", peaked at #1 in many countries around the world, as did the album Let Go. Her second album, Under My Skin, was released in 2004 and was her first album to peak at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 , eventually selling more than 10 million copies worldwide. The Best Damn Thing, Lavigne’s third album, was released in 2007. This album gave Lavigne her third #1 album in the UK Albums Chart and featured her first U.S. Billboard Hot 100 single, "Girlfriend". Lavigne has scored a total of five #1 singles worldwide, including "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi", "I'm With You", "My Happy Ending" and "Girlfriend". Lavigne has sold more than 30 million copies of her albums worldwide and is currently one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the U.S., with over 10.25 million copies certified by the RIAA. Billboard named Lavigne the #10 pop artist in the "Best of the 2000s" chart, and she was listed as the 28th overall best act of the decade based on album sales, chart success, and cultural relativity in the U.S. Her fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby, will be released in March 2011, with the first single to be released in January.

Lavigne branched out from recording music, pursuing careers in feature film acting and designing clothes and perfumes. She voiced a character in the animated film, Over the Hedge, in 2006. That same year, she made her on-screen feature film debut in Fast Food Nation. In 2008, Lavigne introduced her clothing line, Abbey Dawn; and in 2009, she released her first perfume, Black Star, which was followed by her second perfume, Forbidden Rose, in 2010. Her third fragrance is due out in August 2011. In July 2006, Lavigne married her boyfriend of two years, Deryck Whibley, lead singer and guitarist for Sum 41. The marriage lasted a little over three years, and in October 2009, Lavigne filed for divorce. Whibley and Lavigne have continued to work together after the divorce, with Whibley producing her upcoming fourth album, as well as Lavigne's single, "Alice", written for Tim Burton's film Alice in Wonderland.

Early life

Avril Ramona Lavigne was born in Belleville, Ontario, the daughter of Judith-Rosanne "Judy" (née Loshaw) and Jean-Claude Lavigne. Her father, who is of French Canadian descent, named her Avril after the French word for the month of April. She has an older brother, Matthew, and a younger sister, Michelle. A daughter of a working-class family, Lavigne, at the age of two, began singing church songs along with her mother. When Lavigne was five years old, the family moved to Napanee, Ontario, a town with an approximate population of 5,000. Although she struggled with paying attention in school, sometimes kicked out of class for misbehaving, her parents were supportive of her singing. Her father bought her a microphone, a drum kit, a keyboard, several guitars, and converted their basement into a studio. When Lavigne was 14, her parents would take her to karaoke sessions. Lavigne also performed at country fairs, singing songs by Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, and Shania Twain. She also began writing her own songs. Her first song was called "Can't Stop Thinking About You", about a teenage crush, which she described as "cheesy cute". }} In 1998, Lavigne won a radio contest to perform with fellow Canadian singer Shania Twain at the Corel Centre (now Scotiabank Place) in Ottawa, before an audience of 20,000 people. Twain and Lavigne sang "What Made You Say That", and Lavigne told Twain she was going to be "a famous singer". During a performance with the Lennox Community Theatre, Lavigne was spotted by local folk singer Stephen Medd. He invited her to contribute vocals on his song, "Touch the Sky", for his 1999 album, Quinte Spirit. She later sang on "Temple of Life" and "Two Rivers" for his follow-up album, My Window to You, in 2000. In December 1999, Lavigne was discovered by her first professional manager, Cliff Fabri, while singing country covers at a Chapters bookstore in Kingston, Ontario. Fabri sent out VHS tapes of Lavigne's home performances to several industry prospects, and Lavigne was visited by several executives. Mark Jowett, co-founder of the Canadian management firm Nettwerk, received a copy of Lavigne's karaoke performances recorded in her parents' basement, and arranged for Lavigne to work with Peter Zizzo in New York during the summer of 2000, where she wrote the song "Why?". It was on a subsequent trip to New York that Lavigne was noticed by Arista Records.

