Lavigne says fake starlets are ‘pathetic’

CLEVELAND — With Ashlee Simpson in the news this week following a disastrous lip-synching appearance on ”Saturday Night Live,” Canadian pop singer Avril Lavigne says it’s “pathetic” that some young artists don’t sing on their own record or on stage.

While she can relate to the pressures of learning how to play live and work an audience for the first time, Lavigne says she takes exception to the practice of lip-synching.

“You know what? There are a lot of people out there today, who have become stars or famous musicians -- I wouldn’t really define them as a star -- with a record only because they have connections and only because they have money and for the wrong reasons,” Lavigne, 20, told Billboard.com.

“And it sucks. Actually, I know for a fact there are some young female artists who don’t even sing on their own records and who don’t sing live. And that is pathetic.”

Ashlee Simpson, the younger sister of fellow reality TV starlet, Jessica Simpson, was caught out during her “SNL” appearance when a pre-recorded vocal track started playing as she held her microphone to her side. She initially blamed her band, and then a sore throat that prevented her from singing live.

Lavigne, who is six days older than Simpson, added, “I got signed because of my voice. That’s what (then-Arista head Antonio) ’L.A.’ Reid signed me on. He said, ’Wow, you are only 15 and you can really sing. I’m going to sign you.’ And I’ve never lip-synced once.”

Lavigne is in the midst of a North American tour to promote her newly released second album “Under My Skin,” which has sold 1.8 million copies to date in the United States. She drops in on Hampton, Va., Oct. 30.

She says she’s more confident than ever. On stage, she’s singing, playing piano and even showing off her drum chops on one song.

While she has been doing a little writing on tour, and live material is being gathered for an eventual DVD release, there is no timetable for her next project. Said Lavigne, “No, I’m going to be out here for a while.”

Lavigne recorded the theme song for the upcoming “SpongeBob SquarePants” soundtrack, due Nov. 9 via Sire.

“I sang the theme song but did my own version for the movie,” she said. “I had never done anything like that before so I said that would be kind of cool. You know, a good experience. I just did a rockier version -- a me version of it.”