Avril Lavigne channels teenage self as she receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Avril Lavigne tapped into her trademark teenage angst on Wednesday as she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Napanee, Ont.-native became the latest entertainment industry personality to receive a star on a stretch of sidewalk that runs down Hollywood Boulevard.

The career benchmark came as the 37-year-old toasts the 20th anniversary of her debut album "Let Go," which launched her career with the single "Complicated" and memorable hits "Sk8er Boi" and "I'm With You."

Lavigne's public ceremony was attended by Colson Baker, better known as singer Machine Gun Kelly, who told his tour mate she was "an inspiration for a generation of kids" like himself.

The pop-punk singer opened her speech by revealing a blown-up photograph of her 16-year-old self at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The photo showed the adolescent aspiring singer laying across the sidewalk beside one of the celebrity stars while dressed in a hoodie emblazoned with "skateboarding is not a crime."

The eight-time Grammy nominee proclaimed she was channelling "good luck and good vibes" as she slipped into what appeared to be the same hoodie.

"Today I love making music more than ever. I feel so inspired," she said, thanking her family and her fiancé Derek Smith, who performs as rapper Mod Sun.

Lavigne said she hopes her star will inspire the next small-town 16-year-old who "comes to Hollywood one day full of hopes and dreams."

"Live your passion. Express yourself," she continued. "Be real. Work hard. Keep your head up. Believe in yourself."

"Thank you so much for this honour," she said as she wrapped up her speech.

"I’m so grateful – to party with you all after."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2022.