Łukasz Gottwald (born September 26, 1973), better known as Dr. Luke, is an American songwriter, record producer, and remixer. Luke performed with the Saturday Night Live Band for ten seasons until 2007. He has co-written and co-produced a string of commercially successful songs. He was named one of the top ten producers of the decade by Billboard in 2009, was awarded Producer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year awards in 2009 and won the Songwriter of the Year Award at the 2010 and 2011 American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Pop Music Awards. Gottwald was also named both the Number One Hot 100 Songwriter of the Year and Number One Producer of the Year by Billboard.^[1][2] Among his biggest hits are the number one Billboard Hot 100 songs; "Girlfriend", "I Kissed a Girl", "My Life Would Suck Without You", "Right Round", "Tik Tok", "California Gurls", "We R Who We R", "Teenage Dream", "E.T.", "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)", "Part of Me", and "Hold It Against Me".

Life and career[link]

Childhood and youth[link]

Luke was born in Westerly, Rhode Island^[3] to an architect father and an interior-designer mother, but spent much of his formative years in New York City.^[3] He had originally wanted to be a drummer, but his parents refused to allow a drum kit in the house.^[4] At 13, he picked up his older sister's guitar and taught himself how to play. As a teenager, Luke would "listen to bad music over and over, if there was a guitar part [he] admired, so [he] could figure out what the guitar player was doing right."^{[4] [5]}

[edit] Career beginnings and Saturday Night Live (1997–2007)

Luke attended the Manhattan School of Music for two years. After he was a student there, he auditioned for the Saturday Night Live Band and won out over 80 applicants, joining Saturday Night Live as the lead guitarist in 1997. Luke performed with the band for ten seasons, leaving at the end of the 2006–2007 season. As a guitarist, Luke performed with Herbie Hancock, Michael Bolton, Phoebe Snow, Jack McDuff and Shabba Ranks, and played with the house band for the TV series Amateur Night at the Apollo.^[6]

While working on Saturday Night Live, Luke performed on a number of jingles and advertisements and became a deejay fixture in New York. Luke also became heavily active in the underground hip-hop scene, producing tracks and remixes for various artists, including Mos Def, Black Star, KRS-One, and Zack de la Rocha^[7] as well as for artists such as Arrested Development and Nappy Roots.^[8] He released the 12" single "Wet Lapse", under the name Kasz, for Rawkus Records, and remixed the theme from the film Mortal Kombat.^[6] While deejaying at a house party, Luke met producer Max Martin and subsequently gave Martin a tour of New York clubs when Martin arrived in the city.^[4]

Producing, songwriting and recognition (2004–present)[link]

Dr. Luke is largely responsible for the creation of hits from artists Katy Perry (left) and Kesha (right).

Luke currently owns two publishing companies, Kasz Money Publishing for his own songs and Prescription Songs. Prescription Songs employs a network of 17 songwriters, including Ke$ha, Katy Perry and Benny Blanco. As of January 2011, he has garnered 21 Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 singles, becoming the producer with the third most such hits since the charts were created.^[9] Luke co-wrote and co-produced the Kelly Clarkson Hot 100 number two song, "Since U Been Gone" with Max Martin,^[4] he provided the singer another hit in "Behind These Hazel Eyes". Subsequent songs by Pink, "Who Knew" and "U + Ur Hand" reached the Hot 100 top ten. He would go on to co-produce a number one for Avril Lavigne with the song "Girlfriend" as well as seven other songs on the Lavigne album. He also achieved a UK number one with the song "About You Now" for the Sugababes. Luke contributed two songs to Katy Perry's debut album, Hot 100 number one, "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold", as well as three songs to Britney Spears' 2008 album, Circus, including the title track. Luke also co-produced the US number one song "Right Round" by Flo Rida. His third co-production for Kelly Clarkson, "My Life Would Suck Without You" would reach the top of the Hot 100 as well. In late 2009, his song for Miley Cyrus, "Party in the U.S.A."also written by Jessie J. would reach number two on the chart as well. In December 2009, Billboard named him as one of the top 10 producers of the decade.^[10] In 2010, "Tik Tok", recorded by Ke$ha and co-produced by Dr. Luke, became the longest running debut number one single by a female artist since 1977.

