Avril Ramona Lavigne (/ˌævrɪl ləˈviːn/ AV-ril lə-VEEN, French: [avʁil laviɲ]; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actress. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain and by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more than $2 million.