Music career

2000–03: Let Go

In November 2000, Ken Krongard, an A&R; representative, invited Antonio "L.A." Reid, then-head of Arista Records, to producer Peter Zizzo's Manhattan studio to hear Lavigne sing. Her 15-minute audition "so impressed" Reid, he immediately signed her to Arista with a deal worth $1.25 million for two albums and an extra $900,000 for a publishing advance. By this time, Lavigne had found that she fit in naturally with her hometown high school's skater clique, an image that carried through to her first album, but although she enjoyed skateboarding, school left her feeling insecure. Armed with a record deal, she dropped out to focus on her music career, but she still had to inform her parents of her decision. "I wasn't going to turn [the record deal] down. It's been my dream all my life. They knew how much I wanted this and how much I've put into it."

Lavigne released her debut album, Let Go, on 4 June 2002 in the U.S., where it reached #2 on the Billboard 200. It peaked at #1 on the Australian, Canadian and United Kingdom charts. This made Lavigne, at 17 years old, the youngest female soloist to have a #1 album in the UK until that time. By the end of 2002, the album was certified four-times platinum by the RIAA, making her the bestselling female artist of 2002 and Let Go the top-selling debut of the year. By May 2003, Let Go had accumulated over 1,000,000 sales in Canada, receiving a diamond certification from the Canadian Recording Industry Association. As of 2009, the album has sold over 16 million units worldwide, and the RIAA has certified the album six-times platinum, denoting shipments of over six million units in the U.S. }} Lavigne's debut single and the album's lead single, "Complicated", peaked at #1 in Australia and #2 in the U.S. "Complicated" was one of the bestselling Canadian singles of 2002, and it was also featured on the teen television show, Dawson's Creek. "Complicated" later ranked on the Hot 100 Singles of the Decade list at #83.

Subsequent singles, "Sk8er Boi" and "I'm With You" reached the top ten in the U.S. Thanks to the success of her first three singles, Lavigne was the second artist in history to have three #1 songs from a debut album on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40. For the music video to "Complicated", Lavigne was named Best New Artist at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards. She won four Juno Awards in 2003 out of six nominations, received a World Music Award for "World's Bestselling Canadian Singer", and was nominated for eight Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Complicated" (2003).

In 2002, Lavigne made a cameo appearance in the music video to "Hundred Million" by the pop punk band Treble Charger. In March 2003, Lavigne posed for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and, later in May, performed "Fuel" during MTV's Icon tribute to Metallica. During her first headlining tour, the Try To Shut Me Up Tour, Lavigne covered Green Day's "Basket Case".

Lavigne was featured in the 2003 game, , as a non-playable celebrity.

2004–05: Under My Skin

during the "Live and By Surprise" mall tour]] Lavigne co-wrote "Breakaway" with Matthew Gerard, which was recorded by Kelly Clarkson for the soundtrack to the 2004 film . "Breakaway" would later be included on Clarkson's second album and released as the album's lead single. Lavigne covered the Goo Goo Dolls song "Iris", performed with the band's lead singer John Rzeznik at Fashion Rocks, and she posed for the cover of Maxim in October 2004. She also recorded the theme song for The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. "I made the song a little more edgy," Lavigne said. "There are a lot of loud guitars, and we picked the tempo up a little and sang it with a little more attitude." Lavigne rearranged the song with the help of producer Butch Walker.

Lavigne's second studio album, Under My Skin, was released on 25 May 2004, debuting at #1 in several countries, including Australia, Mexico, Canada, Japan, the UK, and the U.S. The album has sold more than 10 million copies. Lavigne wrote most of the album's tracks with Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk. Kreviazuk's husband, Our Lady Peace front man Raine Maida, co-produced the album, along with Butch Walker and Don Gilmore. Lavigne went on the "Live and By Surprise" twenty-one city mall tour in the U.S. and Canada to promote the album, accompanied by her guitarist, Evan Taubenfeld. Each performance consisted of a short live acoustic set of songs from the new album. At the end of 2004, Lavigne embarked on her first world tour, the Bonez Tour, with stopovers in almost every continent and which lasted for the entire 2005 year. }} "Don't Tell Me", the first single off the album, went to #1 in Argentina and Mexico and reached the top five in the UK and Canada and the top ten in Australia and Brazil. "My Happy Ending", the album's lead single, went to #1 in Mexico and the top five in the UK and Australia. In the U.S., it reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and went to #1 in the Mainstream Top 40, making it her fourth-biggest hit there. The third single, "Nobody's Home", did not make the top 40 in the U.S., reaching #1 only in Mexico and Argentina. The fourth single from the album, "He Wasn't", reached top 40 positions in the UK and Australia and was not released in the U.S.