On April 21, Luke was named Songwriter of the Year at the 2010 ASCAP Pop Music Awards and received 10 ASCAP Pop Music Awards for the year as the songwriter and publisher.^[8] Luke had received ten Pop Music Awards from ASCAP between 2006 and 2009. He was also named to Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business, placing at #33.^[11] Luke's co-production for Katy Perry, "California Gurls" debuted at number two on the Hot 100 and later reached number one. Second single, "Teenage Dream" would follow suit. "Dynamite", co-produced by Luke, reached number one in the UK and number two in the US. Luke would contribute to three more top ten songs, "Magic" for B.o.B, "My First Kiss" for 3OH!3 and "Take It Off" for Ke$ha, as well as a top five song, "Your Love is My Drug" by the latter on the Hot 100. In November, Ke$ha's lead single, "We R Who We R", co-produced by Luke, became only the seventeenth song to debut at number one on the Hot 100.

On December 1, 2010 Luke received 2 nominations for the 53rd Grammy Awards in the categories Album Of The Year (Teenage Dream by Katy Perry), and Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical.^[12] He was also named both the Number One Hot 100 Songwriter of the Year and Number One Producer of the Year by Billboard. At the start of 2011, Advertising Age called Luke "the year's most successful producer and songwriter in terms of chart longevity."^[13] Britney Spears' single, "Hold It Against Me", co-produced by Luke, became the eighteenth song to debut at the top of the Hot 100 in January. He also produced and co-wrote Jessie J's song, "Price Tag", for which he received credit as "Coconut Man". The song debuted at number one in the UK. He also co-produced "E.T." and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" by Katy Perry, anothers Billboard number one hit. On the week ending March 3rd 2012, Luke's co-production for Katy Perry, Part of Me became the 20th song to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100

Discography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Grammy Awards

• 2011 - Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (Nominated)
• 2011 - Album of the Year (Teenage Dream) (Nominated)

ASCAP Pop Music Awards

• 2010 - Songwriter of the Year (Won)^[16]
• 2011 - Songwriter of the Year (Won)^[17]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Dr. Luke on Myspace
• Dr. Luke on Twitter
• Dr. Luke Discography

Clive Davis
Clive Davis, November 13, 2007, New York City
Born	(1932-04-04) April 4, 1932 (age 80) New York City, New York
Nationality	American
Occupation	Record producer, Music executive

Clive Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer and music industry executive. He won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer.^[1] From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975 through 2000 until founding J Records. From 2002 until April 2008, Davis was the Chairman and CEO of the RCA Music Group (which included RCA Records, J Records and Arista Records), Chairman and CEO of J Records, and Chairman and CEO of BMG North America. Currently Davis is the Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment.^[2] He currently plays a part in the careers of Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart, Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, Carlos Santana, Kelly Clarkson, Harry Connick, Jr., Leona Lewis, Barry Manilow, BC Jean and Seattle De Luca. Davis is credited with bringing Whitney Houston to prominence. Clive Davis is an alumnus of New York University, and the recorded music division of its Tisch School for the Arts is named after him.

Early life and education[link]

Davis was born in Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish family, the son of Herman and Florence Davis. Davis was raised in the middle-class neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. His mother died, aged 47, and his father died the following year when Davis was only a teenager, leaving him an orphan with no money. He received a full scholarship to New York University College of Arts and Science, where he graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa in 1953. He then received a full scholarship to Harvard Law School, where he was a member of the Board of Student Advisers and graduated in 1956.

Career[link]

The CBS years[link]

Davis practiced law in a small firm in New York, then moved on to the firm of Rosenman, Colin, Kaye, Petschek, and Freund two years later, where partner Ralph Colin had CBS as a client. Hired by a former colleague at the firm, Harvey Schein, Davis became assistant counsel of CBS subsidiary Columbia Records at the age of twenty-eight and general counsel the next year.^[3]

In a company reorganization of the operations of the Columbia Records Group, Goddard Lieberson, the president of the Group, appointed Davis Vice President and General Manager in 1966. In 1967 he was appointed President and became interested in the newest generation of folk rock and rock and roll. One of his earliest pop signings was the British folk-rock musician Donovan, who enjoyed a string of successful hit singles and albums released in the USA on the Epic label.

