Apparently, Avril was born for such insanity. A middle child who "always wanted to be the center of attention," she was bound to bust out of Napanee, Ontario, population 5,000. "I always knew this was what I had to do," she says. "I remember when I was really young, standing on my bed like it was a stage, singing at the top of my lungs and visualizing thousands of people surrounding me." She segued from her bedroom to singing, well, whenever and wherever she could-starting in church singing gospel music, and on to festivals, then singing country music at fairs and talent contests-until she was discovered by Arista Records.

Avril quit school junior year to attain her goal in the music business. She knew business or math class weren't going to help her sing or write better.

With the help of Antonio "L.A." Reid, Avril has become a world wide phenomenon, as well as assisting individuals all over the world with her lyrics, and the power she transfers in the minds of those who are inspired by her.