Lavigne won two World Music Awards in 2004 for "World's Best Pop/Rock Artist" and "World's Bestselling Canadian Artist". She received five Juno Award nominations in 2005, and picked up three, including "Artist of the Year". She won the award for "Favorite Female Singer" at the eighteenth annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and was nominated in every MTV Award show shown around the world.

2006–08: The Best Damn Thing

On 26 February 2006, Lavigne represented Canada at the closing ceremony of the Torino Olympics, performing her song "Who Knows" during the eight minute Vancouver 2010 portion.

While Lavigne was in the studio for her third studio album, Fox Entertainment Group approached her to write a song for the soundtrack to the 2006 fantasy-adventure film Eragon. She wrote and recorded two "ballad-type" songs, but only one, "Keep Holding On", ended up being used for the film. Lavigne admitted that writing the song was challenging, making sure it flowed along with the film. She emphasized that "Keep Holding On", which later appeared on the album, was not indicative of what the next album would be like. in Beijing at Wukesong Indoor Stadium.]] Lavigne's third album, The Best Damn Thing, was released on 17 April 2007, which Lavigne immediately promoted with a small tour. Its lead single, "Girlfriend", topped the Billboard Hot 100 the same week The Best Damn Thing debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. "Girlfriend" was Lavigne's first single to reach this #1 position. The single was a worldwide hit; it also peaked at #1 in Australia, Canada, Japan, and Italy and reached #2 in the UK and France. "Girlfriend" was recorded in Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Japanese, and Mandarin. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry ranked "Girlfriend" as the most-downloaded track worldwide in 2007, selling 7.3 million copies, including the versions recorded in eight different languages. "Girlfriend" ranked on the Hot 100 Singles of the Decade list at #94.

"When You're Gone", the second single, went to #3 in the UK, the top five in Australia and Italy, the top ten in Canada, and was very close to reaching the top twenty in the U.S. In December 2007, Lavigne, with annual earnings of $12 million, was ranked number eight in the Forbes "Top 20 Earners Under 25". "Hot" was the third single and has been Lavigne's least successful single in the U.S., charting only at #95. In Canada, "Hot" made the top ten, and in Australia, the top 20. The Best Damn Thing has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.

During this era, Lavigne won nearly every award she was nominated for, including two World Music Awards for "World's Bestselling Canadian Artist" and "World's Best Pop/Rock Female Artist". She took her first two MTV Europe Music Awards, received one Teen Choice Awards for "Summer Single", and was nominated for five Juno awards. red carpet.]] In mid-2007, Lavigne was featured in a two-volume graphic novel, Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes. She collaborated with artist Camilla D’Errico and writer Joshua Dysart on the manga, which was about a shy girl named Hana who, upon meeting her hero Avril Lavigne, learned to overcome her fears. Lavigne said, "I know that many of my fans read manga, and I'm really excited to be involved in creating stories that I know they will enjoy." The volumes were released on 10 April (one week prior to the release of The Best Damn Thing) and in July, respectively. The publication Young Adult Library Services nominated the series for "Great Graphic Novels for Teens".

In March 2008, Lavigne undertook a world tour named The Best Damn Tour to support the album. In that same month, she also appeared on the cover of Maxim for the second time of her career. In mid-August, Malaysia's Islamic opposition party, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, attempted to ban Lavigne's show in Kuala Lumpur, judging her stage moves "too sexy". Her concert on 29 August was considered as promoting wrong values ahead of Malaysia's independence day on 31 August. On 21 August 2008, MTV reported that the concert had been approved by the Malaysian government.

