Avril Lavigne has been around for longer than you think! The pop-punk singer has had several hits throughout her career, and has without a doubt made a name for herself. Avril first broke out on the scene back in 2002 when she released her first-ever debut album 'Let Go'.

The singer has gone on to create hits from 'Sk8er Boi', 'Complicated', and 'Girlfriend' to name a few. She is probably one of the few celebrities to have a scandal-free career spanning nearly 20 years, which is quite uncommon nowadays.

Although we may not have heard much from Avril Lavigne in recent years, she is back and better than ever! The singer released her newest single 'Head Above Water' earlier this year and has since been readying her tour that will starting next year in Europe! Although she's back at work, it's been a while since she's released new music. With that being said, here are 20 surprising facts that everyone forgets about Avril Lavigne.

40 She Is Canadian

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While it is definitely easy to clump all celebrities together and consider them American, Avril Lavigne is 100% Canadian! There is nothing 'complicated' about Avril here. The singer was born and raised in Belleville, Ontario, a southern city in Canada. The singer takes pride in being Canadian, having performed at numerous Olympic events on behalf of the country.

38 She Practically Invented Punk-Pop

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The singer took two genres and made it cool! While punk and pop are by no means to musical genres you'd expect to find in the same songs, Avril has proven to us that the impossible is, in fact, possible. The singer gave rise to the genre, combining the two and creating non-stop hit after hit.

36 She Owns Her Own Fashion Brand

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Although many of us know Avril Lavigne as a singer and a singer only, the star is quite busy doing a lot more! She not only has her own foundation, 'The Avril Lavigne Foundation', but she owns, operates and designs her very own fashion and accessory line, 'Abbey Dawn'. It appears she really is doing the absolute most!

34 She Has A Pizza Named After Her

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Avril Lavigne is quite the hotshot back home in her small town of Belleville! While she keeps things low-key and down to Earth when she visits her hometown, the locals treat her like the celeb she is, so much that she even has a pizza named after her. La Pizzeria, a local pizza joint in Ontario, named a pizza after Avril! The pizza has sauce, cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms and black olives, yum!

32 She's Named After A Month In French

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While Avril Lavigne is a beautiful name, many are not aware of its origins! Considering Avril was born in Ontario, a predominately English speaking province in Canada, her name screams french. Avril was named after the month of 'April' when translated into French. Her father, who has French Canadian origins, named her after the lovely Spring month.

30 She Can Play Multiple Instruments

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While Avril Lavigne can definitely sing, and amazingly at that, she is also quite a talented musician in other areas as well! The singer can play a total of three instruments. The piano, the drums and, of course, the guitar have all been mastered by Avril herself, where she performs using all three during many of her shows.

28 Her Favourite Band Is Nirvana

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Although Avil Lavigne is quite young, she revealed to iHeartRadio that her favourite band is Nirvana! Despite Avril being young enough to be the legendary baby on the cover of their album,'Nevermind', she has a close connection to the group and has mentioned how their music resonates with her quite a lot.

26 She Performed With Shania Twain At 15 Years Old

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Ever wonder what happens when two Canadian icons collide? Well, wonder no more. When Avril was only 15 years old, she won a radio contest to appear on stage with Shania Twain during one of Twain's shows in Toronto, Canada. Shania, who is also from Ontario, was a huge role model for Avril and is said to be the start of her very long and successful career.

24 She Was Discovered In A Book Store

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Before Avril Lavigne was signed and recorded her first-ever album 'Let Go', she was performing in local shops and bookstores in her hometown. Chapters, a notable Canadian bookstore, was one of Avril's regular spots, which she was later filmed and then discovered by Epic Records and Artista Records chairman, LA Reid.

22 Avril Dropped Out Of School

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As mentioned, LA Reid discovered the Canadian singer and signed her onto his label immediately. The 16-year-old at the time immediately dropped out of school and moved to New York City to get started on her debut album. While Avril has mentioned she wishes she had finished her studies, it's clear that she definitely made the right choice.