In June 1967, at the urging of his friend and business associate Lou Adler, Davis attended the Monterey Pop Festival. He immediately signed Janis Joplin with Big Brother & the Holding Company, and Columbia went on to sign Laura Nyro, Electric Flag, Santana, The Chambers Brothers, Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Billy Joel, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Loggins & Messina and Pink Floyd. The company, which had previously avoided rock music (its few rock acts prior to the Davis presidency included The Byrds, Simon & Garfunkel, and Paul Revere and the Raiders), doubled its market share in three years. One of the biggest recordings released during Davis' tenure at Columbia was Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden", in late 1970. It was Davis who insisted "Rose Garden" be the country singer's next single release. The song reached number one in 16 countries around the world and remained the biggest selling album by a female country artist for 27 years.

In 1972, Davis also signed Earth, Wind & Fire to Columbia Records. One of his most recognized accomplishments was signing the Boston group Aerosmith to Columbia Records in the early 1970s at New York City's Max's Kansas City, which was mentioned in the 1979 Aerosmith song "No Surprise", where Steven Tyler sings, "Old Clive Davis said he's surely gonna make you a star, just the way you are." ^[4] Starting on December 30, 1978,^[5] Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead occasionally changed the lyrics of the Dead standard Jack Straw in concert from "we used to play for silver, now we play for life," to "we used to play for acid now we play for Clive."

The Arista years[link]

After Davis was fired from CBS Records for allegedly using company funds to bankroll his son's bar mitzvah,^[6] Columbia Pictures (at the time unrelated to Columbia Records) hired him to be a consultant for the company's record and music operations. After taking time out to write his memoirs, he founded the company Arista Records (named after New York City's secondary school honor society of which he was a member).

At Arista, Davis signed Patti Smith, The Outlaws, Eric Carmen, Exposé, Ace of Base, Air Supply, Dionne Warwick, Ray Parker and Raydio, Aretha Franklin, and Alicia Keys, and he brought to the label Carly Simon, The Grateful Dead, The Kinks and Lou Reed. He founded Arista Nashville which became the home to Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Pam Tillis and Brad Paisley. Davis founded LaFace Records with L.A. Reid and Babyface. LaFace subsequently became became the home of TLC, Usher, Outkast, P!nk and Toni Braxton. He founded Bad Boy Records with Sean Combs and it became the home of the Notorious B.I.G., Puffy Combs, Mase, 112 and Faith Evans.

Davis was made aware of Cissy Houston's talented daughter Whitney Houston at a New York City nightclub. Impressed with what he heard, Davis signed her to Arista Records. Houston became one of the biggest selling artists in music history under the guidance of Davis at Arista Records.^[7] Davis left Arista in 2000 and started J Records, an independent label with financial backing from Arista parent Bertelsmann Music Group. BMG would buy a majority stake in J Records in 2002, and Davis would become president and CEO of the larger RCA Music Group.

Davis' continued success in breaking new artists was recognised by the music industry A&R site HitQuarters when the executive was named "world's No.1 A&R of 2001" based on worldwide chart data for that year.^[8]

Sony Music Entertainment[link]

In 2004, BMG merged with Sony Music Entertainment to form Sony BMG. With the assets of CBS Records now under Sony's ownership, the joint venture would mean a return of sorts for Davis to his former employer. Davis remained with RCA Label Group until 2008, when he was named chief creative officer for Sony BMG. Barry Weiss, head of Sony's Zomba Group of Companies, replaced Davis as RCA Label Group's chairman.^[9] Sony BMG became Sony Music Entertainment in late 2008 when BMG sold its shares to Sony.^[10] Arista Records and J Records which were both founded by Davis were dissolved in October 2011 through the restructuring of RCA Records. All artists under those labels have been moved to RCA Records.^[11]

Awards[link]

Grammy Awards[link]

Clive Davis has won four Grammy Awards as a Producer:

• 2009: Best R&B Album – Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Hudson
• 2006: Best Pop Vocal Album – Breakaway, Kelly Clarkson
• 2000: Album of the Year – Supernatural, Santana
• 2000: Best Rock Album – Supernatural, Santana

Davis was also presented with the Recording Academy's Grammy Trustees Award in 2000 and the President's Merit Award in 2009.

Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. The theater at the Grammy Museum was named the Clive Davis Theater in the year 2011.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Davis, Clive (1975). Clive: Inside the Record Business. William Morrow & Company, Inc.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2012)

"The Man" is a slang phrase that may refer to the government or to some other authority in a position of power. In addition to this derogatory connotation, it may also serve as a term of respect and praise.