2009–present: Goodbye Lullaby

Only a month after completing The Best Damn Tour, Lavigne began recording in her home studio in November 2008 with the song "Black Star", written to help promote her first fragrance of the same name. By July 2009, nine tracks had been recorded for the new album, including the songs "Fine", "Everybody Hurts" and "Darlin". Several of the tracks were written in Lavigne's youth. "Darlin" was the second song Lavigne wrote as a 15-year-old while living in Napanee, Ontario. Lavigne described the album as being about "life". She stated, "It's so easy for me to do a boy-bashing pop song, but to sit down and write honestly about something that's really close to me, something I've been through, it's a totally different thing." The album is expected to be a return to Lavigne's older musical style and may be largely acoustic. With the exception of the album's lead single, "What the Hell", Lavigne described the songs on the album as different from her earlier material: "I'm older now, so I think that comes across in my music, it's not as pop-rock".

In January 2010, while simultaneously writing and recording for her new album, Lavigne worked with Disney on Alice in Wonderland-themed clothing designs, inspired by Tim Burton's feature film, Alice in Wonderland. She asked the executives if she could write a song for the film. The result was the song "Alice", which was played over the end credits and included on the soundtrack, Almost Alice.

On 28 February, Lavigne gave a performance at the concert portion of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony, performing "My Happy Ending" and "Girlfriend". Lavigne was honoured to perform at the ceremonies, but she regretted not being able to attend the U.S. vs. Canada hockey match. "They had us on lockdown. We weren't allowed to leave our trailers, for security purposes."

In September, Lavigne's third single from her debut album, "I'm With You", was sampled by Rihanna on the track "Cheers (Drink to That)", which is featured on Rihanna's fifth studio album, Loud.

The release dates for Goodbye Lullaby and its lead single were pushed back several times. In response to these delays, Lavigne said, "I write my own music and, therefore, it takes me longer to put out records 'cause I have to live my life to get inspiration," and that she had enough material for two records. In November, Lavigne was featured in Maxim, where she revealed that Goodbye Lullaby took two and a half years to complete, but she cited her record company as the reason for the album's delays, stating that the album had been completed for a year.. Goodbye Lullaby is scheduled to be released on 8 March. The lead single, "What the Hell", will premiere on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on 31 December.

In December 2010, American singer Miranda Cosgrove released "Dancing Crazy", a song written by Lavigne, Max Martin and Shellback. It was also produced by Martin. The track is assumed to be an unused song from Goodbye Lullaby.

Musical style and songwriting

}} Themes in Lavigne's music are usually self-empowerment messages from a female or adolescent point of view. Lavigne has stated "my songs are about being yourself no matter what and going after your dreams even if your dreams are crazy and even if people tell you they're never going to come true." On her debut album, Let Go, Lavigne preferred the less-mainstream songs, such as "Losing Grip", instead of her more radio-friendly singles, such as "Complicated", stating "the songs I did with The Matrix, yeah, they were good for my first record, but I don't want to be that pop anymore." Lavigne's second album, Under My Skin, had more personal themes, with Lavigne stating "I've gone through so much, so that's what I talk about....Like boys, like dating or relationships". In contrast, her third album, The Best Damn Thing, was not very personal to her, "Some of the songs I wrote didn't even mean that much to me. It's not like some personal thing I'm going through. They're just songs." Goodbye Lullaby, Lavigne's fourth album, is expected to be much more personal than her earlier records, with Lavigne stating "the album is more stripped down, deeper. All the songs are very emotional".

Lavigne has an alto vocal range. Growing up Lavigne listened to Blink-182, Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox Twenty and Shania Twain. Her influences include Courtney Love and Janis Joplin. Due to Lavigne’s influences, musical genre and personal style, the media frequently referred to her as a punk, something she denied. Lavigne’s close friend and guitarist, Evan Taubenfeld, stated "Its a very touchy subject to a lot of people, but the point is that Avril isn't punk, but she never really pretended to claim to come from that scene. She had pop punk music and the media ended up doing the rest". Lavigne stated "I have been labeled like I'm this angry girl, [a] rebel... punk, and I am so not any of them."

