A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled Wednesday honouring eight-time Grammy-nominated singer songwriter Avril Lavigne in connection with the 20th anniversary of the release of her first album, “Let Go.”
Lavigne shared with the crowd gathered for the ceremony in front of Amoeba Music a blown-up photo of herself visiting the Walk of Fame when she was 16-years-old, “right about when I dropped out of high school.” She then donned the same hoodie she was wearing when the photo was taken, proclaiming, “It fits!”
“So I can remember seeing these legendary names and I never could have imagined that mine would be here,” she said. “This is so crazy. I’m so grateful. This is probably one of the coolest days of my life.”
She thanked her family and friends for allowing and helping her to chase her dreams.
And today, I love making music more than ever,” she said. “I feel so inspired, and I hope that the next 16-year-old from their small town who comes to Hollywood one day full of hopes and dreams sees this star and thinks to themselves, ‘Oh my God, my name could be there one day too.’ Because it can. Follow your dreams. Live your passion. Express yourself. Be real. Work hard. Keep your head up. Believe in yourself.”
Rapper Machine Gun Kelly, who was among Lavigne’s collaborators on her seventh and latest studio album, “Love Sux,” released Feb. 25, was among those joining her at the ceremony. Kelly will be Lavigne’s co-headliner on the U.S. portion of her 47-stop “Love Sux” tour, Sept. 23 at the Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Delaware, and Sept. 24 and Oct. 22 in Las Vegas.
The actual 20th anniversary of “Let Go’s” release was June 4, two days after Lavigne completed the Canadian leg of her tour in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The tour is set to resume Monday in Lima, Peru.
The star is the 2,731st since the completion of the Walk of Fame in 1961 with the first 1,558 stars. (NBC)