The phrase "the Man is keeping me down" is commonly used to describe oppression. The phrase "stick it to the Man" encourages resistance to authority, and essentially means "fight back" or "resist", either openly or via sabotage.^[1]

History[link]

The earliest recorded use^{[citation needed]} of the term "the Man" in the American sense dates back to a letter written by a young Alexander Hamilton in September 1772, when he was 15. In a letter to his father James Hamilton, published in the Royal Dutch-American Gazette, he described the response of the Dutch governor of St. Croix to a hurricane that raked that island on August 31, 1772. "Our General has issued several very salutary and humane regulations and both in his publick and private measures, has shewn himself the Man." ^{[2][dubious – discuss]} In the Southern U.S. states, the phrase came to be applied to any man or any group in a position of authority, or to authority in the abstract. From about the 1950s the phrase was also an underworld code word for police, the warden of a prison or other law enforcement or penal authorities.

It was also used as a term for a drug dealer in the 1950s and 1960s and can be seen in such media as Curtis Mayfield's "No Thing On Me", William Burroughs's novel Naked Lunch, and in the Velvet Underground song "I'm Waiting for the Man", in which Lou Reed sings about going to Uptown Manhattan, specifically Lexington Avenue and 125th Street, to buy heroin.

The use of this term was expanded to counterculture groups and their battles against authority, such as the Yippies, which, according to a May 19, 1969 article in U.S. News and World Report, had the "avowed aim ... to destroy 'The Man', their term for the present system of government". The term eventually found its way into humorous usage, such as in a December 1979 motorcycle ad from the magazine Easyriders which featured the tagline, "California residents: Add 6% sales tax for The Man."

In present day, the phrase has been popularized in commercials and cinema, featuring particularly prominently as a recurring motif in the 2003 film School of Rock.^[3][4][5][6]

Use as praise[link]

The term has also been used as an approbation or form of praise. This may refer to the recipient's status as the leader or authority within a particular context, or it might be assumed to be a shortened form of a phrase like "He is the man (who is in charge)." One example of this usage dates to 1879 when Otto von Bismarck commented, referring to Benjamin Disraeli's pre-eminent position at the Congress of Berlin, "The old Jew, he is the man."^{[7][dubious – discuss]}

In more modern usage, it can be a superlative compliment ("you da man!") indicating that the subject is currently standing out amongst his peers even though they have no special designation or rank, such as a basketball player who is performing better than the other players on the court. It can also be used as a genuine compliment with an implied, slightly exaggerated or sarcastic tone, usually indicating that the person has indeed impressed the speaker but by doing something relatively trivial.

See also[link]

• Absentee landlord
• Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four)
• New World Order (conspiracy theory)
• Ruling class
• The Establishment
• Power elite
• Corrections officer
• YTMND

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Lighter, J.E. (Ed.). (1997). Random House Dictionary of American Slang. New York: Random House.

Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne during a performance in Italy, September 2011.
Background information
Birth name	Avril Ramona Lavigne
Born	(1984-09-27) 27 September 1984 (age 27) Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Origin	Napanee, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Pop rock, power pop, pop punk
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, Fashion Designer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, drums
Years active	2000–present
Labels	Epic, RCA, Arista
Associated acts	Evan Taubenfeld, Deryck Whibley
Website	www.avrillavigne.com
Notable instruments
Squier Signature Telecaster model guitar

Avril Ramona Lavigne (pronunciation: /ˈævrɨl ləˈviːn/; AV-ril lə-VEEN; born 27 September 1984) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more than $2 million. In 2002, when she was 17 years old, Lavigne broke onto the music scene with her debut album Let Go.

Let Go made Lavigne the youngest female soloist to reach No. 1 in the UK, and the album was certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. By 2009, over 16 million copies had been sold worldwide. Her breakthrough single, "Complicated", peaked at No. 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 No. 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, becoming her third No. 1 album in the UK Albums Chart and featuring her first U.S. Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, "Girlfriend". Lavigne has scored six number-one singles worldwide, including "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi", "I'm with You", "My Happy Ending", "Nobody's Home", and "Girlfriend". With more than 30 million copies of her albums sold worldwide, Lavigne is one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the U.S., with over 10.25 million copies certified by the RIAA. Her fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby, was released in March 2011. Goodbye Lullaby gave Lavigne her fourth top 10 album on the U.S. Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart and her third No. 1 album in both Japan and Australia. Three months after the release of Goodbye Lullaby, Lavigne began work on her fifth album, which will be released on Epic Records following her departure from RCA Records.