While Lavigne denied being angry, her interviews were still passionate about the media's lack of respect for her songwriting. "I am a writer, and I won't accept people trying to take that away from me", adding that she'd been writing "full-structured songs" since she was 14. Despite this, Lavigne’s songwriting has been questioned throughout her career; The songwriting trio, The Matrix, who Lavigne wrote with for her debut album, stated that they were the main songwriters of Lavigne’s singles, "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi" and "I'm With You". Lavigne denied this, implying she was the primary songwriter for every song on the album, stating "none of those songs aren't from me". In 2007, Chantal Kreviazuk, who wrote with Lavigne on her second album, accused Lavigne of plagiarism and criticised her songwriting, "I mean, Avril, songwriter? Avril doesn't really sit and write songs by herself or anything". Lavigne denied this and stated that she was considering taking legal action due to a "clear defamation of my character". Kreviazuk then apologised, stating "Avril is an accomplished songwriter and it has been my privilege to work with her". Shortly after Kreviazuk apologised, Tommy Dunbar, the founder of the 1970s band the Rubinoos, sued Lavigne, her publishing company and Lukasz "Dr.Luke" Gottwald for allegedly stealing parts of her song "Girlfriend" from the Rubinoos’ "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend". Gottwald defended Lavigne, stating "me and Avril wrote the song together….It has the same chord progressions as 10 different Blink-182 songs, the standard changes you'd find in a Sum 41 song. It's the Sex Pistols, not the Rubinoos." In January 2008, the lawsuit was closed after a confidential settlement had been reached.

Other work

Film career

on 30 April 2006.]] Lavigne became interested in appearing on television and in feature films. The decision, she said, was entirely her own. Although her years of experience in making music videos would be to her advantage, Lavigne admitted that it was the singing that actually removed any fear of performing before the camera. She specifically mentioned that the video "Nobody's Home" had the most amount of actual "acting" in it. Her first television appearance was in a 2002 episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, performing "Sk8er Boi" with her band in a nightclub. She later made a cameo appearance in the 2004 film Going the Distance. The main characters bump into her backstage at the MuchMusic Video Awards after her performance of "Losing Grip".

She moved into feature film acting cautiously, choosing deliberately small roles to begin with. In November 2005, after going through an audition to land the role, Lavigne travelled to New Mexico to film a single scene in the 2007 film, The Flock. She starred as Beatrice Bell, the girlfriend of a crime suspect, appearing alongside Claire Danes and Richard Gere. Gere gave Lavigne acting tips in-between takes. On her role in The Flock, Lavigne said, "I did that just to see how it was and to not jump into [mainstream acting] too fast". The Flock would not be released in American theaters, and because it would not be released in foreign markets until late 2007, it would not be considered Lavigne's debut. The film made $7 million in the foreign box office.

Lavigne's feature film debut was voicing an animated character in the 2006 film Over the Hedge, based on the comic strip of the same name. She voiced the character Heather, a Virginia Opossum. The process of recording the characters' voices was devoid of interaction with other actors. Lavigne stated, "All the actors went in individually, and [director] Tim and [screenwriter Karey] and directors were there with me every time I went in, and they made it go so smoothly; they made me feel comfortable.... That was the interesting part, going in by yourself, with no one else to kind of feed off of." Lavigne found the recording process to be "easy" and "natural", but she kept hitting the microphone as she gestured while acting. "I'd use my hands constantly and, like, hit the microphone stand and make noises, so Tim and Karey had to tell me to hold still.... It's hard to be running or falling down the stairs and have to make those sounds come out of your mouth but keep your body still." Lavigne believed she was hired to perform Heather due to her rock star status. "[The director] thought I'd give my character... a bit of attitude". The film opened on 19 May 2006, making $38 million over its opening weekend. It went on to gross $336 million worldwide.

In December 2005, Lavigne signed on to appear in Fast Food Nation, based on the book Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. The fictionalized adaptation, directed by Richard Linklater, traces fast-food hamburgers contaminated with cow feces back to the slaughterhouses. Lavigne starred in her on-screen acting debut as a high school student intent on freeing the cows. The film opened on 17 November 2006 and remained in theaters for 11 weeks, grossing $2 million worldwide.

