Avril Ramona Lavigne (pronounced /ˈævrɨl ləˈviːn/) (born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, fashion designer, and actress. Lavigne has sold more than 30 million copies of her albums worldwide.[9] She is currently one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the United States, with over 10.25 million copies certified by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Lavigne broke into the recording industry with her debut album, Let Go, released in 2002. As of 2009, over 16 million copies were sold worldwide, more than 6 million of which were sold in the United States. Her second and third album, Under My Skin and The Best Damn Thing, reached number one on the Global charts. Lavigne has scored five number-one singles worldwide, including "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi", "I'm With You", "My Happy Ending" and "Girlfriend". She is currently working on her fourth studio album, due out in early 2010
Avril Lavigne
Yui
Yui grew up in a single parent family and so does not have any memory of her father. She does remember always being close to music, be it from her mother's car stereo or the radio; she would remember the tunes and sing along. By the time she was in elementary school she thought she would like to become a singer.
During her third year in middle school, following the influence of her mother, Yui began keeping a journal of everyday feelings and poetry. Because of this, by the time she was in high school, she began writing songs. While in high school she worked part-time to help pay for tuition. Always busy, she thought there was no longer a road to music. Eventually she became ill. While in hospital, with time to think, she was overwhelmed with the desire to make music. She decided that school and music could not coexist. Upon leaving the hospital she encountered a live street performance and expressed her desire to pursue a musical career to the band, Bianco Nero, at the end of the concert. Bianco Nero recommended to Yui that she should join a private music school and soon, she dropped out of high school and seriously began studying songwriting and guitar at a juku in her hometown of Fukuoka. Aspiring to become a professional, she carried her guitar around and sang at the entrance of Tenjin Station in Fukuoka. Doing these street performances helped Yui to eventually overcome her shyness.
Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster® Fender
Legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has been creating memorable guitar riffs for decades. His deft phrasing and unmistakable tone have helped make the phrase “guitar solo” a household term. Blackmore and Fender are now proud to introduce the Ritchie Blackmore Signature Stratocaster guitar, based on his favorite ’70s model and featuring a maple neck with a graduated scalloped rosewood fretboard, Seymour Duncan® Quarter Pound Flat™ pickups, and ’70s-style “F” tuners. Deluxe gig bag included.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Stratocaster® Fender
Grammy®-nominated artist Kenny Wayne Shepherd has been carrying the blues torch since he exploded on the scene in the mid-’90s. Fender is proud to offer Shepherd’s new signature model Stratocaster model, inspired by his own vintage ’61 Stratocaster (currently on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Stratocaster features vintage styling coupled with modern appointments including Graph Tech® bridge saddles, a 12”-radius fretboard, a custom neck shape and jumbo frets.
American Standard Stratocaster® Fender
Icon. Not a word to be used lightly. But the Stratocaster is just that. The new American Standard Stratocaster guitars are beauties to behold in sound, look and feel. We kept the hand-rolled fingerboard edges, alnico V pickups and staggered tuning machines for playability, tone and stability, and added several new features, including:
* A new bridge with improved bent-steel saddles and a copper-infused high-mass block for increased resonance and sustain.
* A new neck treatment—tinted for a richer presentation, with the maple or rosewood fingerboard buffed to a high gloss. The back of the neck still has that silky satin finish.
* A thinner finish undercoat that lets the body breathe and improves resonance.
* A new Fender-exclusive SKB molded case.
* Two beautiful new finish options, Sienna Sunburst and Blizzard Pearl.