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 and her third perfume, Wild Rose, in 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 continued to work together, with Whibley producing her fourth album, as well as Lavigne's single, "Alice", written for Tim Burton's film Alice in Wonderland.

Early life[link]

Avril Ramona Lavigne was born in Belleville, Ontario. Her father, Jean-Claude Lavigne, named her "Avril" after the French word for the month of April. At the age of two, she began singing church songs with her mother,^[1] Judith-Rosanne "Judy" (née Loshaw). Judy recognized her two-year-old daughter's talents after hearing her sing "Jesus Loves Me" in church.^[2] Lavigne has an older brother, Matthew, and a younger sister, Michelle,^[3] both of whom teased her when she sang. "My brother used to knock on the wall because I used to sing myself to sleep and he thought it was really annoying."^[2]

When Lavigne was five years old, the family moved to Napanee, Ontario,^[1] a town with a population of approximately 5,000.^[4][5][6] Although she struggled to pay attention in school, sometimes being kicked out of class for misbehaving, her parents supported her singing. Her father bought her a microphone, a drum kit, a keyboard, and several guitars, and converted their basement into a studio. When Lavigne was 14, her parents would take her to karaoke sessions.^[7] 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".^[8]

In 1999,^[9] 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.^[1][4] Twain and Lavigne sang "What Made You Say That",^[1] and Lavigne told Twain that she was going to be "a famous singer".^[4] During a performance with the Lennox Community Theatre, Lavigne was spotted by local folksinger 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.^[1][4] Fabri sent out VHS tapes of Lavigne's home performances to several industry prospects, and Lavigne was visited by several executives.^[10] Mark Jowett, co-founder of the Canadian management firm Nettwerk, received a copy of Lavigne's karaoke performances recorded in her parents' basement.^[11] Jowett arranged for Lavigne to work with Peter Zizzo during the summer of 2000 in New York, where she wrote the song "Why". Lavigne was noticed by Arista Records on a subsequent trip to New York.^[10]

Lavigne would go on to sell more than 30 million copies of her albums worldwide,^[12] becoming one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the U.S., with over 10.25 million copies certified by the RIAA.^[13] In 2009, Billboard named Lavigne the No. 10 pop artist in the "Best of the 2000s" chart.^[14] She was listed as the 28th overall best act of the decade based on album and single chart performance in the U.S.^[15]

Music career[link]

[edit] 2000–03: Let Go

In November 2000,^[5] 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 that 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.^[6][1] 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,^[5] 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."^[16][8]

Reid gave A&R Joshua Sarubin the responsibility for overseeing Lavigne's development and the recording of her debut album.^[17] They spent several months in New York working with different co-writers trying to forge an individual sound for her. Sarubin told HitQuarters that for while they struggled finding her sound and although early collaborations with songwriter-producers including Sabelle Breer, Curt Frasca and Peter Zizzo resulted in some good songs, they didn't match her and her voice.^[17] It was only when Lavigne then went to Los Angeles in May 2001 and created two songs with The Matrix production team – including "Complicated" – that the record company felt she had made a major breakthrough.^[17] Lavigne then worked further with The Matrix and also with singer-songwriter Cliff Magness. Recording finished in January 2002.^[17]

Lavigne released her debut album, Let Go, on 4 June 2002 in the U.S., where it reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It peaked at No. 1 on the Australian, Canadian, and UK charts. This made Lavigne, at 17 years old, the youngest female soloist to have a No. 1 album in the UK until that time.^[18] 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.^[19] By May 2003, Let Go had accumulated over 1,000,000 sales in Canada, receiving a diamond certification from the Canadian Recording Industry Association.^[20] As of 2009, the album has sold over 16 million units worldwide,^[21] and the RIAA has certified the album six-times platinum, denoting shipments of over six million units in the U.S.^[22]

Lavigne's debut single and the album's lead single, "Complicated", peaked at No. 1 in Australia and No. 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 No. 83.^[23]