Both Over the Hedge and Fast Food Nation opened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, which Lavigne attended. Lavigne felt honoured to be able to attend and was proud of her work. When asked if she would pursue her film career, she stated that she wanted to take her time and wait for the "right parts and the right movies." Lavigne was aware of the roles she had chosen. "I wanted to start off small and to learn [that] I wouldn't just want to throw myself into a big part." In August 2006, Canadian Business magazine ranked her as the seventh top Canadian actor in Hollywood in their second-annual ranking Celebrity Power List. The results were determined by comparing salary, Internet hits, TV mentions, and press hits.

Entrepreneurship

In July 2008, Lavigne launched the clothing line Abbey Dawn, featuring a back-to-school collection. It is produced by Kohl's, which is the brand's exclusive U.S. retailer. Named after Lavigne's childhood nickname, Abbey Dawn is designed by Lavigne herself. Kohl's describes Abbey Dawn as a "juniors lifestyle brand", which incorporates skull, zebra, and star patterns, purples and "hot pinks and blacks". Lavigne, who wore some of the clothes and jewellery from her line at various concerts before its official launch, pointed out that she was not merely licensing her name to the collection. ""I actually am the designer. What's really important to me is that everything fits well and is well-made, so I try everything on and approve it all."}} The designs were also featured on the Internet game Stardoll, where figures can be dressed up as Avril Lavigne. On 14 September 2009, Lavigne took her latest collection for her clothing line to be a part of the New York Fashion Week. "It's fun to be a chick and design clothes and things I'd like for myself. I design things I [can't] find." In December 2010, the clothing line was made available to over 50 countries via the line's official website. At the end of 2008, Lavigne signed a contract with Canon Canada to appear in ad campaigns and commercials to promote the latest line of cameras, along with a full range of other accessories.

Lavigne released her first fragrance, Black Star, created by Procter & Gamble Prestige Products. The fragrance was announced via Lavigne's official website on 7 March 2009. Black Star, which features notes of pink hibiscus, black plum and dark chocolate, was released in summer 2009 in Europe, and later in the U.S. and Canada. When asked what the name meant, Lavigne replied, "I wanted [the bottle] to be a star, and my colors are pink and black, and Black Star resembles being different, and standing out in the crowd, and reaching for the stars; the whole message is just about following your dreams, and it's okay to be unique and be who you are." Black Star won the 2010 Best "Women's Scent Mass" by Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW). Black Star was followed by a second fragrance in July 2010, Forbidden Rose, which took two years to develop. It features notes of red apple, winepeach, black pepper, lotusflower, heliotrope, shellflower, praline agreement, sandalwood, and vanilla. Its message is an extension of Black Star's "follow your dreams", though the tagline for the new perfume is "Dare to Discover". The commercial takes place in a gothic garden setting, where Lavigne, upon entering the garden, finds a single, purple rose. Lavigne is to launch a third fragrance in August 2011 and filmed the commercial for it in late 2010.

In January 2010, Lavigne began working with Disney to incorporate Alice in Wonderland-inspired designs into her Abbey Dawn line of clothing. Her designs were exhibited at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in California beginning in May through September, alongside Colleen Atwood's costumes from the 2010 film.

Philanthropy

Lavigne has been involved in a number of charitable activities, such as Make Some Noise, Amnesty International, Erase MS, AmericanCPR.org, Camp Will-a-Way, Music Clearing Minefields, U.S. Campaign for Burma, Make-a-Wish Foundation and War Child. She has also appeared in ALDO ads with YouthAIDS to raise money to educate people worldwide about HIV/AIDS. Lavigne took part in the Unite Against Aids concert presented by ALDO in support of Unicef on 28 November 2007 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In November 2010, Lavigne attended the Clinton Global Initiative.

Lavigne worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organisation, for her 2005 east coast tour. She covered "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" for War Child's Peace Songs compilation, and she recorded a cover of the John Lennon song "Imagine" as her contribution to the compilation album . Released on 12 June 2007, the album was produced to benefit Amnesty International's campaign to alleviate the crisis in Darfur.

