Friday April 19, 2002 @ 03:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff
Would you laugh if someone told you modern rock radio's next star hails from Napanee, Ontario? Probably.
But hold your laughter because Avril Lavigne is about to defiantly kick down rock 'n' roll's doors and announce her arrival at the big party.
Not bad for a 17-year-old who went from being a high school student in a small town, to signing a major label with Arista Records, to writing and recording a debut album all in the span of a year and a half.
"I'm so glad it's done. I'm so glad," says Lavigne. "I've definitely grown a lot in that whole period - especially as a person."
The long road Lavigne has managed to traverse in an alarmingly short period of time is the stuff of dreams. After sending around a videotape of herself singing and performing, Lavigne got a reply from Nettwerk Records, expressing an interest in working a demo deal with her. It was the ticket out of small-town Ontario she'd been waiting for. "So they hooked me up with a writer and I ended up moving to New York because I was going to write with him for awhile."
Sounds simple enough, except the fates had something different in mind for Lavigne.
"One day, someone from Arista came by the studio and heard me and wanted to bring "LA" Reid (president of Arista) to come hear me," she continues. "I sang a couple of songs for him and he wanted to sign me right away. I wasn't even shopping for a deal! That doesn't happen very often. I mean, sometimes bands take 10 years to get a deal! So I was very, very, very lucky."
What had Reid and the rest of the Arista label all excited about, is Lavigne's fresh blend of spunky edginess and naive charm. And a voice that is equal parts Natalie Imbruglia and Lisa Loeb's poppy, sweetness and Alanis Morissette and Courtney Love's poignantly venomous, biting petulance. All rolled into a dirty blonde, blue-eyed, skater punk princess package that's sure to have the boys want her and the girls want to be her. It's suggested that one day Lavigne might have to deal with the pressures of being a role model for young girls just like her.
"It won't really make me change," she says. "I'm not worried about what other people say. I'm just going to be myself. I'm not going to try to pretend I'm someone else. I'm not a bad person. I like to have fun and I like to be myself. Hopefully, people will see that."
Just don't expect her to be another Britney Spears. "I mean, the way she dresses — would you walk around the street in a fuckin' bra?" she asks rhetorically. "I'm not trying to dis anyone, but with me, the clothes I wear onstage are the clothes I would wear to school or go shopping. I'm not gonna go up onstage and dress different. Britney Spears goes up onstage and dresses like a showgirl. She's not being herself up there because she's dancing like a ho. Is she ho? She says she's a virgin. Y'know, it's just not clicking. She's doing one thing and saying another thing, y'know? It's definitely not what I'm going to do."
So while Lavinge ponders her upcoming success, she remains grounded. With a level of maturity that belies her teenage years, she is about to face the inevitable maelstrom that comes with the release of her debut album. A collection of punky, but poppy rock 'n' roll songs delivered with a voice that can be precious and tender one minute and acerbic the next, Let Go has a chance to win fans over from all kinds of music tastes. It's an album that officially announces Avril Lavigne's arrival at the big dance. She's from Napanee, Ontario. Anyone laughing now?
—Brian Pascual
Posted by Jen on Friday, April 19, 2002 @ 05:32 p.m.
VH1 has enlisted Mary J. Blige, Cher, Celine Dion, the Dixie Chicks, and Shakira to help out with the fifth installment of the VH1 Divas show. Benefitting the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, VH1 Divas Las Vegas will take place May 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Additional performers, presenters and special guests will be announced at a later date.
Tickets are open to the public at the , 0 and 0 marks, and go on sale beginning April 13 through Ticketmaster and the MGM Grand box office.
"Divas are defined by talent, style and attitude, and only Vegas can match the excitement and unpredictability of these Divas," said Rick Krim of VH1. "This newest edition of VH1 Divas Live takes the most powerful women in music - the kind of superstar artists who usually headline their own TV specials - and brings them all together on one stage."
Since its inception in 1997, the VH1 Save The Music program has received more than million in donations of musical instruments, which in turn have been given to 750 public schools in 75 cities.
This is the first time VH1 Divas will be presented on the West Coast. The previous four shows have been held in New York.
Posted by Jen on Friday, April 19, 2002 @ 02:51 p.m.
Britney Spears was struck by a bottle as she took time out to meet fans at the Australian premiere of her new movie 'Crossroads', according to reports.
Just weeks after being booed for ignoring British fans during an outing in London, Spears attempted to appease her Australian admirers by posing for photos and signing autographs outside a cinema in Sydney.