Subsequent singles, "Sk8er Boi" and "I'm With You" reached the top ten in the U.S.^[24] Thanks to the success of her first three singles, Lavigne was the second artist in history to have three No. 1 songs from a debut album on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40.^[25] For the music video to "Complicated", Lavigne was named Best New Artist at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.^[26] She won four Juno Awards in 2003 out of six nominations,^[27] 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).^[28]

In 2002, Lavigne made a cameo appearance in the music video to "Hundred Million" by the pop punk band Treble Charger.^[29] In March 2003, Lavigne posed for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine^[30] and, later in May,^[31] performed "Fuel" during MTV's Icon tribute to Metallica.^[32] During her first headlining tour, the Try To Shut Me Up Tour, Lavigne covered Green Day's "Basket Case".^[33]

Lavigne was featured in the 2003 game, The Sims: Superstar, as a non-playable celebrity.^[34]

[edit] 2004–05: Under My Skin

Lavigne in Vancouver, Canada 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 The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.^[35] "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,^[36] and she posed for the cover of Maxim in October 2004.^[37] 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.^[38]

Lavigne's second studio album, Under My Skin, was released on 25 May 2004, debuting at No. 1 in several countries, including Australia, Mexico, Canada, Japan, the UK, and the U.S.^[39] 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 US 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, which had stopovers in almost every continent and lasted for the entire 2005 year.

"Don't Tell Me", the lead single of the album, went to No. 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 second single, went to No. 1 in Mexico and the top five in the UK and Australia. In the US, it reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and went to No. 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 US, reaching No. 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.^[41]

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^[42] and was nominated in every MTV Award show shown around the world.

[edit] 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.^[43]

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", was used for the film.^[44] Lavigne admitted that writing the song was challenging, making sure it flowed 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.^[45][46]

Lavigne in 2008 performing in the Netherlands.

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 No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. "Girlfriend" was Lavigne's first single to reach this No. 1 position.^[47] The single was a worldwide hit; it also peaked at No. 1 in Australia, Canada, Japan, and Italy and reached No. 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.^[48][12] "Girlfriend" ranked on the Hot 100 Singles of the Decade list at No. 94.^[49]

"When You're Gone", the second single, went to No. 3 in the UK, the top five in Australia and Italy, the top ten in Canada, and was 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".^[50] "Hot" was the third single and has been Lavigne's least successful single in the U.S., charting only at No. 95. In Canada, "Hot" made the top ten, and in Australia, the top 20. The Best Damn Thing has sold over 6 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.

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".^[51]

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.^[52] 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.^[53] On 21 August 2008, MTV reported that the concert had been approved by the Malaysian government.^[54]

[edit] 2009–11: Goodbye Lullaby

Lavigne singing in Florida during her Black Star Tour, May 2011.

Only a month after completing The Best Damn Tour, Lavigne began recording in her home studio in November 2008 with the song "Black Star",^[55] written to help promote her first fragrance of the same name.^[56] By July 2009, nine tracks had been recorded for the new album,^[55] 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."^[56] 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".^[57]

In January 2010, while simultaneously writing and recording for her new album, Lavigne worked with Disney 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",^[58] which was played over the end credits^[59] and included on the soundtrack, Almost Alice.^[60]

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".^[61] 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."^[62]

In September 2010, 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.^[63][64] In August 2011, she was featured in the music video for Cheers (Drink To That). "It's exciting to me because that was always one of my favorite songs, and for it to come out 10 years ago and so now to have it sampled and back out on the radio is pretty dope".^[65] 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.^[66] On 23 September 2011, Lavigne appeared in the Hub network show Majors & Minors as a guest mentor, alongside other singers including Adam Lambert and Leona Lewis. About the show, Lavigne stated, "I sang for them, and they performed for me. I was just blown away. I got to talk to them about music and the music industry, and they were all just so excited".^[65]

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",^[67] and that she had enough material for two records.^[67] In November, Lavigne was featured in Maxim, where she revealed that Goodbye Lullaby took two and a half years to complete,^[68] but she cited her record company as the reason for the album's delays, stating that the album had been completed for a year.^[69] Goodbye Lullaby was released on 8 March.^[70][57] The lead single, "What the Hell", premiered on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on 31 December.^[70]

2011–present: Fifth studio album[link]