On 5 December 2009, Lavigne returned to the stage in Mexico City during the biggest charity event in Latin America, "Teleton". She performed acoustic versions of her hits "Complicated" and "Girlfriend" with Evan Taubenfeld and band member, Jim McGorman. In 2010, Lavigne was one of several artists who contributed their voices to a cover of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" as a benefit single to help raise money for several charity organisations related to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

On 14 September 2010, Lavigne introduced her charity, "The Avril Lavigne Foundation". The next day, the foundation's official website was launched. The foundation aims to help young people with serious illnesses and disabilities and works with leading charitable organisations; The foundation partners with the Easter Seals, Make-A-Wish foundation and Erase MS, the latter two being charities Lavigne has previously worked with. Her work with the Make-A-Wish foundation was the inspiration behind her own charity, with Lavigne stating, "I just really wanted to do more". Lavigne said on the foundation's website, "I have always looked for ways to give back because I think it’s a responsibility we all share". Philanthropist Trevor Neilson's 12-person firm, "Global Philanthropy Group", advises Lavigne with her foundation as well as several other celebrities, including musician John Legend.

Personal life

Public image

}} When Lavigne first gained publicity, she was known for her tomboyish style, in particular her necktie and tank-top combinations. She preferred baggy clothes, skater shoes or Converses, wristbands, and sometimes shoelaces wrapped around her fingers. During photo shoots, instead of wearing "glittery get-ups", she preferred wearing "old, crumpled T's". In response to her fashion and musical influences, the media would call her the "pop punk princess". Press and fans regarded her as the "anti-Britney", in part because of her less-commercial and "real" image, but also because she was noticeably headstrong. "I’m not made up and I’m not being told what to say and how to act, so they have to call me the anti-Britney, which I’m not." By November 2002, however, Lavigne stopped wearing ties, claiming she felt she was "wearing a costume". Lavigne made a conscious effort to keep her music, and not her image, at the forefront of her career. "I'm just saying, I don't want to sell sex. I feel that's sort of lame and low. I've got so much more to say."

Lavigne eventually took on a more gothic style as she began her second album, Under My Skin, trading her skating outfits for black tutus and acquiring an overall disposition of angst. During The Best Damn Thing years, Lavigne changed directions entirely, dying her hair blonde with a pink streak and wearing more feminine outfits, including "tight jeans and heels," and modelling for magazines like Harper's Bazaar. Lavigne defended her new style: "I don't really regret anything. You know, the ties and the wifebeaters and all... It had its time and place. And now I'm all grown up, and I've moved on". She now tries to eat healthy foods and participate in athletic activities, including yoga, street hockey, soccer, rollerblading, and surfing.

Tattoos

Only a few of Lavigne's tattoos are unique to her; the rest are matching tattoos, shared with friends. Lavigne had a star tattooed on the inside of her left wrist that matched the style of the one used for her first album artwork. It was created at the same time as friend and musical associate Ben Moody's identical tattoo. In late 2004, she had a small pink heart around the letter "D" applied to her right wrist, which represented her boyfriend at the time, Deryck Whibley. Lavigne and Whibley each received matching tattoos again in March 2010, in celebration of his 30th birthday. In April, Lavigne added another tattoo on her wrist, that of a lightning bolt and the number 30, and her boyfriend, Brody Jenner, received a matching lightning bolt tattoo under his ear. }} Her love of tattoos, however, gained media attention in May 2010, after Lavigne and Jenner received matching tattoos of the word "fuck" on their ribs. Lavigne appeared in the June/July cover story for Inked magazine, where she discussed and showed off her tattoos, including an "Abbey Dawn" on her left forearm and an "XXV" and star on her right. Although she confirmed the "fuck" tattoo verbally in the article, calling it her "favorite word", she had it applied after the magazine's photo shoot. She added that she wanted to eventually get a "big-ass heart with a flag through it with a name.... I'm going to wait a few years and make sure I still want it then. I have to wait for that special someone to come back into my life." In July 2010, Lavigne had the name "Brody" tattooed beneath her right breast.