However, the Princess of Pop's gesture was thrown back at her, when a plastic bottle was lobbed from the crowd.
An eyewitness said: "Britney seemed annoyed but didn't comment. It's a pity when one small mind makes things bad for the majority."
As reported on dotmusic yesterday, Britney played a show to fans in a small indoor arena in Sydney, after the original outdoor concert was cancelled due to torrential rain.
Posted by Jen on Friday, April 19, 2002 @ 02:49 p.m.
* The Hottest Summer Line-Up Set to Debut at Giants Stadium *
NEW YORK, April 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- Z100, New York's Number One Hit Music Station will hold it's annual summer concert ``Z100's ZOOTOPIA 2002'' at Giants Stadium Sunday, June 2, 2002 at 6:00PM. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, April 20 at 9:00AM through www.Ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster Charge by Phone (201-507-8900, 516-888-9000, 212-307-7171 and 914-454-3388). Tickets are first come, first serve and there is an eight ticket limit.
This year's star studded line-up includes: Bon Jovi, Mary J. Blige, Marc Anthony, Shakira, Pink, Alanis Morissette, P. Diddy, Celine Dion, Goo Goo Dolls, Michelle Branch, Aaron & Nick Carter, Craig David, and many more to be announced.
This marks the concerts debut performance at Giants Stadium. Over the year's Z100's Zootopia was held at various locations throughout the tri-state area. This year's ticket prices range from 0-.00.
``Demand for past shows was so strong that we knew we had to move Z100's Zootopia 2002 to the biggest marquee venue of all -- Giants Stadium,'' stated Tom Poleman, Sr. VP/Programming for Clear Channel Radio New York and Program Director of Z100. ``It'll be an incredible showcase of pop music's best -- from rock to rhythm -- all in one night.''
This year's concert will also include a pre-show five hour event at ``Trend Fest at Z Village.'' An outdoor festival and extravaganza, sponsored by Teen People Magazine, Trend Fest (12noon-5pm) features music, fashion and beauty in a fun and interactive setting.
Posted by Jen on Friday, April 19, 2002 @ 02:44 p.m.
(4/19/02, 10 a.m. ET) -- Pink will kick off Nickelodeon's 15th annual Kids' Choice Awards ceremony on Saturday (April 20) with a performance of her recent hit, "Get The Party Started." Rockers Smash Mouth and R&B superstar Usher are also scheduled to perform during the show. The show will take place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, and will air live on Nickelodeon staring at 8 p.m. ET (tape delay PT).
Pink, Britney Spears, Smash Mouth, and *NSYNC (news - web sites) lead the music nominees for this year's Kids' Choice Awards with two nods apiece. Presenters scheduled for the telecast include Matt Damon, Spider-Man, Kirsten Dunst, Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles, the Rock, Dana Carvey, Antonio Banderas, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Frankie Muniz, Jessica Alba, Apolo Ohno, Tony Hawk, Melissa Joan Hart, and Lil' Romeo.
Rosie O'Donnell returns this year as the host of the show. Last year O'Donnell was forced to cancel her gig as master of ceremonies of Nickelodeon's 14th Annual Kids' Choice Awards because of complications stemming from a hand injury. In addition, superstar pro BMX biker Dave Mirra will attempt a potentially record-breaking stunt during the live broadcast by trying to complete a double back flip on a BMX bike and then land in a 4,000-gallon tank of Nickelodeon's signature green slime.
Nickelodeon's 15th Annual Kids' Choice Awards will be seen in more than 120 million households worldwide. The Kids' Choice Awards allow for kids to vote for their favorites in movies, television, music, and sports.
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards music nominees:
FAVORITE SONG:
"Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know" - Britney Spears
"Get The Party Started" - Pink
"I'm A Believer" - Smash Mouth
"Pop" - *NSYNC
FAVORITE MALE SINGER:
Aaron Carter
Lil' Bow Wow
Lil' Romeo
Usher
FAVORITE FEMALE SINGER:
Janet Jackson
Jennifer Lopez
Pink
Britney Spears
FAVORITE SINGING GROUP:
*NSYNC
Backstreet Boys (news - web sites)
Destiny's Child
Dream
FAVORITE BAND:
Baha Men
Creed
Smash Mouth
Sugar Ray
-- Jason Gelman, New York
Posted by Jen on Friday, April 19, 2002 @ 02:41 p.m.
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