Three months after the release of Goodbye Lullaby, Lavigne announced that work on her fifth studio album had already begun, with eight songs written so far. The new album will musically be the opposite of Goodbye Lullaby, with a release date rumored for sometime in 2012. ^[71] Lavigne explained, "[Goodbye Lullaby] was more mellow, [but] the next one will be pop and more fun again. I already have a song that I know is going to be a single, I just need to re-record it!"^[72][73][74] Later, in July 2011, Lavigne revealed the title of two of the songs from her fifth album as "Fine" and "Gone". The tracks were originally recorded for Goodbye Lullaby but never made the final cut. In late 2011, Lavigne confirmed that she had moved to Epic Records, which is now headed by L.A. Reid.^[75][76]

Production-wise, Lavigne stated in an interview with Virgin Radio 96 that she would begin production on the album in January 2012. ^[65] During recording, she has been confirmed to have worked with the hip hop production duo The Runners, ^[77] Chad Kroeger of rock band Nickelback and former member of rock band Evanescence David Hodges. ^[78] In April 2012, Lavigne confirmed that she had "finally" finished work on her fifth album and that she would be taking a short hiatus before releasing it and embarking on "[her] next artistic journey".^{[citation needed]}

Musical style and songwriting[link]

Avril Lavigne in February 2011.

Themes in Lavigne's music include messages of self-empowerment from a female or an adolescent view.^[79] Lavigne believes her "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."^[80] 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", saying that "the songs I did with the Matrix... were good for my first record, but I don't want to be that pop anymore."^[81] Lavigne's second album, Under My Skin, had deeper personal themes underlying each song. Lavigne explained, "I've gone through so much, so that's what I talk about.... Like boys, like dating or relationships".^[82] In contrast, her third album, The Best Damn Thing, was not 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."^[83] Her objective in writing the album was simply to "make it fun".^[84] Goodbye Lullaby, Lavigne's fourth album, was much more personal than her earlier records,^[55] with Lavigne describing the album as "more stripped down, deeper. All the songs are very emotional".^[85] Ian McKellen defined her as “... a punk chanteuse, a post-grunge valkyrie, with the wounded soul of a poet and the explosive pugnacity of a Canadian.” on the Craig Ferguson show in 2007. ^[86][87]

Growing up, Lavigne listened to Blink-182, Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox Twenty and Shania Twain,^[81] and her influences include Courtney Love and Janis Joplin.^[82] Because of these influences, musical genres, and her personal style, the media often defined her as punk, something she denied being. Lavigne’s close friend and guitarist, Evan Taubenfeld, said, "It's 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".^[88] Lavigne also commented on the matter: "I have been labeled like I'm this angry girl, [a] rebel... punk, and I am so not any of them."^[40]

Most of critics identify Lavigne as some form between teen pop and pop-punk: Publications such as The New York Times, Rolling Stone, NME, MusicMight, IGN and Popmatters have identified Avril Lavigne as a mix of rock, teen pop and pop-punk,^{[89][90][91][92][93][94]} influenced by a grungey pop-rock sound.^{[95][96][97][98][99]}

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 had been writing "full-structured songs" since she was 14.^[40] Despite this, Lavigne’s songwriting has been questioned throughout her career. The songwriting trio, the Matrix, with whom Lavigne wrote songs for her debut album, claimed that they were the main songwriters of Lavigne’s singles, "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi" and "I'm with You". Lavigne denied this, asserting that she was the primary songwriter for every song on the album. "[N]one of those songs aren't from me".^[81] In 2007, Chantal Kreviazuk, who wrote with Lavigne on her second album, accused Lavigne of plagiarism^[100] and criticized her songwriting. "Avril doesn't really sit and write songs by herself or anything".^[101] Lavigne also disclaimed this, and considered taking legal action against Kreviazuk for "clear defamation" against her character.^[101] Kreviazuk later apologized: "Avril is an accomplished songwriter and it has been my privilege to work with her".^[100] Shortly after that, Tommy Dunbar, founder of the 1970s band, the Rubinoos, sued Lavigne, her publishing company, and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald for allegedly stealing parts of "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" for her song "Girlfriend".^[102] Gottwald defended Lavigne, stating, "me and Avril wrote the song together…. It has the same chord progressions as ten different Blink-182 songs, the standard changes you'd find in a Sum 41 song. It's the Sex Pistols, not the Rubinoos."^[101] In January 2008, the lawsuit was closed after a confidential settlement had been reached.^[103]

Other work[link]

Film career[link]

Lavigne became interested in appearing on television and in feature films. The decision, she said, was her own. Although her years of experience in making music videos would be to her advantage, Lavigne admitted her experience in singing removed any fear of performing on camera. She specifically mentioned that the video "Nobody's Home" involved the most "acting".^[80] Her first television appearance was in a 2002 episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,^[104] performing "Sk8er Boi"^[105] with her band in a nightclub.^[106] 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^[107] after her performance of "Losing Grip".^[108]

Lavigne at the Los Angeles premiere of Over the Hedge on 30 April 2006.