Marriage to Deryck Whibley

Lavigne and Deryck Whibley, lead singer and guitarist for punk band Sum 41, began dating when she was 19 years old, after being friends since she was 17. Only a few weeks before they met, Lavigne had publicly stated that she was having trouble meeting boys because her bodyguards scared them away. In June 2005, Whibley surprised Lavigne with a trip to Venice, including a gondola ride and a romantic picnic, and on 27 June, he proposed to her.

She initially wanted to have a "rock n' roll, goth wedding", but she admitted to having doubts about going against tradition. "I've been dreaming about my wedding day since I was a little girl. I have to wear the white dress.... People thought that I would [wear a] black wedding dress, and I would have. But at the same time, I was thinking about the wedding pictures, and I wanted to be in style. I didn't want to be thinking, 20 years later, 'Oh, why did I wear my hair like that?'"

The wedding was held on 15 July 2006. About 110 guests attended the wedding, which was held at a private estate in Montecito, California. Lavigne, wearing a gown designed by Vera Wang walked down the aisle with her father, Jean-Claude, to Mendelssohn's "Wedding March". Lavigne chose a colour theme of red and white, including red rose petals and centerpieces of distinctly coloured flowers. The wedding included cocktails for an hour before the reception and a sit-down dinner. The song "Iris", by the Goo Goo Dolls, was played during Lavigne and Whibley's first dance.

Seven months into their marriage, Lavigne stated that she was "the best thing that's ever happened to him", and suggested that she helped Whibley stay off drugs since they'd begun dating. "He doesn't do drugs. Clearly, he used to, because he talked about it, but I wouldn't be with someone who did, and I made that very clear to him when we first started dating. I've never done cocaine in my life, and I'm proud of that. I am 100 percent against drugs." The marriage lasted a little more than three years. It was announced on 17 September 2009 that Lavigne and Whibley had split up and that divorce papers would soon follow. On 9 October 2009, Lavigne filed for divorce, releasing the statement, "I am grateful for our time together, and I am grateful and blessed for our remaining friendship." The divorce was finalized on 16 November 2010, officially ending the marriage.

Backing band

;Current members

Al Berry – bass guitar, backing vocals (2007–present)

Rodney Howard – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2007–present)

Steve Ferlazzo – electronic keyboard, backing vocals (2007–present)

Jim McGorman – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2007–present)

Steve Fekete – lead guitar, backing vocals (2008–present)

Sofia Toufa – backing vocals, dancer (2007–present)

Lindsay Bluafarb – backing vocals, dancer (2007–present)

;Past members

Mark Spicoluk – bass guitar, backing vocals (April–September 2002)

Jesse Colburn – rhythm guitar (2002–January 2004)

Evan Taubenfeld – lead guitar, backing vocals (2002–September 2004)

Craig Wood – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, vocals (2004–January 2007)

Matt Brann – drums, percussion, vocals on (2002–February 2007)

Charlie Moniz – bass guitar (2002–February 2007)

Devin Bronson – lead guitar, backing vocals (2004–08)

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Title!! Role !! Notes |- | 2002 || ''Sabrina, the Teenage Witch || Herself || Cameo; performed "Sk8er Boi" |- | 2004 || Going the Distance|| Herself || Cameo; performed "Losing Grip" |- | rowspan=2|2006 || Fast Food Nation || Alice || High school activist |- | Over the Hedge || Heather || Voice only |- | 2007 || The Flock || Beatrice Bell || Suspect's girlfriend |- | 2010 || American Idol || Herself || Guest judge (L.A. auditions) |}

Discography

Let Go (2002)

Under My Skin (2004)

The Best Damn Thing (2007)

Goodbye Lullaby (2011)

See also

List of Avril Lavigne concert tours

List of awards and nominations received by Avril Lavigne

References

External links

Category:1984 births Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Living people Category:Juno Award winners Category:Arista Records artists Category:Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States Category:Canadian female guitarists Category:Canadian female singers Category:Canadian child singers Category:Canadian film actors Category:Canadian singer-songwriters Category:Canadian television actors Category:Canadian voice actors Category:English-language singers Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:Franco-Ontarian people Category:Musicians from Ontario Category:People from Belleville, Ontario Category:People from Lennox and Addington County, Ontario Category:RCA Records artists Category:Rhythm guitarists Category:World Music Awards winners