Avril Ramona Lavigne was born in 1984 in Belleville, Ontario, but spent the majority of her youth in the small town of Napanee, Ontario. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain, and by 16, Lavigne had signed a recording contract. When she was 17 years old, Lavigne broke onto the music scene with her debut album, Let Go, released in 2002. She hit number one with her single "Girlfriend."