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^[109] to film a single scene in the 2007 film, The Flock.^[110] She starred as Beatrice Bell, the girlfriend of a crime suspect, appearing alongside Claire Danes and Richard Gere. Gere gave Lavigne acting tips between takes.^[110] 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".^[80] The Flock would not be released in American theatres, 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.^[111]

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. 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."^[112] 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 because of her rock-star status. "[The director] thought I'd give my character... a bit of attitude".^[80] The film opened on 19 May 2006, making $38 million over its opening weekend. It went on to gross $336 million worldwide.^[113]

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.^[114] The fictionalized adaptation, directed by Richard Linklater, traces fast-food hamburgers contaminated with cow feces back to the slaughterhouses.^[115] Lavigne starred in her on-screen acting debut^[116] as a high school student intent on freeing the cows.^[117] The film opened on 17 November 2006 and remained in theatres for 11 weeks, grossing $2 million worldwide.^[118]

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."^[80] 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.^[119]

Fashion design[link]

Avril Lavigne sporting clothes from her Abbey Dawn line in 2011.

In July 2008, Lavigne launched the clothing line Abbey Dawn, featuring a back-to-school collection.^[12] 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.^[120][121] Kohl's describes Abbey Dawn as a "juniors lifestyle brand",^[12] 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."^[122] The clothing line incorporates Lavigne's musical style and lyrics, "after the release of my first album, I realized how much fashion was involved in my musical career".^[65]

The designs were also featured on the Internet game Stardoll, where figures can be dressed up as Avril Lavigne.^[124] On 14 September 2009, Lavigne took her then latest collection for her clothing line to be a part of the New York Fashion Week,^[125] returning in 2011.^[65] In December 2010, the clothing line was made available to over 50 countries through the line's official website.^[126][85] "It's fun to be a chick and design clothes and things I'd like for myself. I design things I [can't] find."^[62] At the end of 2008, Lavigne signed a contract with Canon Canada to appear in advertising campaigns and commercials to promote the latest line of cameras and a full range of other accessories.^[127]

Lavigne released her first fragrance, Black Star, created by Procter & Gamble Prestige Products. The fragrance was announced on 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 US and Canada.^[128] 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."^[129] Black Star won the 2010 Best "Women's Scent Mass" by Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW).^[130] Black Star was followed by a second fragrance in July 2010,^[131] Forbidden Rose, which took two years to develop.^[132] It features notes of red apple, winepeach, black pepper, lotusflower, heliotrope, shellflower, praline agreement, sandalwood, and vanilla.^[131] Its message is an extension of Black Star's "follow your dreams",^[133] though the tagline for the new perfume is "Dare to Discover".^[134] The commercial takes place in a gothic garden setting,^[133] where Lavigne, upon entering the garden, finds a single, purple rose.^[134] Lavigne launched a third fragrance, Wild Rose, in August 2011 and filmed the commercial for it in late 2010.^[85] The tagline for the fragrance is "Dare to discover more".^[135] It features notes of mandarin, pink grapefruit, plum, orange blossom, frangipani, blue orchid, musk, sandalwood and crème brûlée.^[136]

In January 2010, Lavigne began working with Disney to incorporate Alice in Wonderland-inspired designs into her Abbey Dawn line of clothing.^[58] 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.^[137]

Philanthropy[link]

Lavigne singing in Beijing in 2008.

Lavigne has been involved with many charities, including 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.^[138] In November 2010, Lavigne attended the Clinton Global Initiative.^[139]

Lavigne worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organization, for her 2005 east coast tour.^[140] 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 Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. Released on 12 June 2007, the album was produced to benefit Amnesty International's campaign to alleviate the crisis in Darfur.^[141]

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.^[142] 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 organizations related to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.^[143]